NEWS
Prince William Times | www.princewilliamtimes.com | March 23, 2023
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Residents gripe about rising tax bills, request funds for the animal shelter About 30 speak out at first county budget hearing By Anya Sczerzenie Times Staff Writer
Prince William County residents expressed concerns about high tax bills, advocated for more funding for the county animal shelter and asked for higher teacher salaries during the supervisors’ first public hearing on the fiscal year 2024 budget. About 30 residents spoke at the meeting, which was held on Tuesday, March 21. Many were angry about their real estate tax bills, which have increased annually over the last several years and are projected to rise again in 2024, even though the actual tax rate is being decreased from $1.030 to $0.977. “We’ve been promised and lied to that allowing corporations to build data centers in our county will lower our property taxes, but our property taxes have increased for 13 consecutive years,” said Paige Kenyon-Page, a resident of the Coles District. “You’re reducing the tax rate while taxes are going up,” said Mary Loren. “You say the average tax bill is $4,900, but my tax bill is just under $5,000 and I live in a very modest house.” Josh Quill, a Gainesville resident who is running for the Republican nomination for the 21st District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, said that he expects the nonprofit organization Willing Warriors to suffer under higher taxes. The organization owns two houses that are used
PHOTO BY MIKE BEATY
Noell Shott, secretary of the Prince William County Animal Advisory Committee, speaks in support of extra funding for a veterinary staff for the animal shelter. to host retreats for wounded veterans and their families, and Squil says the organization’s money should be spent on the veterans rather than higher taxes on those properties. “I feel as though we can look into the budget and find cuts,” Quil said. “It’s not only the homeowners that are impacted, it’s also affecting nonprofits in the area. Look into your hearts, I’m sure you can find the cost to be able to bring the rate down so that folks don’t see their bill going higher.” Some residents said they are unhappy that the board voted to raise salaries of members of the board of supervisors, saying that the money could have been better spent elsewhere. “There’s been a 70% increase in pay for the board chair—not for our teachers, not for our firefighters or EMTs, not even for our police force,” Kenyon-Page said. Also attending the meeting were advocates
from the Animal Advisory Council, a group of citizens who advise the supervisors on matters relating to animal welfare. The group has been asking for funding for an additional three veterinary positions at the county’s animal shelter to improve care for the animals and reduce extra costs. Veterinarian Patti Bright, who is the chair of the AAC, said that a veterinarian in a shelter is different from a normal outpatient veterinarian and that the expertise of someone trained in shelter medicine is important to properly care for the animals. “They deal with issues that your general veterinarian doesn’t necessarily deal with,” Bright said. “These are things like trauma, behavioral issues and infectious disease among populations. It is extremely important that we get the right expertise for the shelter,” she said. See FUNDS, page 9
Manassas Regional Airport - Master Plan Public Meeting Thursday, March 23, 2023 – 5:00 P.M. Manassas Regional Airport is inviting the public to take part in the 2023 Airport Master Plan Update. A Public Meeting for the Airport Master Plan will be held March 23 from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. in the Airport Terminal Building lobby, located at 10600 Harry J Parrish Blvd, Manassas, VA 20110. The Airport and the City of Manassas are seeking community participation and feedback during the development of the Airport Master Plan. The Airport Master Plan will provide an overview of future airport operations, including future demand levels. An airport master plan is updated approximately every 10 to 20 years, or when a large-scale shift is proposed to airside or landside facilities. An airport master plan projects future aviation demands for the airport and outlines development over a 10 to 20-year period. The update will focus on several key areas including aviation forecasts, demand/capacity, facility requirements, and development alternatives for consideration. For more additional information, visit https://hefmasterplan.com/ or contact the Office of the Airport Director at 703/361-1882
