SPORTS: Gainesville baseball stays hot with 4-3 win over Woodbridge. SPORTS, Pages 12, 13
May 2, 2024 | Vol. 23, No. 18 | www.princewilliamtimes.com | $2.00 Covering Prince William County and surrounding communities, including Gainesville, Haymarket, Dumfries, Occoquan, Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
City of Manassas mulls data center tax hike
Both homeowners, data centers would pay more under city’s proposed budget By Cher Muzyk Staff Writer
Both property owners and data centers in the City of Manassas would see their tax bills rise next year under the $333 million budget the City Council is considering for fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1. Interim City Manager Douglas Keen’s budget plan keeps the real estate tax rate flat at $1.26 per $100 in assessed value. Still, a 5.25% increase in home values would result in an average residential tax bill increase of about $266. Data centers, meanwhile, would pay $2.15 per $100 in the assessed value on their computer servers and other computer equipment. The change reflects a 72% increase over the city’s current
TIMES STAFF PHOTO/CHER MUZYK
City of Manassas Interim City Manager Douglas Keen, left, and Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger listen during a recent public hearing on the city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2025. computer and peripherals tax rate of $1.25. The proposed rate would match Prince William’s current data center tax rate. However, the county supervisors voted Tuesday, April 23 to in-
crease the county’s data center tax rate to $3.70 — also an increase of about 70%. While there are no active data centers in Manassas, city officials approved four sites, and three are under development. One data center on the site of a former brickyard is expected to come online during 2025 and would be subject to the $2.15 rate, officials said at Monday’s public hearing. Keen’s budget includes $68.4 million for Manassas City Public Schools, a $1.8 million increase over 2024, as well as funding to give the city’s general staff a 3% merit raise, which is aimed at retaining city employees. The proposed $1.8 million boost in school spending represents a 3% increase that Manassas City Schools Superintendent Kevin Newman requested in his budget proposal to the Manassas City School Board. In part, the increase will fund at least a 6% increase in teacher pay. See TAX, page 2
2 Dems running for Congress back a $15 minimum wage — or higher By Cher Muzyk Staff Writer
PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD
LOVE-ing spring in Occoquan: Alexa Bonner and her daughter, Joelle, 4, enjoy the warm spring weather at River Mill Park, where the LOVE sign was recently repainted by mural artist Darby Leondra. SEE MORE, PAGE 2.
County planners reject mid-county data centers, page 3
Two Democratic candidates for Virginia’s 7th District congressional seat say it’s time to significantly raise the federal minimum wage by more than doubling the current rate of $7.25 an hour. During a weekend candidate forum, Clifford Heinzer, of Stafford County, said that if elected he’d advocate for a $17 federal minimum wage by 2028, while Prince William County Supervisor Margaret Franklin said she supports a $15-anhour federal minimum wage. Four of the other five candidates — Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey, Del. Briana Sewell, former delegate Elizabeth Guzman and Carl Bedell — all said they would advocate for a higher, “livable wage” but didn’t provide a specific number when asked. Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman left the forum early because of a previous engagement and was not in attendance when the topic was discussed. See MINIMUM WAGE, page 2
2 Occoquan eateries make the perfect pair, page 8
88 DULLES, VA
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