Manassas Park to expand staff

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Extra money is allowing Manassas Park government to expand the city’s work force.

At this time, city estimates show the city’s general fund — its savings — swelling from $1.476 to $2.281 million. And if the city’s real estate tax rate isn’t changed this spring, the city would collect an extra $900,000 for the second half of the present fiscal year, which ends July 1.

The Manassas Park City Council will meet Monday and Tuesday to make changes to the city’s budget for the 2002-2003 fiscal year. The amended budget will take into account a number of new city staff positions, some of which have already been filled.

A new full-time code inspector, hired about three months ago, will enable the city to begin a stepped up rental inspection program, scheduled to start next week.

A senior director of government services will be paid up to $80,000 per year to coordinate activities among various city agencies;

Up to $50,000 per year will be set aside to pay the salary of a grants coordinator, who will seek out and put applications together for various state and federal grants.

The hiring of a traffic safety officer and a school resource officer has increased the number of police officers in Manassas Park to 23.

The Commissioner of the Revenue’s office already has a new clerk.

The new positions are allowing the city to expand the way it does business. Without his new full-time inspector, William Armstrong, Manassas Park’s building official, doubts his staff would have the time to inspect a rental property every time a new tenant moves in.

“We have a lot of new construction coming up,” he said. “And that’s going to keep us busy. We need the manpower to keep up.”

City Manager David Reynal is hoping the new government services director will increase communications among city staff.

“It’s not necessarily an economic development position,” he said. “But it will be to coordinate activities among various city departments.”

The grants coordinator position, which was approved by the City Council late last summer, was one of City Councilman Michael Bunner’s top priorities when he ran for office during the spring of 2002.

“I think the biggest benefit will be to free up department heads and teachers from extra work,” Bunner said. “The grants writer will be able to go out and get additional revenue for the city.”

Staff writer Chris Newmarker can be reached at (703) 368-3101, Ext. 119.