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Issue 161
Friday, April 21, 2023
Prince William County
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Dear Neighbors,
As you can see from the Chair's Calendar below, it's been a busy week. In the midst of all these wonderful events, the Board of Supervisors met to "markup" the County Executive's proposed budget, which the Board will vote on adopting next Tuesday.
In the CXO's budget recap, projected revenues were higher than expected, allowing for a further reduction in the real estate tax rate from $1.03 to $.966 instead of $.977. This new lower rate allows for a zero increase (yes $0) in the average residential tax bill for the first time in over 15 years. In addition, the Board is proposing additional revenue from increasing the data center peripherals tax rate to $2.15, the maximum that was advertised. When this Board took office the rate had been $1.25 for 20 years. It has been raised gradually to this year's proposed rate of $2.15.
The higher projected revenues and increased data center peripherals tax rate allowed for an increase in the proposed compensation for our Fire and Rescue, Sheriff's Office, and Adult Detention Center personnel, as well as Public Safety Communicators. This was the year where the board focused on strengthening our internal workforce and we will achieve that with next week's budget adoption.
We are grateful for all that has been provided Prince William County in order to support our staff and our community.
In Service,
Chair Ann Wheeler
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Saturday, April 15, Chair Wheeler participated in the Keep Prince William Beautiful (KPWB) Dumfries cleanup effort. In addition to the many volunteers, PWC Potomac Magisterial District Supervisor Andrea Bailey and Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood helped make the event a success. | |
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Want to volunteer or have an area in need of a cleanup?
KPWB can provide a location, will consider recommended sites and offers planned opportunities throughout the year. Learn more here.
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Monday, April 17, Chair Wheeler spoke at the Woodbridge Women's Club (WWC) meeting on the FY2024 Budget and things happening in the County. WWC President Lucy Williams (right photo center) thanked Chair Wheeler for her contributions to the meeting. Woodbridge Magisterial District Supervisor Margaret Franklin also attended the meeting. | |
Founded in 1965, the WWC is a women’s volunteer organization. It promotes community welfare of the community by sponsoring and supporting community educational and environmental programs, undertaking actions and volunteer programs to create a better quality of life in the community, and providing annual scholarships for regional college-bound students.. | | | |
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Monday, April 17, Chair Wheeler presented the awards and certificates of participation to local students at the Optimist International Club of Manassas' Oracle Contest. The speech contest is designed to inspire today's youth to motivate and inform others through the art of public speaking.
The Manassas Club's motto is "Do Good and Feel Good" and its programs are aimed at instilling character, talent and self worth in youth. Lyle Beefelt, Director of Management and Budget at PWC Service Authority and Club President, presented Chair Wheeler with The Optimist Creed (top left photo).
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The first Optimist International clubs began in the early 1900' and were focused on making the world a better place. It has remained remarkably consistent over the past 100 years while evolving to meet current needs and bring a spirit of Optimism to new areas worldwide. Learn more in the video below. | | | |
Tuesday, April 18, Chair Wheeler's Office attended the Town of Dumfries Special Meeting which included the Oath of Office for Tangela Innis, the new Dumfries Town Manager. Ms. Innis has over 18 years of experience in local government management and prior to joining Dumfries was the Deputy City Manager for the City of Petersburg. Chair Wheeler's Chief of Staff, Kandis Holley (left in right photo), was among those who congratulated Ms. Innis. | |
Legal Services Open House | |
Wednesday, April 19, Chair Wheeler attended the Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) Open House at its new Prince William County office location in the City of Manassas. While there, Chair Wheeler toured the space and met the staff, including Chair of the Housing Practice Group Jonathan Francis (left in center photo) and Executive Director Jim Ferguson (right in center photo), as well as volunteers, and board members. | |
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LSNV is the largest legal aid organization in Virginia, helping thousands of clients each year in civil legal matters. It partners closely with other legal aid organizations, state and local bar associations, and courts to serve the region’s low-income and neediest populations. LSNV does not assist in criminal, traffic, or immigration matters and you will have to complete an eligibility screening to see if you qualify.
The LSNV Prince William Office is open for walk-in applications on Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm and by appointment only the rest of the week. The office closes for lunch from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.
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NARFE serves federal employees, retirees and their survivors through advocacy before the Office of Personnel Management, members of Congress, and the White House. Woodbridge Chapter members are located in Eastern PWC, including Woodbridge, and the communities of Dale City, Dumfries, Triangle, Montclair, Lake Ridge, Four Seasons, and Occoquan, as well as parts of Lorton in Fairfax County. | | | |
Thursday, April 20, Chair Wheeler's Office attended the Department of Transportation's Route 28 Bypass Public Information Meeting. A recording of the meeting and presentation slides will be posted here next week. | |
Friday, April 21, Chair Wheeler attended EID Al-Fitr prayer at the Muslim Association of Virginia's Dar al Noor Community Center. Eid al-Fitr means “festival of the feast” in Arabic and is celebrated by Muslims around the world to mark the end of Ramadan (A Special Time issue 61). | | |
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Tuesday, April 25, 7:30 pm
For Public Comment Time options visit SpeakUp! Prince William. Remote speakers must sign up by 5:00 pm on Monday, April 24. In-person speakers can sign up at the meeting.
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During the Tuesday, April 25, 7:30 pm, meeting the BOCS will adopt the FY2024 Budget.
NOTE: The agenda for the meeting will be available here. The delay is due to the BOCS budget markup session being continued to Thursday, April 20, due to a medical emergency at the Tuesday, April 18, BOCS meeting.
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Transportation Work Session and Open House | | |
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Wednesday, April 26, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) is hosting a Visualize 2050 Planning Commission Work Session and Open House in Board Chambers at the James J. McCoart Building in Woodbridge. This will be an opportunity for the public to offer feedback on which County projects should be included in the Visualize 2050 plan, which will update the current long-range transportation plan for metropolitan Washington. | |
The TPB is a federally designated metropolitan planning organization in Washington, DC. It focuses on areas such as safety, mobility, land-use coordination, provides analyzed data, and coordinates future plans to help local, regional, and federal decision-makers. | | | |
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PWC was ranked 7th of 133 counties in Virginia in the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute's 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R) report. The rankings are unique in their ability to measure the health of nearly every county in all 50 states, and are complemented by guidance, tools, and resources designed to accelerate community learning and action. In the 2022 report, PWC was ranked 10th.
The rankings model looks at the county's Policies and Programs and their role in influencing Health Factors, things that can modify to improve the length and quality of life for residents, and that affect on Health Outcomes, how healthy a county is right now in terms of length and quality of life. Watch the video below to learn more and better understand the model.
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PWC ranked among the healthiest counties in Virginia in both Health Factors and Health Outcomes. | | | | |
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Saturday, May 6, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, PWC Solid Waste Division and its partners Freestate Farms, Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, and Keep Prince William Beautiful are hosting a Compost Awareness Day at the Balls Ford Road Compost Facility in Manassas. Attendees can learn about backyard composting, ask questions and find out about the composting process at the County’s state-of-the-art facility. This event supports International Compost Awareness Week. | |
Start Preventive Measures Now | |
Now is the time to get a jump start on mosquito prevention. Check around your home for sources of standing water that mosquitoes might use to breed. You can learn more about mosquito prevention and request a free site visit here. | |
Nominations for the Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Awards are being accepted through 5:00 pm, Monday, June 19. The annual awards recognize the significant contributions of Virginians to the life and welfare of the Commonwealth and its people. One award is presented in each of 4 individual and 6 group categories. Nominees must reside and serve within the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nomination characteristics and identified service must fall within the parameters of the description for the category selected. Learn more and submit an application here. | |
24 Hours a Day 365 Days of the Year | |
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When a resident suffered a medical emergency at the Tuesday, April 18, BOCS meeting, PWC sheriff's deputies and fire and rescue personnel at the meeting took action. Their quick thinking and reaction provided needed immediate medical care and ensured swift transport to a medical facility.
The expertise these individuals demonstrated in this public setting was a strong reminder that everyone who works and volunteers to ensure the health and safety of the PWC community 24 hours a day 365 days a years, are heroes. The County thanks you for all you do every day.
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I want to first thank the first responders who were here tonight. What we saw in this response was absolutely amazing and we want to thank you very much.
Christopher Shorter
Prince William County Executive
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The Dumfries Farmers Market, which is now called Market on Main, is beginning its 2023 season Saturday, April 22, from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm, at Garrison Park. The market will operate through the season every Saturday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm and offer fresh produce, baked goods, soaps, candles, and various other vendors. | |
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Grand Opening Activities
Bring the family to enjoy the petting zoo, rock climbing wall, bounce house, live music, PWC Fire Department safety obstacle course, Dumfries Triangle Fire Department's Sparky the Fire Dog, face painting, a cooking demonstration by the TV personality Diva Chef of Hell's Kitchen, line dance class, and much more.
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Saturday, May 6, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, the Manassas Regional Airport is hosting an Open House to showcase the airport in celebration with the City of Manassas' 150th anniversary. There will be aircraft static displays, an aviation simulator, classic cars, food trucks, and many more exciting things to see! Admission is free and parking with shuttle service will be available at the VRE lot and Chapel Springs Church. | |
The Capital Wing Warbirds, which is affiliated with the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), will be offering rides at the event. The CAF maintains the largest collection of flying WWII warbirds in the world. Four of them are assigned to Capital Wing. You can learn more about the Warbirds and schedule a ride in one of their planes here. | | | |
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COVID-19
How to Get Vaccinated (including boosters):
How to get tested:
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PWC
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County Website and Career Opportunities
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Real Estate Assessment and Personal Property Tax information
- Personal Property Payment and Changes Online Portal
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Solid Waste, Disposal Guide, Yard Waste, and Recycling
- Residential Zoning: Decks, Sheds, Fences, Additions, Retaining Walls, and Swimming Pools, Spas, and Hot Tubs
- Library Branch Locations and Hours
- Parks and Recreation Online Location and Information Mapper
- Current Road Projects
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Pet Adoption and Dog Licenses
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Ann B. Wheeler was elected Chair At-Large of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors during the 2019 General Election and assumed office on January 1, 2020. Prince William County is located 25 miles south of Washington, D.C., and is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s second-most populous county with approximately 482,000 residents. | | | | |
