Manassas Rec Department Closed

The Washington Post
December 18, 2008 Thursday

Manassas Council Backs City Restructuring;Departments Combined, Summer Programs Slashed in Effort to Deal With 'Disaster'
BYLINE: Jennifer Buske; Washington Post Staff Writer
SECTION: EXTRAS; Pg. PW01

A citywide government reorganization that includes consolidating departments, cutting summer programs and slashing jobs was unanimously approved Monday by the Manassas City Council.
Twelve of the city's main divisions will be consolidated into seven, and all summer programs through the Manassas Recreation and Parks Department, except the operation of Stonewall Park pool, will be eliminated. The reorganization takes effect immediately.

"All year we have been dealing with a growing national disaster that has now hit local government," Manassas City Manager Lawrence D. Hughes said. "We've taken numerous actions, but it is apparent we have to make major changes. . . .And if revenue continues to fall, we are going to face additional bad news."

The equivalent of 20 full-time positions was also eliminated Friday as part of the reorganization. Those cuts, however, did not have to go through the council, Hughes said. Directors of the departments of Public Works, Economic Development, Information Technology, and Recreation and Parks were laid off, Hughes said, noting that cuts were made at the administrative and management level to avoid disruption in services.

Three eliminated positions were vacant, and two job cuts were through retirement. The remaining layoffs were in Information Technology, Recreation and Parks, and Public Works, Hughes said. "I hate this. I do," Manassas Vice Mayor Andrew L. Harrover (R) said. "I thought with creativity and hard work we could overcome this, but I don't see any way around it. The folks we had to [lay off], we know them. This is all very difficult
for me." These unprecedented changes are needed to address the looming budget deficit, which, with estimated reductions in state aid, stands at about $5.4 million over the next year-and-a-half, Hughes said. Although the city has been tightening its belt all year by initiating a hiring freeze, eliminating capital projects and reducing government travel, those actions have not
prevented a shortfall. Hughes said city officials have spent several months working on the reorganization, which, including the job cuts, is expected to save the city almost $2.5 million over the next year-and-a-half. Part of the restructuring comes after an outside contractor studied the city's code enforcement, zoning procedures, property maintenance and building plan review processes, all of which both the Public Works and Community Development departments handled. The study found that the city would be more efficient if the processes were handled by a single department.
The Public Works and Utilities departments are being combined, Hughes said. The new department will cover such things as transportation, streets, maintenance, engineering and solid waste issues. Site and building plan review and approval, along with inspections, will be consolidated into one division under the Community Development Department. The Manassas Museum, Historic Manassas and other tourism-related functions will also move under Community Development.

Administrative functions of the city, including human resources and information technology services, will be moved into a newly created Finance and Administration Department.
"This is a very difficult time for us, and some very good people and very good programs have been negatively impacted," council member J. Steven Randolph (I) said. "I've never seen a budget like this or situation this bad. But Manassas is not unique." Other localities are dealing with the same issues, he said. Under the new structure, the city will terminate building leases for the departments of Recreation and Parks on Center Street and Economic Development on Centreville Road. Ending the leases will save the city $39,000 annually, Hughes said.

Council members also voted to take a 5 percent pay cut, along with the mayor. The new salaries will be $11,400 and $17,100, respectively.
Hughes said the reductions should put the city close to closing the deficit while keeping residential property tax bills flat-- something the council asked Hughes to do as he tries to balance the budget. The problem, Hughes said, is localities are waiting to see how much state funding they will get and how much property assessments will drop. City officials predict that
residential property assessments in Manassas will drop at least 20 percent and that commercial assessment will drop at least 5 percent.


DISTRIBUTION: Prince William County
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