City Council chose Ralph J. Smith as interim mayor Monday. The Center Street garage and apartments rezoning failed to win a majority, and 15 grant-funded firefighters were approved.

Ralph J. Smith is the interim mayor of Manassas. The City Council chose him Monday from three council members who sought the job.

The city now lists Smith as interim mayor on its Mayor and Council page. He serves until a special election for mayor Nov. 2, 2027, the city has said. Mayor Michelle Davis resigned effective Sept. 30.

The same meeting left a downtown rezoning unresolved. A federal grant for 15 more firefighters passed unanimously, and the airport’s developer said passenger flights are now expected in November 2027. All council members were present, according to the city’s summary of the meeting.

Who Ralph Smith is

Smith beat out Vice Mayor Mark Wolfe and council member Tom Osina for the appointment. All three made their case at a special meeting Oct. 5 (see our preview of the vote). The city’s summary does not give the vote count.

According to the city’s biography of him:

  • he has lived in the city of Manassas for almost 40 years
  • he has served as chief election officer at the Round and Dean precincts and as an election official for more than 20 years
  • he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia

Smith told the council Oct. 5 that he would work with the city’s executive team on daily operations and on finishing major projects. He also said he would help new council members through the transition, the city said in its summary of that meeting.

He is also grand marshal of the 80th Greater Manassas Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 5, the city said in its fall events release.

Center Street rezoning fails, for now

The council considered rezoning 9007 Center St. from heavy industrial (I-2) to city center commercial. The change would allow a parking garage and a 162-unit apartment building, the city said in its Sept. 28 meeting summary.

Two motions failed Monday:

  • a motion to put off a decision until 2028
  • a motion to approve the rezoning

Neither won a majority. The city said the ordinance is expected to come back at a future council meeting.

15 more firefighters approved

The council voted unanimously to accept a federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. It adds 15 full-time firefighter positions, with a fiscal 2027 budget amendment for the federal money and the city’s share.

The meeting agenda listed $2,759,893.44 in federal grant money and $1,715,609.46 from the Fire and Rescue fund balance. The fire chief told the council the extra positions would let the city put four firefighters on each engine and ladder truck, up from three.

Airline service now expected November 2027

Mark Ricks of Avports, the company developing a passenger terminal at Washington Manassas Regional Airport, updated the council. He said site clearing has begun. More construction depends on the project’s financing, he said. Commercial passenger airline service is now anticipated to begin in November 2027, the city said.

The council also held a public hearing on the franchise agreement and ground lease for the terminal. No one from the public spoke. Staff said negotiations are still going on, and the council voted by majority to continue the hearing to its Nov. 9 meeting.

Everything else the council did

  • School buses. The consent agenda passed unanimously. It included $1.32 million from school fund balance for buses for Manassas City Public Schools, and the city’s 2027 legislative priorities.
  • Opioid grant. $33,340.88 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to keep paying for a harm reduction specialist.
  • Battery storage. An agreement through the Virginia Municipal Electric Association to buy into a battery energy storage system.
  • Police update. At Wolfe’s request, Police Chief Doug Keen briefed the council on the gunfire in Old Town over the weekend. The city’s summary does not say what he told them.
  • A possible farewell. Members recognized council member Sonia Vásquez Luna. Monday’s meeting could be her last, depending on the result of her race for the Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday.
  • December dates. Wolfe proposed holding the council’s organizational meeting and swearing-in at the Dec. 14 meeting, and canceling the Dec. 28 meeting. The council is expected to take that up in November.

What it means for you

  • Who to call. Smith’s listed number is 703-303-8530. The full list is on our who to call at City Hall page.
  • Mayor on the ballot next year. Voters pick a mayor in a special election Nov. 2, 2027. Three council seats are on Tuesday’s ballot; see our voting guide.
  • Next meeting. The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at City Hall, 9027 Center St. The airport terminal hearing continues and a public hearing on accessory dwelling units is planned. Meetings stream on the city’s Granicus video page.
  • Downtown zoning. For how rezoning and permits work, see building permits and zoning.