Candidate Profile: Jill Spall For Manassas City Council

MANASSAS, VA – Seven candidates are running for three seats on the Manassas City Council.

Patch invited each of the candidates to share their backgrounds, priorities and views on issues facing Manassas residents through its candidate questionnaire.

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Jill Spall is a lifelong Manassas resident and is currently chair of the Manassas City Public School Board. Here are her answers to Patch's questions.

Name

Jill Spall

Party affiliation

Democrat

Party endorsements

Democrat

Campaign website

Jill Spall for Manassas City Council

Campaign social media

Jill Spall for Manassas City

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for Manassas City Council because I love this city, I believe deeply in its future, and I believe our community benefits when different voices are represented at the table.

I have spent decades volunteering, raising a family, supporting our schools, working with community organizations and serving on the Manassas City School Board. That experience has given me a firsthand understanding of both the strengths of our community and the challenges we need to address.

I want to bring that experience to City Council with a focus on responsible growth, strong public safety, excellent schools, infrastructure, economic opportunity and a city government that listens to its residents.

Most importantly, I want to help make sure that as Manassas grows and changes, we don't lose the sense of community that makes this city special.

What do constituents tell you is most important to them for the coming term?

1. Public safety.

Residents want to know that our police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel have the resources, staffing and support they need to keep our community safe.

2. Responsible growth and infrastructure.

People want growth that is thoughtfully planned and accompanied by the roads, transportation, utilities, schools, parks and other infrastructure needed to support it. Growth should strengthen Manassas—not simply make it bigger.

3. Strong schools and a strong local economy.

Residents understand that excellent schools, a healthy business community and a strong workforce are interconnected. They want Manassas to remain a place where families want to live, businesses want to invest and people have opportunities to succeed.

What are your day-one priorities, if elected?

My first priority would be to listen and learn. I would continue to meet with City staff, public safety leaders, educators, business owners, community organizations and residents to reinforce what is working, what isn't and where Council can make a meaningful difference.

I would focus immediately on three areas: public safety and workforce needs; the city's infrastructure and capital priorities; and responsible planning for growth and economic development.

I also want to strengthen the connection between City Council, schools and the community. Good government starts with listening, communicating clearly and following through.

What are your longer-term goals, if elected?

My long-term goal is a Manassas that grows intentionally while preserving the character and sense of community that make it unique.

That means investing in infrastructure before problems become crises, supporting public safety, encouraging responsible economic development, expanding opportunities for housing and workforce housing, and maintaining strong partnerships with our schools and regional partners.

I also want Manassas to continue building on the assets we already have—from our historic downtown and airport to our two train stations, utilities, businesses, parks and highly engaged residents.

The goal isn't growth for growth's sake. It is smart, sustainable growth that improves quality of life for the people who already call Manassas home while making our city welcoming to the next generation.

What about your professional or other background has prepared you for this office?

My preparation comes from decades of working and volunteering in the community.

I have served on the Manassas City School Board since 2021 and currently serve as Chair. That experience has taught me how to work through complicated issues, listen to different perspectives, understand budgets and policy, collaborate with elected officials and staff, and make decisions with long-term consequences in mind.

I also have decades of experience as a community volunteer, including work with the Friends of the Manassas City Library and numerous school and community initiatives. My professional experience in small business has given me an appreciation for what it takes to meet a payroll, serve customers, manage resources and adapt when circumstances change.

Most importantly, I know Manassas because I have lived, worked, volunteered and raised my family here. I understand that local government decisions aren't abstract—they affect people's homes, businesses, families and everyday lives.

Aside from winning the election, what has been your most important campaign goal?

My most important campaign goal has been to listen.

Campaigning gives me an opportunity to have conversations with people I might not otherwise meet and to hear what residents think about the future of our city.

I don't believe a campaign should simply be about telling people what a candidate thinks. It should also be about asking: What matters to you? What is working? What needs to change? What do you want Manassas to look like five, ten or twenty years from now?

I want this campaign to be about bringing people into that conversation.

My message is simple: Different voices. Stronger community.

And regardless of where someone stands politically, I want every Manassas resident to know that their voice matters and that I will listen.