Manassas School Board Member Gets Council Seat

After nine years on the Manassas School Board, Sheryl L. Bass resigned Tuesday to take her seat as the newest member of the Manassas City Council.

Bass was unanimously appointed by the City Council on Monday and will take the place of Steven S. Smith, who resigned from his political position April 27. Smith, who left to begin his tenure on the Prince William County General District Court, took his seat as judge May 1 and will be affirmed by the General Assembly next year.

"I have mixed feelings about leaving the School Board," Bass said. "I've always been an advocate for the schools, and I've served with a terrific superintendent, board and staff. But I am honored and pleased council members have selected me and put their faith in me."

Manassas City Manager Lawrence D. Hughes said Bass will serve the roughly 3 1/2 years left in Smith's term. She was one of 10 candidates who initially applied for the position.

Bass, a 53-year-old mother of two, said her first piece of business will be to "get up to speed" on the issues the council is dealing with. As a council member, Bass said, she wants to balance continued low taxes with while still offering the services families and businesses have grown accustomed to. She said she also wants to work with Historic Manassas to make the city a "destination" and maintain the good working relationship the School Board and the council have built over the years.

Last week, when all the applicants had a chance to speak before the council, Bass portrayed herself as inquisitive and a good listener. She said she keeps up on current issues and has a "can-do" attitude.

Bass said she has stepped into all aspects of the community since moving to Manassas in 1982. She is in the business world, helping operate an optometry practice with her husband, and has embraced the schools as a board member and a mother. She has also participated in various community organizations, including Manassas Ballet Theatre and the Prince William area libraries.

Most recently, Bass served on the School Board's finance committee, which met monthly with council members to hash out the fiscal 2010 budget. That, she said, taught her a "valuable lesson" in budget management.

Because Bass is vacating her School Board seat, the school system must find a replacement.

School Board Chairman Arthur P. Bushnell said Virginia law gives the board 45 days to fill the vacancy. Bushnell said the board will put out a call for applicants and interview those interested before selecting the new member.

The appointee, however, will serve only until May, when a special election will determine who serves the remaining two years of Bass's four-year term, Bushnell said. The special election will coincide with the general election, in which three four-year seats will also be up for a vote.

Bushnell said the board has never had to fill a vacancy mid-term, although several previous members have gone on to the City Council, including former mayor Douglas S. Waldron.

"We will miss Mrs. Bass," Bushnell said. "She is a champion of the city."