Alexandria City Council members have submitted numerous budget proposals for consideration at the upcoming FY 2026 Budget Add/Delete Public Hearing scheduled for April 8.
The proposals, which must be balanced with corresponding cuts or revenue increases, range from increasing support for Alexandria City Public Schools to expanding recreational programs and enhancing public transportation services.
Mayor Gaskins and Vice Mayor Bagley are among the most active sponsors of budget adjustments, with multiple council members co-sponsoring various initiatives to meet the required three-member threshold for consideration.
A significant portion of the proposed additions would be funded by reallocating money from the INOVA Alexandria Hospital contingency appropriation, which appears as a primary funding source for several initiatives.
The largest single proposal comes from Councilman Chapman, who seeks an additional $1 million one-time transfer to Alexandria City Public Schools to support services for youth and families. This would be funded through multiple sources including $283,775 from INOVA contingency, $300,000 from the Office of Climate Action, and various other budget adjustments.
Chapman’s proposal states that this aligns with City Council Priority #5, which is to “coordinate seamless cross-agency support services for the physical, social, and emotional well-being of youth and their families. ”
Another education-related proposal from Vice Mayor Bagley would place $150,000 of the Office of Climate Action’s non-personnel funds in contingency for Alexandria City Public Schools to fund connection fees for Douglas MacArthur’s solar panels.
“The City of Alexandria has declared a climate emergency, and we must act locally while we await additional action at the state level and from Dominion,” Bagley’s proposal states. “Completing this process at MacArthur will serve our local climate goals of creating on-site renewable energy.”
Several proposals focus on transportation improvements. Vice Mayor Bagley proposes increasing the frequency of DASH Line 32 between Landmark and Van Dorn Metro, which would cost $240,000. The funding would be contingent on a lower general fund contribution to WMATA if savings are verified by staff.
“Line 32 serves 12% low income residents and 63% minority residents within 1/4 mile. This is the only route that operates seven days a week with 60-minute [service],” according to the proposal.
Another transportation-related proposal from Bagley would hold $513,055 (one quarter of the FY 2026 funding) of the DOT Paratransit program in contingency while staff evaluates methods to improve performance and efficiency of the program.
Councilman Elnoubi proposes adding four Therapeutic Recreation seasonal staff members to the Out of School Time Program at a cost of $76,800, to be funded from INOVA contingency funds.
“This will provide additional support for children with special needs enrolled in OSTP, leading to improved health and academic outcomes,” the proposal states. “By increasing OSTP’s capacity, more families will have access to an affordable alternative to higher-cost providers.”
Councilwoman Greene proposes $120,510 for the Healthy Homes Initiative, which was recently launched to improve healthy home living conditions among economically disadvantaged Alexandria residents.
“Due to a cut in federal grant funds awarded for the program, VDH will now have to operate the program with no funding or staff to execute the program,” Greene’s proposal explains.
Other proposals include:
– $45,000 for the City Clerk’s office to support education, training, operations, and public noticing
– $60,000 to increase parking garage staff pay to $18 per hour
– $25,000 one-time funding to support the Capital Area Food Bank facility
– $100,000 for the Rental Pilot Subsidy Program to support 10 additional families
– $155,000 to align the City’s Supplemental Retirement Plan retirement eligibility with the retirement eligibility for Deputy Sheriffs
– $25,000 contingency for small business support in the Old Town business district
The proposals will be discussed at the April 8 public hearing, which begins at 5:30 p.m. with a Tax Rate public hearing followed by the Add/Delete public hearing in City Council Chambers. The meeting will also be available online.
According to the memorandum from Morgan Routt, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, only items summarized in the memorandum are eligible for the Council to consider adding to the final adopted budget.
The preliminary Add/Delete work session is scheduled for April 22, and the budget adoption is planned for April 30. Public comments may be submitted at alexandriava.gov/Budget through April 23.
To be eligible for consideration, proposals must advance the Council’s goals, impact program performance, receive support from at least three Council members, and be balanced with corresponding cuts or revenue increases.
More Background
In March, City Council voted to maintain the current real property tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. Council members cited economic uncertainty and potential impacts on federal workers living in Alexandria as key factors in their decision to keep the tax rate flat at $1.13 per $100 of assessed value.
The decision came after City Manager Jim Parajon presented a proposed general fund budget of approximately $950 million, representing a 3.2% increase over the previous year, without recommending any tax rate increase. Parajon cited several factors for maintaining the current rate, including “the uncertainty of some of the federal government decisions, particularly as it relates to workforce with 13,000 federal workers and another probably double that, contractors that rely on the federal government.”
