Alexandria City Council has a full docket at its upcoming meeting Saturday as final budgetary decisions approach.
City Council will conduct a number of public hearings, including setting the real estate and personal property tax rates for the next fiscal year, additions and deletions to City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposed $977 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget, an increase to the stormwater utility fee, new parking fees and the addition of paid metered parking on Sundays.
Earlier this week, a majority of City Council indicated it would not support paid parking on Sundays.
The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. at City Council Chambers at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive).
Although Parajon’s budget includes no tax rate increase, he’s asking Council to approve millions in additional funding through increased parking fines and fees, an increase in the city’s stormwater utility fee and more.
City Council will conduct its preliminary add/delete budget work session on Tuesday, April 21, followed by its final budget work session Monday, April 27. Council will also hold a legislative meeting Tuesday, April 28, although that docket is contingent on Saturday’s meeting and has not yet been released.
The budget and tax rate will be adopted on Wednesday, April 29.
City Council’s public hearings
Add/delete proposals to the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, including:
- $350,000 for improvements to the pedestrian zone in the 200 block of King Street
- A 5-cent increase to the city’s Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax to pay for $458,500 per year for five years ($2.3 million) in increased funding to the city’s rental assistance program
- One-time expenditure of $619,920 to increase frequency of DASH Bus line 32
- $123,480 per year for five years ($617,400) into contingent reserves for Out of School Time Programming, with an emphasis on therapeutic recreation seasonal staffers
- $150,000 contingency fund to evaluate pay disparity for Alexandria Animal Control officers
- $30,000 annually ($150,000 over five years) to increase funding for arts grants
- $116,000 in one-time contingency funds for technology improvements in Juvenile and Domestic Relations courtrooms
- One-time contingency funding of $83,000 for the Healthy Homes Action Plan
- $25,000 per year for five years ($125,000) to reinstate the city’s Recreation Parks and Cultural Activities secret shopper program
- $200,000 for a one-time transfer from the Sheriff’s budget for a jail operational efficiency study
Stormwater Utility Fee increase — Parajon is proposing an increase in the fee from $340.30 to $357.40, resulting in a roughly $26 increase to tax bills.
Proposed real and personal property tax rates for FY2027 — Last month, City Council set a one-cent real estate tax increase as the ceiling to potentially fund new programs and initiatives. Parajon’s budget proposed keeping the real estate tax rate the same — $1.135 per $100 of assessed value.
Increasing parking fees — Parajon is recommending upping parking violation fines from $40 to $50, which would bring in $900,000 annually if 90,000 parking citations are issued. He is also recommending an hourly parking meter rates increase from $1.75 per hour to $2.50 per hour.
Paid Sunday parking — Parajon is proposing adding metered parking fees on Sundays, which would generate $500,000 annually at the current meter rate of $1.75 per hour, although a majority of City Council is against this proposal.
Extension of a special use permit for Community Lodgings to build a multifamily residential building at 3908 and 3910 Elbert Avenue in Arlandria
Construction of 32 townhomes at 300 N. Lee Street and 333 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town
Conversion of a two-story office complex into a residential community with 37 townhomes at 4701 and 4801 Eisenhower Avenue
