budget | ALXnow

City Manager Presents Radically Changed FY2021 Budget Proposal

Published April 2, 2020 at 10:15AM

Alexandria City Hall (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

City Manager Mark Jinks presented the City Council with preliminary estimates for a $743.5 million fiscal year 2021 budget on Wednesday night — a $56.4 million reduction from the budget he unveiled in February.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Alexandria to drastically change its budget over the course of the last month. Preliminary cuts include eliminating the previously proposed 2 cent real estate tax increase, implementing a city hiring freeze [except $2 million to hire new Health Department staff], deferring raises for city staff and reducing the multi-million dollar transfer to Alexandria City Public Schools.

News

Interview: Mayor Justin Wilson on Working Through COVID-19

By James Cullum

Published March 27, 2020 at 10:15AM | Updated May 27, 2020 at 12:28PM

There were four members of the city council present at the meeting at City Hall on Wednesday, including Mayor Justin Wilson and Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson is full of praise for the city’s COVID-19 response efforts, but the hard times are just beginning, he told ALXnow in a recent interview.

“Everyone is trying to find so many different ways to give back,” Wilson said. “It’s been very gratifying and we’re gonna need it because the need is only going to be exacerbated over the next couple of weeks and months, if not longer.”

News

City Manager Directs Staff to Make $100 Million in Budget Cuts

By James Cullum

Published March 24, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated March 25, 2020 at 2:37AM

Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic has created the worst financial crisis he’s ever seen, and has asked staff to make $100 million in budget cuts and prepare for a $35 million revenue shortfall in his fiscal year 2021 budget.

“We crashed, and we don’t know how long this is going to last, when we’re going to come back up,” Jinks told the City Council/School Board Subcommittee in an online meeting. “I’ve told staff we need $100 million in cuts and savings between the current fiscal year and next fiscal year, is my rough guess. That will be savings and looking at capital projects and seeing what we need to cancel or what we need to reschedule to a future year.”

News

City Council Sets Tax Rate Cap, Adds Cushion For Budget Deliberations

By James Cullum

Published March 11, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated March 11, 2020 at 2:17PM

Alexandria City Councilman John T. Chapman (staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $1.155 real estate tax rate cap per $100 of assessed value — potentially a 2.5 cent increase — for the proposed city budget.

City Councilman John Taylor Chapman proposed that council approve a half cent more than the $1.15 rate proposed by City Manager Mark Jinks last month. That half cent equates to $2.1 million, which Chapman says is a cushion that will allow council to add budget items without making cuts.

News

Sheriff: Raising Taxes Won’t Solve City’s Budget and Employee Compensation Issues

By James Cullum

Published March 10, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated March 11, 2020 at 1:22AM

Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne says that the city has a problem compensating its employees, and at Monday’s budget public hearing told city council that raising taxes is not the answer.

“The proposed budget does not close the gap with our competitors in the region,” Lawhorne said. “Taxes go up, people leave town. We need to change things.”

News

City and School System to Create Committee to Evaluate Affordable Housing Co-Location Options

By James Cullum

Published March 5, 2020 at 3:25PM

After months of confusion, the city and Alexandria City Public Schools plan on creating a committee to evaluate the co-location of affordable or workforce housing on the grounds of public schools slated for renovation.

“I feel like as a board that we’re being kind of we’ve been already left behind in this process. And and so I think that that we need to try to remedy that in some way,” School Board Chair Cindy Anderson said at a joint budget work session on Wednesday night.

News

City Firefighters Still the Lowest Paid in Region Despite Proposed Budget Boost

By James Cullum

Published February 28, 2020 at 3:20PM | Updated March 5, 2020 at 2:33PM

Fire Department recruits training on Feb. 14, 2020. (Staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria firefighters are likely getting a raise this year, but under the city manager’s proposed budget they are still the lowest paid in the region.

City Manager Mark Jinks is proposing a 6.6% pay hike to $52,531 for first-year firefighters, which includes the 1.5% increase for all city employees. The city’s salary for first-year firefighters, however, would still be 6.4% behind other jurisdictions in the region.

News

Alexandria May Spend Millions Repairing Damaged Portions of Holmes Run Trail

By ALXnow.com

Published February 26, 2020 at 9:30AM | Updated February 26, 2020 at 12:09PM

Detour for Holmes Run trail (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria may allocate $6 million to reopen closed portions of the Holmes Run Trail.

The trail, which was damaged in last July’s flash flooding after the Barcroft Dam overflowed, in addition to previous flood damage from 2018, is currently closed in four sections. City Manager Mark Jinks has proposed new capital funding to reopen all four sections.

News

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published February 25, 2020 at 8:00AM

School Board Approves New Budget — “The Alexandria City School Board has approved an Operating Budget for the 2020-21 school year focused on supporting students socially, emotionally and academically while also increasing graduation rates. The Operating Budget of $299.1 million is an increase of 4.4% on last year’s budget, in line with ACPS’ anticipated continued enrollment growth and needs.” [ACPS]

City Unveils New 311 System — “The City of Alexandria has launched a new customer service initiative called Alex311, to connect customers to more than 175 City services in a variety of convenient ways. The service includes new web, mobile app, social media and phone options to submit requests for service or information… Alex311 replaces the City’s previous Call.Click.Connect. service.” [City of Alexandria]

News

Jinks Unveils $800 Million Budget With 2 Cent Tax Increase

By James Cullum

Published February 19, 2020 at 9:20AM | Updated February 19, 2020 at 11:36AM

A voter leaves City Hall after casting a callot (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks released his proposed, $799.9 million fiscal year 2021 budget at City Hall on Tuesday night, and it includes a 2 cent real estate tax increase.

Jinks, who also presented a $2.1 billion 10-year Capital Improvement Plan, proposes increasing the current tax rate by six cents over the course of six years — a 2 cent addition every other year — in order to pay for city and school system improvements.

News

School Board to Receive Budget, Discuss High School Project at Upcoming Meeting

By James Cullum

Published January 6, 2020 at 10:45AM

The superintendent’s leadership reorganization, the fiscal year 2021 combined funds budget — as well as the reelection of the Alexandria School Board Chair and Vice Chair — are just a few of the items on the docket for Thursday, Jan. 9.

The ACPS budget process began in September and will conclude in May in coordination with the passage of the City budget. Additionally, the 2021-2030 Capital Improvement Budget was approved in November, and the Combined Funds budget priorities include: