Canek Aguirre | ALXnow

City Council approves $979.1M budget with unchanged real estate tax rate but eyes tougher choices ahead

Published April 30, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated May 6, 2026 at 11:43AM

Alexandria City Council on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Council unanimously approved City Manager Jim Parajon’s $979.1 million Fiscal Year 2027 budget with a few changes Wednesday night.

The budget represents a 2.4% increase over the FY2026 budget and maintains the real estate tax rate of $1.135 per $100 of assessed value, although some City Council members expressed caution about a potential tax increase in next year’s budget. Property owners whose assessment values increased could still see higher tax bills under the unchanged rate.

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City Council axes Sunday paid parking proposal, increases other parking fees

By James Cullum

Published April 23, 2026 at 2:15PM

Parking meter in Old Town (staff photo by Emily Leayman)

Alexandria City Council torpedoed City Manager Jim Parajon’s plan for paid metered parking on Sundays, but balanced a $726,000 shortfall by raising parking meter fees from $1.75 to $2.75 and parking ticket fines from $40 to $55.

Last week, City Council directed Parajon to consider a number of alternatives to his Sunday parking plan. After deliberation, a majority of members endorsed Option E at Tuesday night’s add/delete work session, as the final touches are being put on the city’s $977 million Fiscal Year 2027 Budget. The move will generate $1.1 million in funding — covering an approximately $726,000 shortfall from removing the Sunday parking fee proposal and adding about $329,000 to the city’s general fund.

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Flooding, traffic concerns raised at Braddock Road Metro redesign hearing

By Emily Leayman

Published April 22, 2026 at 1:45PM

Councilman Canek Aguirre, an alternate director at WMATA, and WMATA project manager Andrew McCray at WMATA's Braddock Road Metro public hearing (via WMATA)

Residents expressed concerns about flooding and road impacts around the Braddock Road Metro station at a public hearing Monday on the proposed reconfiguration of the kiss-and-ride lot to accommodate future development.

The Braddock Road Metro station, which opened in December 1983, has a bus bay loop and kiss-and-ride area with bicycle parking on Metro-owned property. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is proposing to move the kiss-and-ride area to the street and reconfigure the bus loop, making room for future mixed-use development.

News

Alexandria Library Board faces backlash after ousting member over city takeover study

By James Cullum

Published April 21, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated April 22, 2026 at 4:35PM

Image via Alexandria Library/Facebook

Criticism has been leveled against the Alexandria Library Board after Libby Bawcombe, a voting member, was expelled earlier this month for supporting a study on converting the library system into a city department.

At a special meeting of the Alexandria Library Company on April 8, Bawcombe was expelled by a secret ballot for voting with three other Library Board members in February to direct Alexandria Library Director Rose Dawson to work with city staff on assessing the library system’s transition into a city department.

News

‘Do you want to be in the jail business,’ Sheriff Casey asks City Council amid budget talks

By James Cullum

Published April 20, 2026 at 3:55PM | Updated April 21, 2026 at 9:00AM

Sheriff Sean Casey at the unveiling of the Alexandria Police Department Suicide Memorial, Sept. 26, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey and members of his staff argued against a proposed budget reallocation before City Council on Saturday (April 18).

Casey said a proposal by Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley and City Councilman Abdel Elnoubi to transfer $200,000 out of the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office budget for a jail operational efficiency study is a waste of valuable resources and will hurt an already cash-strapped agency. While a number of speakers at Saturday’s public hearing called for Casey’s budget to be cut over what they see as voluntary collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Enforcement, several City Council members defended the proposed study, saying the measure is intended to improve ASO operations.

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Alexandria School Board members push City Council for staggered term reforms

By James Cullum

Published April 20, 2026 at 12:15PM | Updated April 20, 2026 at 5:29PM

Alexandria School Board meeting in 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City School Board members are asking the public to help push for reforms to the nine-member board, including staggered elections, higher salaries and more.

The clock is ticking, School Board Members Ashley Simpson Baird and Kelly Carmichael Booz wrote in a recent blog post. The pair wrote that City Council must act this year by beginning a process to amend the City Charter — a change that would need to go to the Virginia General Assembly’s 2027 session for approval.

News

Sunday paid parking proposal opposed by majority of Alexandria City Council

By James Cullum

Published April 15, 2026 at 1:45PM

An Alexandria parking enforcement vehicle (staff photo by James Cullum)

A majority of Alexandria’s City Council won’t support City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposal for paid parking on Sundays, but the door to increasing parking meter rates and fines is still open.

City Council had first reading on a number of parking-related ordinances yesterday (Tuesday), which, if approved later this month, would increase parking meter rates and parking ticket fines and add paid parking to metered spots on Sundays.

News

BPOL tax increase, no new ACPS funding in City Council’s add/deletes as budget vote nears

By James Cullum

Published April 14, 2026 at 2:45PM

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins in Council Chambers, April 8, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Council members have submitted their proposed additions — and one deletion — in their Fiscal Year 2027 budget deliberations.

The proposed additions to the budget include a 5-cent increase to the city’s Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax; $200,000 for a jail operational efficiency study; and $350,000 for improvements to the pedestrian zone in the 200 block of King Street.

News

City’s $9.7M winter storm cost largely attributed to outside contractors

By Emily Leayman

Published March 26, 2026 at 1:45PM

Pile of 'snowcrete' in February 2026 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria spent $9.7 million on the Jan. 25 snow storm response, the bulk of which was attributed to outside contractors brought in due to the challenges of clearing “snowcrete.”

The winter storm brought about 8 inches of snow followed by hours of sleet and freezing rain that created a solid layer of ice on top. According to an after-action report presented to City Council Tuesday, contract services cost the city $8.4 million. City labor cost about $600,000, while materials, supplies, food and lodging for employees cost $700,000.

News

City Council scrutinizes funding gap for ACPS collective bargaining agreement

By James Cullum

Published March 16, 2026 at 3:45PM | Updated March 18, 2026 at 12:06PM

Alexandria City Council Member Canek Aguirre (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Council members are pressing for more answers before they can fill a $5.65 million budget gap to pay for Alexandria City Public Schools’ first-ever collective bargaining agreement.

Earlier this month, the School Board approved its $12.7 million collective bargaining agreement with the Education Association of Alexandria, promising a step increase for all eligible employees (and an extra step for staff employed since 2010), a 2% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for licensed staff, a 3.5% COLA for support staff and a $2,000 longevity bonus for support staff.

News

Despite School Board protest, City Council votes to change ACPS appropriation process

By James Cullum

Published March 12, 2026 at 1:00PM

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins in Council Chambers, April 8, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

City Council ignored a plea from the School Board Tuesday night, unanimously approving a resolution to change how the city appropriates funding to Alexandria City Public Schools.

City Council’s resolution directs ACPS, in preparation for the Fiscal Year 2028 budget, to submit estimates for funds needed through major classifications instead of a lump sum. The School Board asked that the move, which was introduced at a March 4 joint work session with City Council, be postponed as it restricts the school system from redirecting budgeted funds to pay for programs and services.