As it deliberates its Fiscal Year 2026 budget, the Alexandria City Council, on Tuesday, will set the ceiling for a tax rate increase.
This time last year, Council set a 4-cent tax ceiling, eventually deciding on a 2.5-cent real estate tax increase.
City Council
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It was a picturesque day in Old Town for Alexandria’s 42nd annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Temperatures were crisp in the 60s, as King Street near City Hall was awash in orange, green and white.
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After years of planning and construction, Alexandria’s Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Potomac Yard celebrated a grand opening today (Friday).
The Virginia Tech campus broke ground in 2021 and opened to students in January. A three-building campus is planned, with the first building coming online being an 11-story, 300,000-square-foot academic building that visitors toured today as part of the grand opening.
Alexandria’s Archaeological Commission, first of its kind in the nation, celebrates 50th anniversary
Alexandria leaders celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Alexandria Archaeological Commission (AAC), described in a release as the first city archaeological commission in the country, at a City Council meeting earlier this week
The AAC was founded in 1975. The 15-member Commission is appointed by the City Council and works in historic advocacy and preservation, working closely with City’s archeology staff and other departments.
Plans for Robinson Terminal North — the last major piece of waterfront development in Old Town — should be heading to the City Council for review this spring.
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley said at the City Council meeting last night (Tuesday) the Waterfront Commission received an update about the project earlier this month at a meeting.
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While the City Manager’s proposed budget included no tax rate increase, the average real estate tax bill in Alexandria will go up by $353 this year and there was a lot of nervous talk about the region’s future.
City Manager James Parajon presented a budget to the City Council last night defined mostly by budget reductions and a wary eye toward the future of the region given the turmoil in the federal government.
Alexandria City Manager James Parajon presented the FY 2026 budget to City Council tonight (Tuesday) but one of the major items was something not included in the budget: the conversion of Jefferson-Houston K-8 School to a middle school.
The budget included $21 million to Alexandria City Public Schools in capital funding — funding devoted to major development projects in a capital budget. In a release, the City of Alexandria said the funding was in line with the funding level requested for FY 2026 in the School Board capital funding request.
Alexandria relies on federal funding for a lot of projects, from housing and pre-k programs to transportation improvements. But with the new administration spearheading an effort to slash that funding, local leaders say the city is watching closely to see how those cuts will affect Alexandria projects.
The discussion took place on Tuesday night during the City Council’s discussion of the Long-Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program.
In the middle of an uproar over the planned elimination of Alexandria’s K-8 schools, a discussion at Alexandria’s City Council meeting last night (Tuesday) may have gotten the ball rolling for a new local middle school.
City Council member John Chapman asked, during a discussion of the Long-Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program, whether the City could revisit Long Range Educational Facilities Plan — which spells out plans to improve facilities planning and accommodate the growing student population.
As Alexandria’s City Council mulls over an expensive revamp of City Hall, one of the major changes could be a move away from the current historic chambers into a more accessible first-floor room.
The City of Alexandria is working through a year of public engagement that could reshape not only City Hall but Market Square outside the building. The proposal will come back to the City Council for a vote in July.
Alexandria’s City Council is considering a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, citing environmental and health concerns.
During a legislative meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, Council members discussed potential regulations and a phased approach to implementation.