Welcome to Friday’s weekly roundup of our top stories.
With ALXnow, it’s easy to catch up on the latest news in Alexandria. This week, we focused on coverage of our local, state, and federal governments. We also reported a lot of crime, including a homicide in the city’s West End.
Alexandria City Council members reached consensus Tuesday night (April 22) on a series of budget adjustments for fiscal year 2026, including a $1 million transfer to Alexandria City Public Schools and funding for several community initiatives.
Alexandria City Council members submitted numerous budget proposals for consideration. They were first heard and discussed at a FY 2026 Budget Add/Delete Public Hearing on April 8. This add/delete work session allowed council members to propose final changes to City Manager James Parajon’s proposed budget before final adoption on April 30.
Alexandria City Council voted to advance proposed changes to the city’s police oversight ordinances Tuesday night (April 22), moving forward recommendations from a council subcommittee that address key issues, including investigation authority and subpoena power.
The ordinance amendments, which passed on first reading in a 6-1 vote, will be docketed for a public hearing and final passage on Saturday, April 26.
The Alexandria City Council is set to hold its Public Hearing Meeting on Saturday, April 26, with a diverse agenda that includes development projects, zoning amendments, and special recognitions.
The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chamber at 301 King Street and will also be accessible electronically via Zoom and other platforms.
Alexandria’s Independent Community Policing Review Board unanimously opposes proposed changes to its authority to investigate allegations of police misconduct.
Earlier this month, the board opposed ordinance changes reducing its subpoena power, as well as a proposal to let the City Council act as a final arbiter on whether cases are investigated in the event of an impasse between the Board and the Independent Policing Auditor. The changes were drawn up by a subcommittee, which includes Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley and Council Member Canek Aguirre.
Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire is focusing on six “micro areas” throughout the city as part of a targeted approach to reducing crime.
McGuire, who just finished his first 100 days in office, spoke about his plans with ALXnow in an exclusive interview after his presentation to the City Council on Tuesday (April 8). The specific locations have not been revealed, except he said that they are well-known crime hotspots.
A little more than 100 days on the job, Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire will appear before City Council on Tuesday (April 8) to present his department’s public safety review and plan.
McGuire started work last November, embarking on a 100-day action plan that involved town hall meetings to solicit feedback from the public on areas needing focus.
Role model, history maker and mayor — being Mayor of Alexandria is more than just chairing meetings. On Wednesday (April 2), Mayor Alyia Gaskins was honored with a party by her peers as the first Black female mayor of the city.
The event, which wasn’t a fundraiser, was held at Junction Bakery & Bistro (1508 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray, and was organized by City Council Member Jacinta Greene, retired Sheriff Dana Lawhorne, and Monika Chapman.
Alexandria City Public Schools wants a formalized collective bargaining agreement sent to the city manager by the end of the year, but it comes as the city is renegotiating its agreements with police, fire, and administrative and technical staff.
It’s been a year since the school system failed to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the Education Association of Alexandria (EAA). Last year, the School Board held a public hearing and approved a draft collective bargaining resolution with the goal of presenting the package to City Manager Jim Parajon for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
Alexandria’s effort to ditch school buses and put high school students on city-run DASH buses is not without controversy.
On Tuesday, City Council Member Abdel Elnoubi expressed frustration on how Alexandria City Public Schools has addressed the issue.
Miss your chance to bring up a burning issue at a recent town hall meeting with the Alexandria City Council?
City Council Member R. Kirk McPike is asking City Manager Jim Parajon to formalize a schedule so that Council can hold quarterly town hall meetings. The city will start the effort after Council approves the FY2026 budget and it goes into effect on July 1.
