Jim Parajon | ALXnow

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments helping Metro avert ‘death spiral’ from $750 million shortfall

Published November 14, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated November 15, 2023 at 8:07AM

A Metro train headed toward the Van Dorn Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 9:55 p.m.) Bailing Metro out of its $750 million budget shortfall is going to sting the budgets of localities next year, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) expects to release a plan addressing it next month.

COG Director Clark Mercer said that the organization’s Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) Committee work group on Metro’s cost structure will release a report next month outlining three options for Metro to consider. One of those options includes a one-time option to use Metro’s preventative maintenance fund against the balance for the next year or two, potentially cutting the shortfall by hundreds of millions of dollars.

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‘We’re back,’ Mayor declares as Alexandria tourism rebounds

By James Cullum

Published October 4, 2023 at 3:45PM

Mayor Justin Wilson speaks (staff photo by James Cullum)

With Alexandria’s consumption tax revenues hitting an all-time high in fiscal year 2023, Mayor Justin Wilson says that the city has emerged from the economic spiral created by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

The city’s consumption tax revenues (sales, meals and transient lodging) peaked at $81 million in fiscal year 2023, a 7% increase over the $76 million collected in FY 2022 and 23% more than the $66 million in FY 2019, according to figures presented at Visit Alexandria‘s annual meeting on Tuesday night.

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Court rules against APD veteran who sued Alexandria to become assistant police chief

By James Cullum

Published September 18, 2023 at 3:30PM | Updated September 26, 2023 at 12:32PM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse at 520 King Street in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

After weeks of waiting, Alexandria Circuit Court Judge Katie Uston denied a petition to promote Alexandria Police Department Captain Monica Lisle to the rank of assistant police chief.

Lisle, a 29-year APD veteran, is a white, gay woman who has fought for more than a year to become the assistant chief of police. She sued the city after City Manager Jim Parajon refused a three-member city grievance panel’s order to promote her to the position after finding that she’d been harmed and discriminated against in her pursuit of the job.

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EXCLUSIVE: City manager’s office stripped grievance panel’s authority amid police hiring controversy

By James Cullum

Published September 7, 2023 at 3:45PM | Updated September 9, 2023 at 2:06PM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

For the last year, Alexandria Police Department Capt. Monica Lisle has been embroiled in a promotion controversy.

Lisle, who is a white, gay woman, says that the hiring process for the open assistant police chief position was faulty from the start. After going through the city’s administrative procedures to contest her disqualification from promotion, a grievance panel determined that she’d been harmed in the hiring process and ordered her promotion.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published July 28, 2023 at 3:30PM

The scene of a shooting on the 800 block of W. Glebe Road (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s been a scorching week in Alexandria, punctuated by two major crime events.

Someone was shot multiple times in an alley several blocks east of the Braddock Metro station last Saturday, followed on Monday afternoon by the city’s fifth homicide this year — the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man on W. Glebe Road in Arlandria.

News

PHOTOS: Alexandria celebrates 274th birthday on the waterfront

By James Cullum

Published July 10, 2023 at 2:30PM | Updated July 11, 2023 at 9:56AM

Alexandria's birthday celebration at Oronoco Bay Park, July 8, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Thousands attended Alexandria’s birthday celebration on the waterfront on Saturday.

For a minute it seemed that rain on Saturday would result in a washout, like last year when the event was postponed. But skies cleared and grass dried enough for the event to continue as planned.

News

City Council budget approval funds ACPS, citywide pay increases and collective bargaining agreements

By James Cullum

Published May 4, 2023 at 3:45PM

Alexandria City Hall lit up (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon’s $884.3 million fiscal year 2024 budget was unanimously approved by City Council Wednesday night (May 4), backing citywide pay increases, a fully funded school system and collective bargaining agreements with the police and fire departments.

While the real estate tax rate remains unchanged at $1.11 per $100 of assessed value, city residents will have to pay $308.70 annually for the stormwater utility fee — an increase from $294 last year. The budget, which goes into effect July 1, is an increase of 5.4% over last year’s $839.2 million budget. About 47% of it ($398 million) is dedicated to paying the salaries of 2,765 city employees.

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May 19 announced as opening date for Potomac Yard Metro station

By James Cullum

Published April 19, 2023 at 3:30PM

(Left to right) Alexandria Vice Mayor Amy Jackson, WMATA CEO Randy Clarke, Mayor Justin Wilson and City Council Member Canek Aguirre at a media tour of the Potomac Yard Metro Station on April 19, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

After more than a year of delays, the Potomac Yard Metro Station will open on Friday, May 19, Mayor Justin Wilson announced today.

Wilson made the announcement alongside Randy Clarke, general manager and CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority. He said that the city has been pushing to make the station a reality for more than a generation.

News

Alexandria Police Department plans cookouts to help reduce crime

By James Cullum

Published April 19, 2023 at 1:15PM | Updated April 24, 2023 at 11:10AM

Alexandria Police Chief Don Hayes speaks with a resident in the 1200 block of Madison Street where there was a recent gunfire incident, pictured on April 18, 2023 (staff photo by james Cullum)

Yesterday afternoon, Alexandria Police Chief Don Hayes and his staff walked through an Old Town neighborhood that was a crime scene on Monday.

“I’m here to reassure people that this will happen, but that this is still a safe neighborhood,” Hayes told ALXnow. “I just walk around in the neighborhoods knock on doors, talk to people. Sometimes it can last three or four hours.”

News

Alexandria Police start rollout of body-worn camera program

By James Cullum

Published April 18, 2023 at 3:45PM | Updated April 18, 2023 at 4:49PM

(Updated at 4:49 p.m.) The Alexandria Police Department officially rolled out its body-worn camera program today, with the goal of outfitting 30 officers per month.

Full deployment is expected by January, and officers will immediately begin using the cameras after eight hours of training.

News

Alexandria Police Department wants all officers to wear body-worn cameras by January

By James Cullum

Published March 29, 2023 at 11:15AM

The Alexandria Police Department will start rolling out its body worn camera program next month but it won’t be until next January that all the department’s officers are wearing them.

Thirty cameras will be deployed to officers on April 17, according to a staff presentation to City Council on Tuesday night.