Alexandria experienced a nearly 30% increase in Part 1 crime in 2023, and Mayor Justin Wilson says new initiatives will help stem the flow.
Part 1 crimes, or crimes against people, include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft. There were 4,410 total Part I incidents in 2023, an increase of 31% over the 3,361 incidents reported in 2022, according to the Alexandria Police Department Crime Dashboard.
Aggravated assaults are up 50%, with 258 incidents reported in 2023. Aggravated assaults jumped nearly 30%, robberies are up 31%, larcenies are up 30% and auto thefts rose 53%.
In his monthly newsletter, Wilson said that the increase in violent crime, in particular, is unacceptable.
“While the year ended with positive trendlines in several areas, the overall increase for 2023, and particularly the increase in violent crime, is unacceptable,” Wilson wrote. “Protecting the safety of our community is the most important obligation of local government. If our residents are not safe, nothing else matters.”
Last year, APD put mobile camera units in high crime areas after a number of shooting incidents in the city’s Braddock neighborhood. APD also told city council that it would combat the crime surge by increasing foot patrols.
Wilson’s comments follow the recent announcement that Police Chief Don Hayes is retiring this month and that the city will be conducting a search for his replacement.
Not all the Part 1 numbers increased, as there were four homicides in 2023, versus six homicides in 2022, and four rape incidents in 2023, down from eight rape incidents in 2022.
According to Wilson:
The underlying causes of the increases in violence (not just in Alexandria, but around the region and our nation) are so varied, that there is no single answer to this issue. However, the City is approaching this uptick in violence using multiple approaches:
- Restoring Police Staffing/Reducing Attrition
- Expanding “upstream” investments (family supports, mental/behavioral health, housing, re-entry programs, etc) proven to reduce violence
- Expanding community policing
- Continue advocacy for new laws in Washington and Richmond to slow the flow of dangerous firearms into our community
In recent budget decisions, we have included new funding for investigatory capacity focused on those responsible for homicides, felony sex offenses and crimes driven by weapons. We have continued to see mental health and behavioral health incidents driving emergency response. The City’s ACORP program, a co-response program pairing a sworn police officer with a mental health practitioner, has seen considerable success. The City Council chose to build on the success of this effort by expanding ACORP by adding two new ACORP pairs, for a total of 3.
The City has hired two of the largest classes of new police officers entering the Academy. As those officers conclude their training, we will make large progress on some of the staffing challenges the Police Department has experienced for the past few years.
Alexandria’s political scene is heating up, as a number of Democrat candidates formally launched their campaigns over the weekend.
City Council Member Alyia Gaskins held a packed kickoff at Indochen in Cameron Station on Sunday, following her opponent Vice Mayor Amy Jackson’s kickoff on Jan. 21 at Doyle’s Outpost in the West End. On Saturday, City Council Member Kirk McPike launched his campaign at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray and City Council Member John Taylor Chapman did the same at Port City Brewing Company.
In her speech, Gaskins didn’t get into her positions on large projects in the city, like the Potomac Yard arena or the massive WestEnd development, but said that she is devoted to the nitty gritty of policies that maintain a quality of life for residents.
“I am running to be your next mayor to make sure that your city, that my city, that our collective city is a place that is safe, affordable, accessible, and one that truly and finally works for all of us,” Gaskins said.
A third mayoral candidate, Steven Peterson, will announce his candidacy to the Alexandria Democratic Committee on Monday, Feb. 5, followed by his formal kickoff later in the month.
City Council Members Sarah Bagley and Canek Aguirre are also running for reelection and have not announced when their kickoffs will be held. Aguirre is finalizing details for an event in Arlandria next month, he told ALXnow. Candidate Charlotte Scherer, a former Alexandria magistrate, is holding her campaign kickoff on Feb. 21 at Mount Purrnon Cat Cafe & Wine Bar in Old Town.
Chapman has been on council since 2012, and is the most senior member running for reelection. An Alexandria native who grew up in public housing, he said at his kickoff that doing City Council work is a “labor of love.”
“We have a thriving city,” he said. “It takes good policy, it takes advocating for resources.”
The other candidates with intentions to run haven’t announced when their campaigns will formally launch. They include Alexandria School Board Members Jacinta Greene and Abdel Elnoubi, West End Business Association President James Lewis, Del Ray’s Jesse O’Connell and Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Resident Association President Kevin Harris.
The Democratic primary is on June 18. No Republican candidates have entered the race.
Campaign finances
Gaskins is leading the money race so far, raising $46,000 with $34,000 on-hand as of Dec. 31, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Jackson has raised $16,900, and has $15,800 on-hand.
Longtime City Council Member Del Pepper endorsed Gaskins and donated $3,000 to her campaign.
“She has the ability to work with people she disagrees with,” Pepper said at the event. “You’ve got to have that if you want to be a good mayor.”
In the Council race, Chapman leads with fundraising, having raised $19,579 with $16,624 on-hand. McPike has raised $14,790, with $12,087 on-hand, followed by Aguirre, who raised $7,020 and has $10,716 on-hand. Bagley raised $3,320 and has $856 on-hand and Scherer is self-financing her campaign and contributed $900.
(Updated at 11:45 p.m.) The race for the next mayor of Alexandria has officially begun, sort of.
Last night, Vice Mayor Amy Jackson formally announced her candidacy to the Alexandria Democratic Committee (ADC), a rite of passage in Alexandria elected politics since the city has only ever elected a Republican mayor once, in 1872. Jackson’s opponent, City Council Member Alyia Gaskins, made her own announcement to the ADC on Dec. 2, and used the opportunity last night to announce her latest endorsements.
Jackson said that neither she nor Gaskins would likely be able to fill the shoes of outgoing Mayor Justin Wilson, but that she and her opponent would try “because we love Alexandria.”
“I made a commitment to our community a long time ago, in my youth and again, formally when I was elected to council,” Jackson said. “I promised I would continue to lead on several items of importance to our community, for our people and our programs, for our environmental, educational and economic growth, and align what’s important to our city’s welfare and our progressive values.”
Gaskins announced Tuesday that she’s been endorsed by former City Council Member Del Pepper and NOVA Labor. She said that she’s voted to make the city more equitable with her Zoning for Housing vote, as well as her vote ensuring collective bargaining rights to Alexandria firefighters and police — all measures that her opponent also voted in favor of.
Gaskins told the ADC last month that, if elected, she would be the first Black female mayor of Alexandria. The Pittsburgh native was elected to Council in 2021, and works as a public health strategist. She said she will launch her campaign at Indochen (4906 Brenman Park Drive) in Cameron Station at noon on Sunday, Jan. 28.
“We also know we’ve got some challenges that we have to fix — housing, infrastructure, safe schools, youth mental health and resilience,” Gaskins said. “This council has taken action and I have worked with each of you to take action as well.”
Jackson, a former Fairfax County Public Schools educator and administrator, was elected to the City Council in 2018 and became vice mayor in 2021. She’s an Alexandria native, having graduated from T.C. Williams High School, and has so far gotten the endorsement of fellow Titan, Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter, as well as Circuit Court Clerk Greg Parks, Virginia State Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw (D-35), Del. Holly Seibold (D-35) and Prince William County Supervisor Andrea Bailey.
Jackson said that she supports a fully funded Alexandria City Public Schools system, and that the city “must strive to compensate our teachers and staff in a coordinated effort with ACPS collective bargaining procedures.”
“I think we can get that done for our teachers,” Jackson said.
Jackson will launch her campaign on Sunday, Jan. 21 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Doyles Outpost (4620A Kenmore Avenue).
The Democratic primary is June 18.
Another year, another multi-million dollar revenue shortfall in the city’s budget.
In a newsletter, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said the city is seeing gradual growth in real estate taxes. The city is also seeing a return to normalcy in vehicle personal property tax revenues after a surge during the pandemic.
According to the newsletter:
Real estate tax revenues are currently projected to grow by 2.4%, which would be a return to the anemic growth that has characterized much of the last decade and a half. After a pandemic-driven aberration with higher than expected vehicle prices, our staff is now projecting that vehicle personal property tax revenues will return to normal with a modest 1% increase next year.
But while that’s mostly good news for local home and car owners, Wilson said the city is facing a shortfall that requires either spending reductions, a tax increase, or some combination of the two.
During some of the Potomac Yard arena discussions, Wilson and other city leaders said their hope is major commercial developments can help right-size the city’s increasing reliance on the residential tax base as office and commercial markets still suffer post-pandemic.
2024 being a City Council election year might make leaders wary of proposing a tax increase. Wilson announced that he is not running for reelection, but the two current City Council members running for Mayor might be more reticent to support a tax increase months ahead of the primary on June 18.
Yet on the expenditure side of the ledger, we are seeing increases in costs across our balance sheet, driven by new costs for cash capital and debt service to support City and School capital investments, new investments to support student enrollment growth, the costs of regional and local transit services and the impacts of new collective bargaining agreements for our City employees.
Wilson said the current shortfall is around $19 million.
“Given that our local budget must be balanced, that shortfall must be resolved with either spending reductions, tax increases or some combination of the two,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the current adopted guidance asks City Manager Jim Parajon to return to the Council with two budgets, one with a tax rate increase and a scenario that includes a tax rate increase.
The budget presentation is scheduled for Feb. 27.
According to Wilson:
This will be a challenging environment to adopt a budget. With our residential taxpayers already paying more this year due to the appreciation in our residential tax base, I believe we should again work to avoid a rate increase while protecting the core services our residents depend on. Last year was the 7th budget in a row without a tax rate increase and I am hopeful we can continue that pattern.
Yesterday’s announcement of the possible new arena at Potomac Yard turned a previously scheduled conversation with Mayor Justin Wilson into one of the first public discussions of the contentious project.
The Del Ray Citizens Association was packed with 375 participants on a Zoom call to ask Wilson questions about the new project. Across social media — and at a small protest outside the announcement — concerns focused on the secrecy around the project, car congestion at the site, and the Potomac Yard Metro’s ability to handle the amount of traffic.
Wilson acknowledged that “traffic and transportation is the biggest unknown here.”
While some traffic improvements are planned for Route 1 as part of this project, according to City Manager James Parajon, Wilson said the city’s focus is on discouraging people from driving to the arena.
“The city’s interest in these early discussions has been in keeping the number of parking spaces on this site at a minimum because we do not want a lot of vehicles accessing this use,” Wilson said. “This is intended to be a transit arena, a transit operation, that’s why we invested in a Metro station.”
Wilson said the new Potomac Yard will have a “significant net reduction” in parking spaces at the site.
“The intent is to ensure that we do not have people beyond a small core accessing this by vehicle,” Wilson said. “We will continue to push to keep parking at a minimum.”
But at the same time, Wilson admitted that the current Potomac Yard Metro station isn’t up to the task of handling the types of traffic generated by a sports arena.
“There’s no way the current station can accommodate this use as is,” Wilson said. “A significant chunk of transportation investments will require improvements to the station.”
Wilson said the station, which just opened earlier this year, will need upgrades to handle the volume generated by Capitals and Wizards games.
“[We’ll be] ensuring that the bridges and things like that can handle that capacity of volume,” Wilson said. “WMATA is aware of this discussion.”
For adjacent neighborhoods, Wilson said the city will take another look at parking permit questions that fell off during the pandemic.
“The pandemic and lower levels of office workers made that not as big of an issue, but we did create a [residential parking permit] in Potomac Yard and Potomac Greens,” Wilson said. “We never want to see a situation where our neighborhoods become street parking for this or the Metro in general.”
One of the concerns about the project was funding, but Wilson said this wasn’t going to be a giveaway of taxpayer money to a billionaire.
“I’ve heard quite a bit about concerns that we are providing a billionaire with taxpayer money; that is not what is happening here,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the development will be more than just an arena, it will have a music venue, esports, a practice facility, and more, along with a corporate headquarters for Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
According to Wilson:
Virginia Stadium Authority will be issuing bonds for the construction for the arena. The land and arena will be owned by the public entity; it will be owned by a state agency. The debt borrowed by this public entity will be paid by three streams of money.
First: a private stream. Ted Leonsis will pay, first of all, a $400 million downpayment and a rent payment. That rent payment will be used to pay off that debt.
Second: the city will take a portion of the new tax revenue that comes from this development and we will use it to pay off a portion of this debt borrowed by that authority.
Third: the Commonwealth will take a portion of its tax revenue coming off this use and they will use it to pay off the loans used to construct it.
This is exactly the way we funded the Potomac Yard metro. We funded it using the tax increment of development that happened in Potomac Yard.
We are not using city tax dollars that would be used to pay police officers, firefighters, educators etc. We are using the new money generated by the project to pay off the debt.
Wilson acknowledged that there are some stadiums that are bad investments. In fact, many economic studies suggest sports stadiums don’t deliver on the promised economic impact.
“There are a lot of bad stadium deals around the country,” Wilson said. “That’s why, when we went into this discussion, we had to have private money in this… A public-private partnership should not be entirely public. There are stadium deals around the country, even in this region, that have been entirely public. We, as we went through this process, tried to ensure that we learned the lessons of those failed deals.”
Economic studies commissioned by the city, according to Wilson, said a new arena in Potomac Yard could beat the trend and provide a positive impact.
“Based on the analysis we have done, and we’ve brought in outside entities to analyze the financials of this project, this has the potential to be a very significant net positive for the city’s taxpayers,” Wilson said.
The alternative, Wilson said, is slow growth around the Metro station without a central anchor to spur development.
“If this doesn’t happen, we’ll continue to have a large surface parking lot and a suburban shopping center,” Wilson said. “Virginia Tech will come along, mixed-use projects close to the Metro would potentially happen, but the financial difference is dramatic. That’s why we pursued this, and that’s why we’re presenting it to the public.”
Touching on a few other topics, Wilson noted that the Target at Potomac Yard was always slated for redevelopment, though the store does “extremely well” and it’s likely that there will be another Target there as part of redevelopment.
“That was always an assumption, that we’d, in the future, have a more urban Target,” Wilson said. “What that looks like still needs to be determined in the future.”
Wilson also said a new school site has been in plans for Potomac Yard, but only once the project reaches certain development thresholds. Wilson said the hope is the arena development will be a catalyst for other development in the area.
Many local residents said they were blindsided by the decision, which only emerged as public reports of backroom deals earlier this week despite Senator Mark Warner saying discussions about the move have been ongoing in the higher echelons of power since earlier this summer.
“Obviously, for a lot of residents, this is a surprise; an announcement that nobody was expecting,” Wilson said. “Unfortunately [due to] the nature of competitive economic investments… it has to be confidential at the leadup of the process.”
Wilson said the city will be launching a public engagement process soon.
“Now we have entered the phase where we’ve got to hear from you,” Wilson said. “We have to hear from you about what would make this feasible, what would make this possible, what you think is missing, and how we could make it viable if you don’t feel it is. That’s the conversation we’re going to have over the next year and that’s how we’re going to address some very real concerns about infrastructure.”
(Updated 9:35 p.m.) It was overcast and cool — the perfect weather for the Campagna Center’s 52nd Scottish Christmas Walk Parade.
The parade is one of the most popular events in the city, bringing thousands of participants, including Irish dancers, historic reenactors and the City of Alexandria Pipes and Drums. It is considered the highlight of a weekend full of events.
This year’s grand marshals were Congressman Don Beyer (D-8th) and his wife, Megan.
Enjoy the photos!
https://twitter.com/AlexandriaVA/status/1731039541656490264
The Scottish Walk Christmas Parade has concluded and festivities continue dockside at Waterfront Park ending with the Boat Parade of Lights at 5:30 pm. APD is honored to be a part of this Alexandria holiday tradition! pic.twitter.com/K0Ag20ig5G
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) December 2, 2023
Had a great time at today’s Scottish Christmas Walk! This parade is always one of the best events of the year! pic.twitter.com/pDwbLz0Mnf
— R. Kirk McPike (@KirkMcPike) December 2, 2023
Another great time at the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade! Happy Holidays! pic.twitter.com/a0iHks5675
— Canek Aguirre (@CanekForCouncil) December 2, 2023
The Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade started as a community event more than 50 years ago to highlight the city’s Scottish heritage & support the mission of the Campagna Center! pic.twitter.com/XjeZcZqdob
— Alyia Gaskins (@Alyia4ALX) December 2, 2023
If you didn’t stay yesterday for the massing of the bands at the end, you missed the best part! #AlexandriaDoesAGoodParade pic.twitter.com/CPYLnPcDxR
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) December 3, 2023
(Updated 10:50 a.m.) With Mayor Justin Wilson announcing last week that he won’t seek reelection, two members of Alexandria’s City Council have tossed their hats into the ring to replace him.
City Council member Alyia Gaskins announced this morning (Monday) that she would be running for mayor.
According to a release:
It has been the honor of my life to serve Alexandria on the City Council. Guided by your concerns, I’ve worked to address key issues like education, housing, and public safety.
I’ve decided to run for Mayor to work with you to create innovative solutions to ensure that Alexandria is a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Gaskins was elected to the City Council in 2021.
Vice Mayor Amy Jackson also told ALXnow that she was officially in the race, though campaign details are still forthcoming.
Jackson, a former Fairfax County Public Schools educator and administrator, was elected to the City Council in 2018 and became vice mayor in 2021.
Though not to the same degree of conflict as former Mayor Allison Silberberg, Jackson has occasionally differed on issues from the rest of the Council.
While those have rarely turned into dramatic quarrels, Jackson did argue with others on the council after she called a candidate for a law enforcement partnership “anti-police.” At a City Council meeting last week, Jackson unsuccessfully attempted to have the vote on single-family-zoning separated from the rest of the Zoning for Housing/Housing for All package.
Jackson and Gaskins will square off in the Democratic primary in June and will leave two vacancies open on Alexandria’s six-person City Council.
James Cullum contributed to this report.
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson will not seek a third term in office.
Wilson made the announcement in his monthly newsletter on Friday.
“Next year, Alexandria will choose a new Mayor,” Wilson wrote. “While I may have more to say about that decision at some point, for now, I’m going to hope we get good people to step forward and articulate a vision for Alexandria’s future to the great people of our City.”
The announcement leaves the top post up for grabs in the Nov. 2024 general election.
“I love this job,” Wilson wrote. “I am in awe of what we have been able to accomplish by working together during the 13 years I have been able to serve. I would be thrilled to do this job forever. But doing two full-time jobs and being a good husband and father is not sustainable forever. Nor should anyone be in elected office forever. Good governance requires the constant injection of new ideas and energy.”
Wilson was elected Mayor in 2018 and won reelection in 2021. Married with two children, he was first elected to City Council in a 2007 special election after the resignation of then-Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald. Wilson lost reelection in 2009, but reemerged in 2012 by getting reelected to Council. Three years later, he was elected vice mayor in 2015 under former Mayor Allison Silberberg, who he later defeated in the Democratic primaries in 2018 and 2021. For his day job he is the senior director of supplier management at Amtrak.
Wilson’s mettle was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the city contended for two years with the most significant health situation of its kind in a century, crippling local businesses and overseeing the city government largely transition to a work-at-home environment. Wilson was, in fact, sworn into his second term via Zoom.
His tenure as mayor has been controversial, most recently with the abolishment of single-family-only zoning and approving the Zoning for Housing/Housing for All initiative.
Wilson’s full announcement is below.
Sixteen years ago this month, I sent the first edition of “The Council Connection.” Every month that I have been privileged to serve, I have sent out another edition.
I have always giggled when residents would ask me who was on “the team” that writes the newsletter each month. It was just me (with some great volunteer editors), usually in the middle of the night, typing out what I thought would be useful information for the residents of our City.
The list has grown over the years. These days there’s about 15,000 residents who get the newsletter each month, and I love the dialogue this newsletter prompts.
At various points over the years, I have probably sent you things that you have agreed with, that have confused you, that have confounded you and that have enraged you. In turn, you have given me your candid feedback on the issues facing our City. It’s been a fun dialogue for me, and it’s made me more effective in representing you on the City Council, and for the past 5 years, as your Mayor.
This newsletter seemed like as good a place as any to let you know that a year from now, I’m going to send the final edition of “The Council Connection” at the beginning of my final month as your Mayor.
A few months ago, my son graduated Alexandria City High School (ACHS). It was an exciting moment for our family, particularly as he graduated from the same school my wife graduated from back in 1997. One of the great perks of being Mayor is that you get to sit on the stage during the graduation. For me, that meant I had the opportunity to give my son a hug right after he got his diploma. It was an awesome moment for me, and one I replay in my head frequently.
A few months later, I was discussing this moment with my daughter, a sophomore at ACHS. I recounted how special it was to be up on the stage to hug her older brother, but noted that if I wanted to do the same for her graduation, I would have to run for re-election. Without skipping a beat, my daughter responded, “not worth it, Dad!” While I would agonize over this decision for many months, including over these past few weeks, if I’m being truthful, the decision was made at that moment, in that conversation with my daughter.
I love this job. I am in awe of what we have been able to accomplish by working together during the 13 years I have been able to serve. I would be thrilled to do this job forever. But doing two full-time jobs and being a good husband and father is not sustainable forever. Nor should anyone be in elected office forever. Good governance requires the constant injection of new ideas and energy.
Next year, Alexandria will choose a new Mayor. While I may have more to say about that decision at some point, for now, I’m going to hope we get good people to step forward and articulate a vision for Alexandria’s future to the great people of our City.
On the first day of 2025, I’ll take my place on the sidelines. Until then, we have a lot of work to do, and I have a finite deadline with which to do it! With this announcement out of the way, let’s get back to work!
This weekend is one of the best weekends in our City, as the holidays come alive. Tomorrow morning, the 52nd Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade, a partnership between The Campagna Center and Visit Alexandria will begin at 11 AM in the streets of Old Town.
Tomorrow night, beginning at 5:30 PM, find your spot along the waterfront to celebrate the 23rd Annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights.
I will see you out there this weekend!
Preparations are well under way to ring in 2024 with First Night Alexandria. Tickets are available now to celebrate the New Year in Alexandria!
If you would like me to host a town hall in your neighborhood, please drop me a line and we’ll get it on the calendar! Contact me anytime. Let me know how I can help.
Alexandria just hired Cheran Cordell Ivery as the city attorney, replacing outgoing City Attorney Joanna Anderson.
Ivery, who starts work on Jan. 8, has been the city attorney in Hampton, Virginia, for the last five years. She replaces City Attorney Joanna Anderson, who has had the role since 2018, and announced her retirement in June.
As city attorney, Ivery will advise City Council, as well as all city agencies, provide public records and represent the city in court, according to the city.
Mayor Justin Wilson said that Ivery brings experience and energy to the position.
“The City Attorney is one of the few positions across our organization selected by Council, which reflects the level of responsibility this role holds in the City,” Wilson said in a statement. “We are enthusiastic about Ms. Ivery joining the City and look forward to her counsel and leadership.”
Ivery was previously the deputy city attorney in Portsmouth from 2010 to 2018, and from 2014 to 2018 was an adjunct professor at William and Mary Law School, which is where she earned her law degree in 2003, according to her LinkedIn profile. She also has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Cornell University.
The Council has concluded its search for a new City Attorney.
The Council just voted to select Cheran Cordell Ivery as Alexandria’s new City Attorney, beginning in January.
She brings a wealth of experience and energy to help lead our City! https://t.co/mX1Fyqj5aP
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) November 14, 2023
All arguments aside, Alexandria’s equity standards and economic prospects have been declared sound.
Yesterday, the city announced that S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed Alexandria’s ‘AAA’ bond rating. The city has maintained the designation since 1992, and it equates to a good credit rating for the city to get low-interest rates from bond investors to provide funding for multiple projects.
“This is the ‘Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval’ for the city’s fiscal management and the state of our municipal balance sheet,” Mayor Justin Wilson told ALXnow. “This allows the City to borrow at the lowest-possible rates and maximize taxpayer dollars as we invest in critical infrastructure projects, including two new schools.”
This city said that before the end of the year it will issue $258 million of tax-exempt general obligation bonds to pay for capital improvement projects, like the Minnie Howard Redevelopment Project at Alexandria City High School, the newly constructed Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, and to the West End project at the former Landmark Mall property.
Alexandria also announced Thursday that it got a perfect score in The Human Rights Campaign’s 2023 Municipal Equality Index. The city, which got its third annual perfect score, is one of more than 500 municipalities across the country evaluated on the inclusiveness of their laws, policies and services toward LGBTQ+ residents.
Last year, city leaders decried Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recommendations restricting transgender bathroom and pronoun use in public schools. In July, Alexandria City Public Schools put out a statement refusing to comply with the recommendations.
“(W)e want to reaffirm our commitment to all students, staff and families, including our LGBTQIA+ community, that ACPS will continue to both implement and develop gender affirming policies for all ACPS students,” School Board Chair Michelle Rief and SUperintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt said in their joint statement. “School Board Policy JB: Nondiscrimination in Education protects students from discrimination due to gender expression, gender identity, sexual harassment and transgender status.”
Wilson said that equity was prioritized by City Council in its 2021 ALL Alexandria resolution, as well as by the city’s LGBTQ+ Task Force.
“I’m thrilled to see that paying off, and our efforts being recognized with another perfect score,” he said. “But this recognition is not the mark of a finished job. We have to keep working to ensure that Alexandria is an inclusive environment for everyone.”
