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Alexandria City Council will hold its preliminary add/delete work session Tuesday evening, marking the first time this budget season that council members will make actual decisions on proposed changes to City Manager James Parajon's $977.3 million fiscal year 2027 budget.
The session runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at Del Pepper Community Resource Center, 4850 Mark Center Drive, Community Conference Room, First Floor. It can also be watched live on government channel 70, the city's website, or via Zoom, webinar ID 952 2272 3230, passcode 202697.
Tuesday is a consequential night for Alexandria in two ways. The budget work session takes place on the same evening as the special City Council election to fill the seat vacated by former Councilman R. Kirk McPike, now a state delegate. The winner is not expected to be seated until May 2 at the earliest — three days after the council adopts the FY 2027 budget on April 29.
What's on the table
Saturday's public hearing was testimony only — no decisions were made. Tuesday is where council begins to signal which proposals survive. Items expected to come up include all 11 council member add/delete proposals submitted ahead of the April 9 deadline, the proposed expansion of metered parking to Sundays, the proposed 5-cent increase to the BPOL financial services tax rate, parking citation fee increases, the stormwater utility fee increase, and the real estate tax rate.
Ryan Belmore
The Sunday parking proposal has been the most contested budget item outside the add/delete process. Five of the six seated council members voiced opposition to Sunday meters at Tuesday's first reading, though all six voted to advance the ordinance to Saturday's public hearing. City Manager Parajon said he would bring additional options to the work session, including a potential 1 p.m. start time for Sunday meters, a six-month pilot, or alternative ways to close the roughly $726,844 gap that Sunday parking was projected to fill.
The proposed $200,000 delete from the Sheriff's Office budget to fund a jail operational efficiency study drew the most public testimony at Saturday's hearing, with Sheriff Sean Casey and multiple deputies testifying in opposition and a large number of community members testifying in support. That proposal will also be on the table on Tuesday.
Ryan Belmore
The BPOL financial services rate increase — which would fund a $458,500 annual boost to the city's emergency rental assistance program — drew opposition from the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors at Saturday's hearing. Councilman Aguirre noted the rate has not been raised since 1996 and that 11 of the city's 15 BPOL categories are already at the state maximum.
On the tax rate, council set a one-cent ceiling in March — generating approximately $4.7 million — preserving the option of an increase to help close a $5.6 million gap between what Alexandria City Public Schools is requesting and what the city manager's proposed budget provides. No council member submitted an add/delete proposal to address the ACPS shortfall directly, leaving the tax rate as the primary remaining lever.
Ryan Belmore
How the work session works
Budget work sessions are not public hearings — residents cannot testify. Council members and staff discuss proposals, and items with majority support — four of the six currently seated members — move into the consensus column. Items without majority support are not automatically eliminated; support can be added or removed through the process. A final add/delete work session is scheduled for Monday, April 27 if needed, ahead of budget adoption on April 29.
Public comments are not received during work sessions but may still be submitted online at alexandriava.gov/Budget through April 22. The full docket had not been posted as of Monday morning. Check alexandriava.gov/council for updates. F
