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Alexandria City Council held its annual budget public hearing Saturday at Del Pepper Community Resource Center, convening at 9:30 a.m. and adjourning at 2:47 p.m. after more than five hours that included packed public testimony on the city's budget add/delete proposals, votes on two land use items, and public hearings on a range of fee increases that will be decided at Tuesday's preliminary add/delete work session.
No budget decisions were made on Saturday. All budget-related items — including the add/delete proposals, proposed tax rate, parking meter expansion, parking citation increases, stormwater fee increase, and BPOL tax increase — were public hearings only. Decisions on those items come Tuesday, April 21, with final budget adoption set for April 29.
Library week and public discussion
The meeting opened with a proclamation recognizing National Library Week, presented by Councilman Canek Aguirre. Library Director Rose Dawson noted that the Alexandria Library turns 90 in 2027. The library's five-year plan update is expected this summer.
During the open public discussion period, speakers addressed a range of topics not on the agenda. Two speakers called for structural reforms to Alexandria City Public Schools, citing a petition with more than 260 signatures asking the council to reduce the size of the school board and increase member compensation. Councilmen Aguirre and Elnoubi both said they share those concerns.
An eight-year-old testified that she would like to be able to ride his bike independently to nearby destinations without her parents worrying about her safety on Braddock Road. A speaker from the Environmental Policy Commission provided a brief update on the commission's recent work. A representative of Futureport, a newly chartered nonprofit, asked the council for feedback on a proposed futuristic museum concept at Potomac Yard.
Kent Place/Russell Road right-of-way vacation — approved 4-2
Council voted 4-2 to approve a request to vacate 7,620 square feet of an unimproved, wooded public right-of-way at the end of Kent Place adjacent to properties at 2800 and 2702 Russell Road. The request was filed jointly by 2800 Russell Road LLC and Shirley Indelicato, trustee of 2702 Russell Road.
The proposal was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission on April 7, with no public speakers. But nearly a dozen written comments arrived Friday from neighbors along Russell Road, Argyle Drive, Holly Street, and Pine Street who said they had only recently learned of the proposal and asked council to delay action or retain the land as a pocket park or trail. Two residents spoke at Saturday's hearing.
The applicant's agent clarified at the hearing that the plan at 2800 Russell Road is to subdivide and build two single-family homes. The attorney for the 2702 Russell Road applicant noted the vacation would effectively foreclose a vehicular connection between Kent Place and Russell Road by reducing the corridor to a pedestrian-only easement.
Under the approved conditions, both applicants must pay fair market value for the vacated land — assessed at approximately $63,118 for the 2702 parcel and $69,592 for the 2800 parcel. Those proceeds will go to the city's Open Space Fund. A 20-foot public access easement running through the center of the vacated area must remain open and accessible to the public, and the city retains the right to construct a pedestrian path through it.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins, Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, Councilman Aguirre, and Councilwoman Jacinta Greene voted yes. Councilman John Taylor Chapman and Councilman Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi voted no, both expressing concern about vacating public land that has not been formally planned for but retains potential public value. Planning and Zoning Director Paul Stoddard acknowledged the vacation review criteria — established in 2002 — may warrant revisiting as part of the city's upcoming open space master plan update.
Council appointed Don Solomon, Janet Skew, and Michael Porterfield as viewers, as required under Virginia law. Implementation ordinances must return to the council within 12 months.
Address renumbering ordinance — passed unanimously
Council passed unanimously on second reading and final passage an ordinance establishing a formal process for renumbering property addresses. The measure was prompted by a Russell Road resident whose fractional address had caused persistent confusion with mail, packages and other services. The ordinance authorizes the city manager to make address changes to eliminate confusion or correct errors and establishes an appeal process for affected property owners.
Budget public hearings
The most heavily attended portion of the day was the public hearing on the city's preliminary add/delete proposals, dominated by testimony over a proposed $200,000 delete from the Sheriff's Office budget to fund a jail operational efficiency study. Sheriff Sean Casey and multiple deputies appeared in uniform on their own time to oppose the cut; a large number of community members testified in support of it. Read our full coverage of the sheriff testimony here.
Public hearings were also held on the proposed real and personal property tax rates for calendar year 2026, parking citation fine increases, the stormwater utility fee increase, the parking meter expansion to Sundays, fire prevention code fee updates, and the proposed 5-cent increase to the BPOL financial services tax rate. No decisions were made on any of those items.
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce COO testified against Sunday parking meters, citing economic softness and the importance of Sunday business activity. The chamber president and a representative of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors testified against the BPOL increase, arguing it singles out one business category and could affect Alexandria's competitiveness. Councilman Aguirre noted the financial services BPOL rate has not been raised since 1996 and that 11 of the city's 15 BPOL categories are already at the state maximum.
The chair of the Stormwater Utility and Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee testified in favor of the stormwater fee increase and recommended the city expand its flood-proofing grant program and revisit its project list to include areas not part of the original 2021 Flood Action plan.
Ryan Belmore
Eisenhower Pointe Phase 2 — approved
Council approved a development special use permit for Eisenhower Pointe Phase 2, a Tri Pointe Homes project that would bring 117 homes — 37 townhomes and 80 back-to-back units — to a five-acre site at 4701 and 4801 Eisenhower Avenue. The project includes nearly $1 million in contributions to the city's affordable housing trust fund, more than $1 million to the Eisenhower West Implementation Fund, and over half an acre of publicly accessible open space.
The central point of contention was whether to grant a credit of approximately $300,000 against the developer contribution for constructing Cumberland Street, a recommended but not required road under the Eisenhower West Small Area Plan. City staff did not support the credit. After several procedural motions, the council approved the project with the credit included. The motion carried.
Commercial zoning text amendment — passed unanimously
Council unanimously approved a zoning text amendment updating commercial use regulations, including new rules around live entertainment, outdoor fitness studios, restaurant use, and day care. The package received unanimous support from the Planning Commission and had been the subject of extensive community and business outreach before Saturday's vote.
What's next
Tuesday, April 21 — Preliminary add/delete work session, Council Chambers; special City Council election to fill the seat vacated by former Councilman R. Kirk McPike
Monday, April 27 — Final add/delete work session, if needed
Wednesday, April 29 — FY 2027 budget and tax rate adoption, 6 p.m.
Written comments on the budget may still be submitted at alexandriava.gov/Budget through April 22.
