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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria will mail about 8,700 residential parking permits by the end of the day Friday, Mayor Alyia Gaskins said Tuesday, after a vendor delay meant the bills arrived before the permits.
Residents do not need to pick one up in person, Gaskins said, though the information printed on the bill reads as though a trip to the West End Finance Office at 4850 Mark Center Drive is the only option.
"That is not the case," she said. "We understand the mistake, we understand the confusion, and we're taking action to fix it."
The city has mailed the bill and the permit separately since 2024 because its vendor's system was not compatible with the city's, Gaskins said. The practice has been to send the permit first, or to time the two mailings to arrive together.
The vendor the city had used since 2024 went out of business unexpectedly, she said. The city found a replacement, and that vendor ran into production delays, so the bills arrived first.
Existing permits are valid until Nov. 15, when enforcement of 2026-27 permits begins.
The city's Aug. 28 announcement that the bills had been mailed did not mention parking permits. Gaskins said the city would post a release Tuesday afternoon explaining what happened.
She said members of the finance team worked overnight Monday to determine where the problem occurred, thanked residents who contacted the city, and said Alexandria would look at how to improve its communications.
Residential permits cost $55 for the first vehicle, $75 for the second and $250 for each additional vehicle. The fee appears on the personal property tax bill, which is due Oct. 5.
This story will be updated.
Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria resident and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips, feedback, and story ideas to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
