ALEXANDRIA, Va. — City Council opens work on the fiscal 2028 budget Saturday with its annual retreat, running from 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center, 4850 Mark Center Drive.

The meeting is open to the public in person and on Zoom, though Zoom participants must register in advance. It will be webcast live, with recordings posted a few days later. Translation services are available with 48 hours' notice to the city clerk at 703-746-4550, which means a request by Thursday.

The retreat is the first step in a calendar that runs six months. City Manager James F. Parajon presents his proposed FY28 budget on Feb. 23. Council holds seven work sessions and four public hearings between then and April 28, when it adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.