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Good morning, Alexandria. It's Thursday, April 30 — the 120th day of 2026, with 245 days left in the year.
Budget season is over. Kind of.
City Council unanimously adopted a $979.1 million FY2027 budget last night, holding the real estate tax rate flat at $1.135. ICE Out of Alexandria celebrated the $200,000 "cut" to the Sheriff's Office — redirected to fund a jail efficiency study — while Sheriff Casey continues to say he's following the law.
For ACPS, though, the work continues. The $5.6 million gap remains. Superintendent Kay-Wyatt presents an adjusted spending plan on May 7.
Meanwhile, the Pride of Baltimore II is docked at City Marina through Sunday — free deck tours start tomorrow at noon. Tonight, catch ACHS Titan Theatre's production of "Anastasia: The Musical" at 7:30 p.m. — three performances left this week.
And a milestone: tonight marks the first 8 p.m. sunset of the season.
Thanks for starting your day here,
~ Ryan
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1️⃣ Alexandria City Council unanimously adopts $979.1M FY 2027 budget, holds tax rate flat
Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted a $979,063,681 FY 2027 general fund operating budget Wednesday night, holding the real estate tax rate flat at $1.135 per $100 of assessed value and approving a 10-year capital improvement program totaling $2,020,217,368.
Every roll call across the night's 12 docket items was 6-0. Eleven of them passed without discussion. Only the final item — adoption of the operating budget and CIP — drew remarks from council, with each member speaking before the vote.
Read more: Alexandria City Council unanimously adopts $979.1M FY 2027 budget, holds tax rate flat
2️⃣ ICE Out of Alexandria celebrates $200K "cut" to Sheriff's Office; Casey continues to say he is following the law
ICE Out of Alexandria celebrated City Council's unanimous adoption Wednesday night of the FY 2027 budget, which included a $200,000 "cut" to the Alexandria Sheriff's Office. The coalition called the move "a small but meaningful step in pressuring the Sheriff to end his voluntary collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
The $200,000 was deleted from the Sheriff's Office's general fund operating allocation and redirected to fund a jail operational efficiency study. It represents less than 0.6% of the office's $35.85 million current operating budget.
3️⃣ Pride of Baltimore II arrives in Alexandria; free tours begin Friday
The Pride of Baltimore II sailed into Alexandria's harbor early this morning, clearing the Woodrow Wilson Bridge around midnight to kick off its first official voyage of the 2026 sailing season. The 157-foot topsail schooner — a reproduction of an 1812-era Baltimore Clipper — is docked at the G/H Pier of Alexandria City Marina near Founders Park through Sunday, May 3, departing at 4 a.m. Monday.
Free deck tours run Friday noon to 8 p.m., Saturday 5 to 8 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m. Two-hour day sails are available Saturday and Sunday for $55 adults / $25 children at pride2.org. While Pride II is in town, visitors can also tour Tall Ship Providence at the Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center — and both ships offer a preview of what's coming in June, when Sails on the Potomac brings four tall ships to Waterfront Park for a free three-day festival.
4️⃣ Mayor Gaskins makes public case for $135M PRGS deal: '$770 million in new revenue for our community'
Mayor Alyia Gaskins on Wednesday morning made the public case for a proposed $135 million tax increment financing deal to redevelop the former Potomac River Generating Station, opening a six-week community engagement period that will culminate in a council vote June 13.
In a video posted to her social media accounts, Gaskins walked residents through the proposal that the City Council received Tuesday night as an oral report from City Manager James Parajon and his staff. The video and a new news item, "Developer Seeks City Support for Potomac River Site Revival", on the city's website are among the first pieces of public-facing communication from the city since the Tuesday presentation.
Read more: Mayor Gaskins makes public case for $135M PRGS deal: '$770 million in new revenue for our community'
5️⃣ Alexandria adopts five-year housing and community development plan as federal funding fails to keep pace with need
The Alexandria City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the city's draft FY 2027 to FY 2031 Five-Year Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development and the accompanying one-year action plan, authorizing the Office of Housing to apply for $1,055,741 in Community Development Block Grant funds and $588,874 in HOME Investment Partnerships funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The five-year plan also includes a $5,278,705 Section 108 loan to support the construction of Housing Alexandria's 495-unit Sansé/Naja affordable rental development in Arlandria. Section 108 loans are repaid through future CDBG entitlement funds.
📰 In brief
⚓ In Alexandria
The Alexandria City Council Naming Committee will hold a public hearing today at 7 p.m. on a proposal to rename Iverson Street to Edmonson Street, giving residents their formal opportunity to weigh in before the city moves toward a final decision later this spring. (Read more)
The City of Alexandria will host a free exhibition of Croatian postage stamps at the Torpedo Factory Art Center next month, offering residents a window into the history, art and national identity of a country that will soon make the city its home base for the world's biggest sporting event. (Read more)
The Del Ray Citizens Association will host the 2026 First Thursday season at Pat Miller Square, reviving the free monthly neighborhood celebration for a three-month run from May through July. (Read more)
The Alexandria Police Department recognized officers, detectives and professional staff at its annual awards ceremony Wednesday, with Sgt. Holden taking home two of the night's top honors. (Read more)
Former FBI Director James Comey made his first court appearance in Alexandria on Wednesday in a criminal case against him that legal experts say presents significant hurdles for the prosecution and will likely be a challenge for the Justice Department to win. (Read more)
An alleged Islamic State group militant from Afghanistan was convicted in Alexandria federal court on Wednesday of aiding the terror organization that took credit for a deadly suicide bombing at a Kabul airport, but a jury couldn’t agree on whether he bears some responsibility for that attack during the U.S. military’s chaotic withdrawal from the country in 2021. (Read more)
Join the City of Alexandria this Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., for Clean the Bay Day at Oronoco Park. (City of Alexandria)
Emily Uosseph joins Francis C. Hammond Middle School as the dean of students, effective May 18, 2026. (ACPS)
The Alexandria Police Department has added two electric bikes to expand community-focused patrol and outreach. (Eco-City Newsletter)
🗞️ Beyond Alexandria
A back-and-forth volley of congressional redistricting in states has changed the electoral battlefield ahead of the November midterm elections, as Republicans and Democrats each seek an edge in their push for control of the closely divided U.S. House. (Read more)
QuickVisitMD, a new bilingual telehealth service, launched this week to serve patients in Virginia and West Virginia. (Virginia Mercury)
🏀 Sports
Trinity Rodman scored in the 15th minute to lift the Washington Spirit to a 1-0 win over Racing Louisville FC on Wednesday night at Audi Field, extending the club's unbeaten run to six matches. (Read more)
Brady House capped a seven-run fourth inning with his first career grand slam and the Washington Nationals routed the reeling New York Mets 14-2 on a rainy Wednesday night at Citi Field. (Read more)
ACHS Girls Indoor Relay Teams finish record-breaking season. (Theogony)
Today in Alexandria
⛅ Weather
Mostly sunny today, with a high near 69 degrees. Northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Mostly clear tonight, with a low around 45 degrees. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise at 6:11 a.m., sunset at 8 p.m. 13 hours & 49 minutes of sun. High tide at 8:15 a.m. & 8:44 p.m. Low tide at 2:12 a.m. & 2:58 p.m. The moon phase is a Waxing Gibbous.
🗓️ Things To Do
- 8:30 a.m.: The Chamber ALX's Professional Women's Network April Coffee & Connections, presented by CMIT Solutions at The Little Theatre of Alexandria
- 6 p.m.: Tech on Tap: Catching Conussions Behind The Plate at Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing
- 7:30 p.m.: Anastasia: The Musical at Alexandria High School
- 7:30 p.m.: NOVA Alexandria Music Department Spring Concert at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall
🎶 Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Mike Kelley & Friends at 9 p.m.
- Aslin ALX: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Atlas Brew Works: Bingo at 7 p.m.
- Epicure on King: Iris, Matt Lyttle, Faith Harless, and Overton Widow at 6:30 p.m.
- Evening Star Cafe: Rebecca Berlin at Hi-Fi at 6 p.m.
- Hops N Shine: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Ken Kilpatrick Trio at 6 p.m.
- Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap: Dave Manley and Mauricio Miranda at 6 p.m.
- Lost Boy Cider: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Rocky Guttmann & Rook Richards at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: The Punko Pops at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Study at Morrison House: Live Piano Music at 6 p.m.
🏛️ City of Alexandria
- 6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open at Chinquapin
- Noon: Duke Street Land Use Plan Office Hours (virtual)
- 6 p.m.: Minnie Howard Open at Minnie Howard
- 7 p.m.: City Council Naming Committee Public Hearing
- 7 p.m.: Built Here: Black Ownership & Fair Housing in Alexandria
- (City of Alexandria calendar)
📚 Alexandria Library
- 10 a.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 1 Workshop at Beatley Central Library
- 10:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.: Bilingual Storytime at Duncan Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: Line Dancing 101 at Burke Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: PreSchool Story Time: American Folk Songs at Barrett Branch Library
- Noon: Line Dancing 201 at Burke Branch Library
- 1:15 p.m.: Baby Bounce at Beatley Central Library
- 2 p.m.: How to Avoid Identity Theft at Burke Branch Library
- 4 p.m.: Preschool Storytime at Beatley Central Library
- 4 p.m.: Mending by Hand at Beatley Central Library
- 5 p.m.: The Soul of Algeria: Music, Fashion, Food & Stories at Burke Branch Library
- 5 p.m.: Spitfire - 4th and 5th Grade at Duncan Branch Library
- 5:30 p.m.: The CHAT - Change Happens with Alexandria Teens at Beatley Central Library
- 6 p.m.: Coding Game Night at Beatley Central Library
- 6 p.m.: Nerdy Knotters at Duncan Branch Library
- 7 p.m.: Estate Planning 101 (virtual)
- 7 p.m.: Writing Beloved Characters & Powerful Resilience with Jason Reynolds (virtual)
- (Alexandria Library calendar)
🏫 Alexandria City Public Schools
That's the news. Enjoy that 8 p.m. sunset.
The Alexandria Brief
Alexandria, Va., news and information you won't find anywhere else.
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