Alexandria Mayor Gaskins elected vice chair of Council of Governments board
COG also approves priorities including $460M more for Metro, action on homeless funding uncertainty
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins was elected Wednesday as one of two vice chairs of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors, giving the city a leadership role in the regional planning body during a period of economic uncertainty.
“As many of you know, the Council of Governments is really the regional body that we work with to coordinate in jurisdictions in Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland on everything from transportation to housing to climate policy,” Gaskins said during Tuesday’s City Council legislative meeting. “So really excited to work with other mayors and local leaders on some great idea sharing and best practices to bring to our city.”
Gaskins will serve alongside D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen as vice chair. Charles County Commissioner President Reuben Collins was elected board chair, the first representative from Charles County to hold the position.
Collins said the region faces challenges from cuts to the federal workforce and changes to federal programs and funding priorities.
“Our region is resilient,” Collins said. “We’ve come together on issues that go beyond boundaries, and I’m excited to build on that collaborative momentum to create lasting change.”
The board approved its 2026 legislative priorities, including securing $460 million in additional annual capital funding for Metro as outlined in the DMVMoves transit plan, which was endorsed by the COG and Metro boards in November. The plan will be presented to the Alexandria City Council on Jan. 27.
Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties, as well as the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission and Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, have already endorsed the plan.
Other COG priorities include promoting safer streets through ticket reciprocity agreements on automated traffic enforcement among the District, Maryland, and Virginia, and expanding workforce development initiatives.
Board members received a briefing onthe uncertainty surrounding U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for homeless services, which is the subject of ongoing litigation. The metropolitan Washington region receives about $77 million annually in Continuum of Care funding for homeless services.
The board adopted a resolution and approved letters to Congress and HUD seeking measures to prevent disruption to those funds.
COG is an independent, nonprofit association of 24 local governments in a region of nearly 6 million residents.