City Hall Brief: Wednesday, December 10
Council sides with union on wages, hears sobering economic update, and appoints hometown auditor. Plus: what's on Saturday's docket.
Tuesday night’s council meeting ran the full range: a multimillion-dollar union vote, a sobering economic update, and a feel-good hometown appointment. And they’re back Saturday for a housing-heavy docket.
Here’s what you need to know.
Council sides with police union on wages, asks staff to study force reductions
City Council voted Tuesday unanimously to approve the police union’s wage proposal in a collective bargaining dispute — greenlighting approximately $10.2 million in salary increases over three years, about $2.2 million more than city management recommended.
The deal includes a 17% starting salary increase to $75,000 for officers, a 21% bump for sergeants, and 15% for lieutenants in fiscal year 2027. The key disagreement was over cost-of-living adjustments in years two and three: the union wanted 2% annually, the city offered 0.5%.
Council sided with the union, but also directed staff to evaluate whether reducing the department’s authorized force of 322 officers could offset the higher costs. The department currently has 31 vacancies.
Budget Director Morgan Routt warned the wage increase would require either a 0.9-cent real estate tax hike, elimination of 35 jobs, or $4.3 million in cuts by fiscal year 2029.
Federal job losses, rising inflation straining residents
The police vote came hours after City Manager James Parajon delivered a sobering economic update. Northern Virginia has lost 6,600 federal jobs over the past year, and the professional services sector shed another 10,300 positions.
The pressure is showing up at City Hall. Car tax payment plan requests have jumped 34% since early November — a sign, Parajon said, that more households are “living paycheck to paycheck.”
Alexandria native appointed permanent Police Auditor
In brighter news, Council unanimously appointed Amaratu Kamara as the city’s permanent Independent Policing Auditor. The Alexandria City High School graduate has led the civilian oversight office in an acting capacity since late December 2024, following the death of inaugural auditor Kim Neal.
“When I graduated from law school, I really was on a quest to find my purpose,” Kamara told council members, with her parents watching from the gallery. “My new mission is to now uplift the voices here in Alexandria.”
Under her leadership, the office launched an online complaint system and is investigating the August in-custody death of Allan Tucker. She expects to release findings within 14 days of receiving the Critical Incident Response Team’s recommendations.
Also Tuesday: Human Rights Month, First Night Proclamations
Council recognized December as Human Rights Month, marking the 50th anniversary of Alexandria’s Human Rights Code, one of the first adopted in Virginia in 1975. Councilman Abdel Elnoubi read the proclamation, and April Breslaw, vice chair of the Human Rights Commission, accepted it on behalf of the commission.
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley presented a proclamation for First Night Alexandria, the 31st annual New Year’s Eve celebration featuring 13 stages of music, comedy, and entertainment across the city. Tickets are $10 for 12 hours of programming, including fireworks over the Potomac at twilight and midnight.
“Alexandria as a community has certainly been impacted by a lot in 2025, so we want to end this year on a high note,” said Executive Director Marilyn Patterson.
Council also observed a moment of silence for longtime community activist MacArthur Myers, who recently passed away. Mayor Gaskins described him as a “living legend” who worked to ensure the stories of Black Alexandrians are told throughout the community.
Coming Up: Saturday Public Hearing
Council is back Saturday, December 13, at 9:30 a.m. for a public hearing on several housing developments and zoning changes. Key items include:
Affordable housing at 598 S. Alfred St. — Alfred Street Baptist Church and The Community Builders are seeking approval for a multi-unit residential building (Planning Commission recommended approval 7-0)
Potomac Yard developments — Three projects in Landbays G and H near the Metro station
Heritage at Old Town — Revenue bonds for the next phase of the redevelopment
Commercial zoning changes — Text amendments to streamline business approvals
The hearing will be held at City Hall, 301 King Street, and is available via Zoom and cable channel 70.
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