Mayor Gaskins looks back on historic first year, ahead to 2026
Gaskins to take on vice chair role at Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Mayor Alyia Gaskins marked the end of her first year in office on Wednesday with a year-end message to residents, highlighting housing approvals, federal workforce support, and efforts to protect immigrant residents as key accomplishments.
Gaskins, who became Alexandria’s first Black woman to serve as mayor when she was sworn in on January 2, framed 2025 as a year defined by external challenges that tested the city’s resilience.
“This past year was marked by challenges, including reductions to the federal workforce, threats to our immigrant neighbors, and rising cost of living,” Gaskins wrote in her monthly council recap newsletter. “But despite it all, Alexandria has remained an inclusive, welcoming city.”
Gaskins highlighted the following city council accomplishments: approval of 940 new housing units; a city resource page; job fairs for the estimated 13,000 federal workers living in Alexandria; new leadership at the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority; and increased pay for first responders.
Gaskins said she held 550 constituent meetings during the year and launched new engagement formats, including resident roundtables, youth forums, and apartment community town halls.
The mayor is set to take on a larger regional role in 2026 as incoming vice chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a nonprofit association of local governments in the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. The 34-member board, composed mostly of elected officials, sets policy on regional issues including transportation, the environment and human services. Fairfax County Supervisor Rodney Lusk currently chairs the board.
Gaskins is also serving on Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s transition team, along with Councilman Canek Aguirre.
Alexandria received national recognition in 2025, ranking third among small U.S. cities in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards and fifth on Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities list.