What Alexandria's legislators told City Council about schools, data centers, and AI

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Alexandria's four state legislators spent approximately 90 minutes with City Council on Tuesday working through what the city can realistically ask of Richmond this winter, and the answer on its longest-running priority was blunt.

A change to the formula that determines how much Alexandria must pay toward its own schools is unlikely in the coming session, House Majority Leader Charniele Herring said, because changing it for Alexandria would mean changing it for every locality.

The annual work session, held at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center before the regular council meeting, shapes the legislative package council will adopt for the General Assembly session that begins in January. Council asked for guidance on a rental registry, safeguards for artificial intelligence in public services and the state building code, and raised data centers, utility bills, school construction, transportation funding and street vending along the way.

Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker of the 39th District, Herring of the 4th District, Del. Alfonso Lopez of the 3rd District, and Del. Kirk McPike of the 5th District attended. The session was recorded for posting rather than streamed live.