In This Edition

The service departs from Market Square from 9 AM until 3 PM on the hour, and admission to Mount Vernon is included in ticket prices. 

More than 30 artists will be showing and refreshments will be available, with the benefits going to the Alexandria Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Programs. 

The most important decision the Council makes is one that it makes annually: the adoption of our budget. The budget is where the Council translates the values of our community into numbers on a spreadsheet. It's the most basic function of governing. 

While our budget is not adopted until early May, the Council formally begins this process in the Fall with the adoption of guidance for the City Manager. This guidance provides direction to the Manager as he works to prepare both the Operating Budget and the Capital Improvement Program. 

The detail of the guidance varies from year to year, shaped by the circumstances facing the Council. 

During last year's budget the Council devoted a significant portion of new tax revenue to address the City's deteriorating capital infrastructure. We did this both as a means to protect the infrastructure as well as preventing future, much more expensive, costs. 

In every newsletter I sent during last year's budget process, I warned of our forecasts that showed an ever-widening gap between our expected revenues in future years, and the escalating costs of our current services. 

That future is now. 

We have received our preliminary revenue estimates for next year, and they show anemic growth at best. While these estimates are preliminary, they show that Federal budget austerity is hitting our local economy hard.

While our real estate market is showing limited growth, our consumption-based taxes, our sales tax, our hotel tax, and our business license tax, are dropping or stagnant. 

At the very same time, we are continuing to see blistering growth in student enrollment, escalating costs for benefits for our employees, and unmet needs from across our community. 

The very same pressures that are straining the City's resources are also straining the resources of our residents. The resolution adopted by the City Council is sensitive to that fact, and mindful of last year's 4 cent real estate tax rate increase.  The guidance resolution requests that the City Manager present a budget in February that does not include an increase to the real estate tax rate or the vehicle personal property tax rate. 

Additionally, it does not allow a roll-back of our commitment to our capital budget to resolve our funding constraints within our Operating budget.  

Utilizing a portion of the savings from the City's recent renegotiation of the operating agreement for our Waste to Energy facility, the City has expanded several recycling efforts. 

In addition, the City created a new pilot program by operating Resource Recovery Stations at four of the City's Farmers Markets (Del Ray, Old Town, West End and Four Mile Run). 

For $5, you can pick up a compost tub, fill it up with food waste over the week, and bring it back the next weekend. In exchange, residents receive a mini-bag of compost. 

So far the demand for this new effort has been very strong. The program will be formally launched in the Spring. 

Starting in a little over a week, the ability to pay for parking meters by phone comes to Alexandria. The service will be operated by Pango USA. 

The new service, which supplements the City's existing multi-space meters will allow payment by dialing 855-547-2646 or by downloading the app which is available for Apple, Android or Blackberry.  

While eventually the service will include a 29 cent convenience charge, Pango will waive the convenience charge until March 1st as part of the launch. 

Please give it a try and let me know your thoughts! 

Last month, the City Council held a special public hearing to discuss implementation of the approved plan, specifically the portion of the public access/flood mitigation plan that requires a portion of the Old Dominion Boat Club parking lot. 

This hearing solicited input on a variety of solutions to this impasse, including the use of eminent domain.

As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, my preference remains a negotiated solution to resolve this situation and achieve the community vision for public access on our waterfront.