State of the City
In his State of the City address on April 14, Mayor William Euille reflected on recent Potomac Yard and waterfront development milestones.
“There’s an excitement in the air,” said Euille. “The state of our city remains strong.”
Euille cited the recent release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement as a major milestone for the Potomac Yard Metro development. Euille also regarded the recent decision by the Virginia Supreme Court to uphold the Alexandria Circuit Court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit regarding three citizens challenging the waterfront rezoning process.
Euille praised the work of the Alexandria Police Department in apprehending Charles Severance, currently awaiting trial on suspicion for murdering three Alexandrians. Euille also said he looked forward to the April 18 ribbon cutting at Fire Station 210, currently staffed by a medical unit, and said that getting the station a fire engine was a part of continuing budget discussions.
With regard to recent headlines, Euille also specifically addressed the controversy over proposed alternatives to funding repairs to the City Hall infrastructure.
“We’re not selling City Hall,” said Euille. “It’s not for sale.”
Jinks Appointed City Manager
Mark Jinks, formerly acting city manager, was unanimously appointed as city manager at the April 14 City Council meeting. Jinks began working for the City of Alexandria in 1999 as a chief financial officer, becoming deputy city manager in 2009 and acting city manager in January 2015 when former City Manager Rashad Young was appointed as D.C.’s city administrator by Mayor Muriel Bowser. Rashad Young became city manager in 2011 with a starting salary of $245,000, earning $266,508 before resigning. According to Andrea Blackford, senior communications officer for the City of Alexandria, Jinks’ starting salary as city manager is $245,000, a $45,000 increase over his salary as acting city manager.