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Issues Facing Alexandria Residents
A look at some of the major items on the agenda for the near future.
Rolling the Dice on Casinos
Lawmakers to consider location of fifth and final casino.
Lawmakers to consider location of fifth and final casino.
Following the Money
Special-interest groups seek power and influence.
A look at campaign-finance documents from the 2019 election cycle reveals an intricate web of special-interest money, everything from Dominion and Verizon to casino developers and car-title lenders. Members of the Alexandria delegation took money from lobbyists and associations who have pending business during the upcoming two-month General Assembly session, when lawmakers will be forbidden from taking campaign cash.
Registrar Expects Six Times as Many Voters in Primary Compared to Caucus
Traditional firehouse caucus had 2,000 voters; citywide primary could draw as many as 12,000.
Alexandria Registrar Tom Parkins is forecasting a 12 percent to 15 percent turnout for the June 12 Democratic primary, which would mean about 9,600 to 12,000 voters are expected to show up at the city's precincts on Election Day.
Opposing Factions of Democrats Emerge in Hotly Contested City Council Primary
Four different political action committees endorse rival slates of candidates.
With four weeks until the Democratic primary for Alexandria City Council, the city’s Democrats are forming opposing factions in the hotly contested race.
McAuliffe to Pick Up Support in Alexandria
Former governor to receive key endorsements from prominent city officials.
As the spring campaign season heats up, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe is about to receive endorsements from prominent Alexandria elected officials in the hotly contested Democratic primary for governor.
Difficult Choices for Schools
New superintendent says School Board needs to brace for $100 million worth of cuts.
Should class sizes be increased? Should school employees be laid off? Should students have to pay to take Advanced Placement and International Baccalauresate tests? These are some of the difficult choices before members of the Fairfax County School Board for fiscal year 2015. This week, Superintendent Karen Garza laid out about 50 potential spending items that could be on the chopping block. School officials need to close a $140 million shortfall. That means even if the Board of Supervisors and the General Assembly kick in more money, School Board members are going to need to make significant cuts. "I think it's still yet to be determined what that number is, although we know it's going to be extraordinarily high," Garza told School Board members during a work session Monday. "I think it's going to be at least $100 million." Garza, who joined the school system over the summer, was quick to point out that she was not making any recommendations. She described the list as "menu items" that School Board members could order to balance the books.
Up in Smoke
Black market to remain underground for now as lawmakers reject licensing scheme.
Cannabis
One Law Firm On Both Sides of Controversy Over Alexandria Waterfront
McGuireWoods defends city in zoning change as well as developers who seek to benefit from it.
Lawyers at McGuireWoods are on both sides of the controversy over the waterfront, defending Alexandria taxpayers in court while seeking approval from city officials on behalf of three separate developers at the same time.
Northern Virginia Leads Blue Wave
Democrats sweep statewide races and come close to taking over House of Delegates.
Democrats swept all three statewide seats this week and picked up so many seats in the House of Delegates that control of the chamber is now in doubt. Voters rejected Republican arguments about sanctuary cities and Confederate memorials, divisive issues that had moderate Republicans trying to win over the most extreme elements of President Donald Trump’s coalition.
Pub Crawl Crackdown
New permitting system designed to help cover public safety expenses.
The turning point for Arlington's burgeoning pub crawl may have been St. Patrick's Day, a time when the Arlington County Police Department found itself swamped by hordes of drunken revelers.
Tea Party Ticket
Republican convention selects conservative slate of candidates for November.
Perhaps the biggest sign that the Tea Party has taken control of the Republican Party of Virginia was the yellow Gadsden flag emblem that appeared on placards distributed by supporters of Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, who was one of seven candidates vying to be the nominee for lieutenant governor last weekend at a raucous convention in Richmond. Davis, who represented Fairfax County for a decade in the General Assembly, has a reputation as being a moderate.
Election Mirage Evaporates in Alexandria
Governor signs bill to improve election returns at the precinct level.
Election
Reconsidering Marijuana
Pot is still legal, but the plan to regulate its sale is in jeopardy.
Marijuana
Week in Alexandria: 1/08/14
Highlights from this week in Alexandria.
Arlington Voters to Determine Fate of Capital-Improvement Projects This November
From a new aquatics center to paving roads, bond initiatives tend to be popular.
It’s been more than 20 years since a bond referendum failed in Arlington, an indication of how popular the spending items are with voters in the county.
Texas Official Appointed to Lead Alexandria
City Council hires James Parajon as city manager.
New City Manager
Alexandria City Public Schools Administration Costs $3.6 million a Year
Administrators pull down competitive salaries for Northern Virginia.
In the classic Depression era tune "Nice Work if You Can Get It," Ira Gershwin describes "a man who only lives for making money" as one who "lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny." Here in Alexandria, the sun is not always shining on the Alexandria Public Schools central administration headquarters on Beauregard Street. But it is raining cash.
Turnover at City Hall
As the era of Justin Wilson draws to a close, what comes next?
The era of Mayor Justin Wilson is drawing to a dramatic finish, creating an open seat for mayor at City Hall for the first time in 20 years.