The City of Alexandria and the Office of Communications and Public Information are excited that the West End Patch has joined the Old Town Alexandria Patch and Del Ray Patch in covering Alexandria. We look forward to working with Patch reporters and continuing to share transparent, accurate and timely Alexandria news and information with the West End.

The launch of the West End Patch coincides with the recent kickoff of a new city initiative called, "What's Next, Alexandria?" The goal of “What’s Next, Alexandria?” is to begin a community conversation about how Alexandrians can best participate in shaping the city's future. Our goal is for all Alexandrians to participate, and the new West End Patch is an additional opportunity for the city to connect with the community for this initiative, as well as by providing news and information through the local media on a regular basis.

Here’s how this works. First, we can’t do this without your community input, so the city has invited everyone to participate in the first step in this conversation— a community poll, hosted by ACTion Alexandria—to provide input on civic engagement, both in terms of your personal experience and your suggestions for improvement. The poll will be open for one full month, and will close on Oct. 18. 

Then, at a kickoff meeting in November, the community will discuss the poll results and the challenges and opportunities for improving the participatory experience in Alexandria. Over the next several months, we’ll be reaching out to the entire city to weigh in on this important topic. We’ll offer alternative options for those who can’t come to meetings, and we’ll be learning from experts and about best practices in other parts of the country, all with the goal of strengthening two-way engagement with you.

So please, take a few minutes to answer the 10 questions in the community poll, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. This is an excellent chance to get engaged, stay engaged and become part of the community conversation. Your voice is important in ensuring we have a productive discussion in developing citywide principles of engagement for guiding future Alexandria initiatives. For more information about the "What's Next, Alexandria?" initiative, please visit: www.alexandriava.gov/WhatsNext.