Wednesday, May 15, 2013
City Council has many questions and little recourse when it comes to railroad company's request to expand operations.
Alexandria City Council members lamented Norfolk Southern's request to double the number of rail cars offloaded per day at its ethanol transloading facility in the West End at Tuesday night’s meeting at City Hall. Earlier this year, Norfolk Southern filed for a permit with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to increase offloading from the current 14 rail cars to 30 cars per day. Increased emissions under the plan mean Norfolk Southern needs an air quality permit to expand the scale of operations at the facility at 1000 S. Van Dorn St. Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday expressing its opposition to the issuance of a permit because of “increased air emissions” and requesting an informational meeting and separate …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Alexandria facility has had spills in the past.
City Manager Rashad Young is criticizing a request from Norfolk Southern for a permit to increase the number of rail cars containing ethanol that can be offloaded at its Alexandria facility. In a letter to the director of the Northern Regional Office, Thomas Faha, Young said the city has “longstanding serious concerns about the operations at this facility. This proposed expansion would undoubtedly increase the risks from the facility and raise the concerns from the community.” Alexandria City Council and community leaders received the request Monday afternoon from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Norfolk Southern wants to increase the offloading rail cars from the current 14 cars to 30 cars per day, according to a city …
Monday, May 6, 2013
City Council unanimously adopts $624.8 million operating budget for fiscal year 2014.
Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted Monday evening a $624.8 million operating fund budget for fiscal year 2014 and an increase of $314 to the average residential real estate tax bill. The city’s real estate tax rate is increasing 4 cents to $1.038 per $100 of valuation and the vehicle personal property tax is increasing to $5 per $100 of valuation. While councilmembers noted the tax rate increase is substantial—it is the maximum increase they voted to advertise in March—Mayor Bill Euille noted Alexandria has the second-lowest tax rate in Northern Virginia behind Arlington County. • See: Alexandria Council Advertises 4 Cent Increase to Real Estate Property Tax Rate Increasing the tax rate by 4 cents was "nothing anyone on this dais …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Members say they want to keep pool open through at least summer 2013, but creation of a new competition-size pool seen as priority in Alexandria's aquatics master plan.
Members of Alexandria City Council expressed a desire to keep Warwick Pool open at least in the short term as it pursues the construction of a new competition-size pool at Chinquapin Recreation Center during a budget work session last week focused on the city’s aquatics master plan. City Manager Rashad Young proposed to close Warwick Pool, one of two large outdoor pools in Alexandria, as part of his fiscal year 2014 city budget plan. The move would save the city $92,000—the cost to staff and operate the pool this spring and summer—in general operating funds for FY14. • See: Future of Warwick Pool Hangs in the Balance • See: City Manager Proposes $626.6 Million Operating Budget The pool needs more than $6,000 in repairs just to reopen this…
Friday, March 15, 2013
With the Del Ray/Arlandria Trolley project slotted for cancelation, should another way to move visitors and residents be considered?
The Del Ray/Arlandria Trolley project, which made a bumpy ride through City Hall in 2012, appears to be off the tracks. With the city facing a $31 million budget shortfall, City Manager Rashad Young is recommending abandoning the project and its $700,000 price tag in his budget proposal for fiscal year 2014. The pilot project was to be funded with money set aside for transportation projects in the city. • See: City Manager Proposes $626.6 Million Operating Budget The project was subject to plenty of scrutiny from lawmakers, business owners and citizens, who debated how far north into Arlandria the route would travel and later what other neighborhoods it would traverse. • See: Council Approves Trolley Route Serving Del Ray and Arlandria …
Thursday, March 14, 2013
If adopted at the maximum rate, the real estate property tax would result in the average Alexandria residential tax bill increasing up to $314.
Alexandria City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to advertise the maximum residential and commercial property tax rate at $1.038 per $100 of valuation for fiscal year 2014, an increase of 4 cents from the prior year but down from an initial recommendation of a 5.5-cent hike. Council can settle on any rate at or below $1.038 as it works through the budgeting process, which is scheduled to end with adoption on May 6. The tax rate on motor vehicle property is proposed to increase from $4.75 to $5 per $100 of assessed value. The rate on business equipment and other types of vehicles is not proposed to change. In its budget guidance for City Manager Rashad Young, council asked for an optional 3-cent hike to offset cash capital investments on …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Advocates for Alexandria Aquatics and two citizens associations are urging the city keep Warwick Pool open this summer.
Advocates for Alexandria Aquatics, a new group seeking to raise funds and partner with the city to create new aquatics facilities, is taking up the cause to save Warwick Pool from closure along with several citizens associations. City Manager Rashad Young is proposing to close Warwick Pool, one of two large outdoor pools in Alexandria, as part of his fiscal year 2014 city budget plan. The move would save the city $92,000—the cost to staff and operate the pool this spring and summer—in general operating funds for FY14. • See: Future of Warwick Pool Hangs in the Balance Young’s overall budget proposal includes $13.8 million in expenditure reductions across the city, which is experiencing a sixth straight year of economic challenges, he said…
Friday, March 8, 2013
Metro officials say bus rapid transitway could move more people quicker, boost bus ridership and potentially reduce vehicle traffic.
The Crystal City-Potomac Yard transitway—the first network of bus-only lanes to be built in the Washington, D.C. region—will debut in spring 2014, according to a report from The Washington Post. The transitway will ultimately connect Braddock Road and Crystal City Metro stations, with a future extension to Pentagon City. Construction began in July. Alexandria officials initially suggested line would open at the end of 2013. • See: Route 1 Transitway Construction to Begin Soon “We see this as the poster child for what transit service should be,” Jack Requa, Metro’s bus chief, told the Post. “This will be the first time that the buses will own the street and be able to move freely without interruptions from cars and taxis.” The MetroBus 9S …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Alexandria City Manager Rashad Young recommends closing popular pool in city budget proposal.
City Manager Rashad Young is proposing to close Warwick Pool—one of two large outdoor pools in Alexandria—as part of his fiscal year 2014 city budget plan. The move would save the city $92,000 in general operating funds for FY14 and prevent the city from paying more in maintenance costs. • See: City Manager Proposes $626.6 Million Operating Budget Located at 3301 Landover St., the popular pool needs more than $6,000 in repairs to reopen this year. The facility also requires $500,000 in deferred maintenance “to bring the pool up to standards” in the next five years if the pool remains open, Young said. City planners took into consideration a $31 million projected budget shortfall identified by the city when formulating the proposal and …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The city's general manager said he considered a projected $30.5 million budget shortfall in this fiscal year 2014 plan.
Alexandria’s city manager Tuesday proposed a $626.6 million operating budget for fiscal year 2014. The proposal includes a 3 cent real estate property tax increase to $1.053 per $100 of assessed value for cash capital investments, and a motor vehicle tax rate of $5 per $100 of assessed value—an increase of 25 cents. The increases would add a combined $21.1 million in revenue. These tax rate hikes would be used to pay for an increase in the Alexandria City Public Schools operating budget, capital investments and transit expansion and improvement programs, City Manager Rashad Young said in a Tuesday afternoon media briefing at City Hall. Within the General Fund Operating Budget, Alexandria City Public Schools would see an increase of 3 …
Micheal Gatlin
1:49 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Why don't Euille suggest a bride for their right do build whatever they want. Believe me, if I know this mayor, no matter the outcome...businees will win in the day. Why you ask...because our mayor doesn't side with the citizens but with business. Alexandria is no longer a living community...just another business outpost. THANK IN ADVANCE EUILLE FOR SCREWING OUR CITY AGAIN. more ›