Alexandria City Council Legislative Meeting – June 24, 2026

The Alexandria City Council held a legislative meeting on June 24, 2026, beginning with a closed executive session at 5:45 PM, followed by the public meeting at 7:22 PM. The agenda included oral reports, the approval of consent items, updates from the Fire Department and the Independent Policing Auditor, a resolution to establish a joint City-ACPS ad hoc committee on school board election reform, and the adoption of an updated Resource Allocation and Cost Recovery Policy for the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities (RPCA). All roll-call votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Items 9–17 were approved by a single roll-call vote (8 ayes). These included:
  • Resolution to establish 2026 Personal Property Tax Relief Rates.
  • Release of contingency funds for Animal Control Officer salary adjustment.
  • Lease extensions for artists and galleries at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
  • Adoption of an Electronic Participation Policy for public meetings.
  • Authorization of refunding bonds by the Industrial Development Authority for National Industries for the Blind.
  • Authorization of revenue bonds for The View at Goodwin Living, LLC.
  • First readings of zoning map amendments for 1019 Cameron Street (CL to CD zone) and 4154 Duke Street (CL with proffer).
  • First reading of an ordinance to adopt the Housing 2040 Master Plan amendment.

Oral Reports & City Council General Updates

• ARHA Redevelopment Work Group (Mayor Gaskins & Councilman Chapman): Reported that all LaDre residents have been relocated, third-party management secured, and debt service payments are current. A pilot payment will be based on the 2026 audit. The July ARHA meeting is cancelled; a joint work session with the full board will occur in the fall to discuss the new CEO hiring process.
• City Council/School Board Subcommittee: Discussed ACPS transportation costs for special needs students and potential collaboration with DOT paratransit. A work plan will be circulated.
• Economic Opportunities Commission (Councilwoman Marks): The commission is reorganizing internally, electing new leadership, and preparing for a needs assessment.
• Library Board (Councilman Aguirre): New officers elected (Al Mosley, chair; Robert, vice chair; Diane Fox, treasurer; Anne Fenn, secretary). A compromise was reached on a study regarding bringing the library under the city department.
• COG Transportation Planning Board (Councilman Aguirre): Highlighted a cost-benefit study on future-proofing and environmental resiliency, with potential applications to Alexandria’s West End bus stop network.
• General Updates: Councilwoman Green thanked staff for the Juneteenth celebration. Councilman Aguirre reported on several events (Croatian national team, New American Heroes Awards, Alexandria 250 commemoration, Jazz Fest) and noted a new restaurant opening and a DASH electric charger at the West End. Councilwoman Marks reported on a graduation ceremony at the juvenile detention center and encouraged early voting. Councilman Chapman provided updates on Go Virginia Region 7 and plans for town halls on international economic development and nightlife policy.
• Business Corridor Memo: Councilwoman Marks and Councilman Chapman presented a memo to direct staff to assess the Old Town business corridor, focusing on a consumption tax model. The majority supported the direction; the city manager indicated a report by the end of the year is feasible.

Discussion Items

Alexandria Fire Department Update

• Fire Chief and Assistant Chiefs presented the annual update. Key highlights:
  • Staffing: 348.5 FTEs, 301 in operations. Four additional FTEs planned mid-year.
  • Attrition: Improved to 2.0% (2025); no firefighters left for other departments in nearly a year. Vacancy rate at 5; a recruit class of 14 started May 26, 2026.
  • Schedule: A 49-hour work week implemented October 11, 2025, improved morale and reduced overtime. Further reduction to 46 hours by December 31, 2028, is under CBA.
  • Accreditation: First annual compliance report for CFAI accreditation was approved.
  • EMS Response Model: Adjustments to call types (sending appropriate ALS/BLS resources) have been successful; 98% of BLS calls remain BLS, 99% of ALS calls remain ALS.
  • ISO Rating: Currently Class 2; goal to achieve Class 1 (needs a score of 90, currently at 88). Less than 1% of U.S. fire departments are both accredited and ISO 1.
  • Mutual Aid: Strong agreements with Northern Virginia jurisdictions; closest unit responds regardless of jurisdiction.
  • Council members praised the turnaround in morale and performance, and asked about equipment analysis and recruitment from ACPS. Chief noted discussions for a firefighter intern program with schools.

Independent Policing Auditor (AIPA) Update

• Amara Tu-Kamara, Independent Policing Auditor, presented an overview:
  • Civilian Oversight Structure: AIPA investigates complaints; the Independent Community Policing Review Board (ICPRB) reviews investigations and recommends policy changes.
  • Complaint Process: Complaints can be filed online, by email, phone, or 311. No citizenship or residency requirement; anonymous complaints accepted.
  • Investigations (Jan–Jun 2026): Five complaints received, two dismissed (lack of jurisdiction). Two critical incidents reviewed: the in-custody death of Alan Tucker Jr. (August 15, 2025) and the Canterbury Square officer-involved shooting (May 18, 2026).
    • Alan Tucker Investigation: Completed; seven sustained allegations led to personnel accountability and department-level policy/training recommendations. A public hearing is scheduled for June 29, 2026, at 6:30 PM.
    • Canterbury Square: Criminal investigation by CERT (Critical Incident Response Team) underway; AIPA will initiate an independent administrative review once criminal investigation concludes.
  • Community Engagement: Board meetings held at Charles Houston Rec Center; partnerships with Office of Race and Social Equity and Office of Human Rights. Upcoming events include Pride event and “How to File a Complaint” sessions.
  • Council questions addressed subpoena power (not needed yet), license plate reader policy review (planned), and public posting of chief’s written responses to rejected recommendations.

Establishment of City-ACPS Ad Hoc Committee on School Board Election Reform

• The resolution (Item 18) was debated at length. Key arguments:
  • Supporters (Vice Mayor Bagley, Councilmembers Marks, Aguirre, Green): Favored face-to-face dialogue to explore election reform (staggered terms, board composition, term lengths, size reduction). Emphasized that the committee’s report is not binding and would allow structured, staffed collaboration. Councilman Aguirre noted a petition with ~600 signatures supporting size reduction, and argued that Alexandria’s school board (9 members for ~16,000 students) is disproportionately large compared to neighboring jurisdictions.
  • Opponents (Councilman Chapman, Councilman Al Nubi): Raised concerns about opening the city charter in Richmond (risk of unwanted amendments), lack of proven link to student achievement, timing (city lacks a legislative director), and previous lack of collaboration from the school board (e.g., shutting down the transportation proposal). Councilman Chapman urged that the school board should respect the council’s role and noted that two-on-two meetings can already happen informally.
• Amendment/Clarification: The resolution originally included “decreasing the size of the school board” as a mandated topic; council members agreed that the committee could discuss it but the motion did not bind future action. The report due date was set as November 10, 2026, to allow time for charter change consideration if desired (though implementation would likely be for 2030 elections).
• Vote: Motion to adopt the resolution passed 8–0 (roll call). Committee members: Councilman Aguirre, Councilwoman Marks (alternate: Councilman Al Nubi).

RPCA Resource Allocation and Cost Recovery Policy Update

• Director James Taylor and Deputy Director Laura Durham presented the proposed update to the 2019 policy. Key changes from community engagement (over 500 survey respondents):
  • Tier Adjustments: Community-wide events moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1 (greater community benefit). Public equipment rentals and permitted services moved from Tier 5 to Tier 4. Mobile/pop-up outreach programs moved from Tier 1 to Tier 2 (to facilitate grant/sponsorship recovery). Partner/affiliate tenant leases moved from Tier 3 to Tier 4.
  • New Service Categories: Added “programs for vulnerable communities” (Tier 2), “partnership programs and improvements” (Tier 2), and “competitive sports leagues and tournaments” (Tier 4).
  • Financial Assistance: In FY26, $839,916 in assistance was provided, mostly for after-school and out-of-school time programs.
  • Implementation: Fee changes would not take effect until FY28. The affiliate policy and field allocation policy are being updated separately, with community dialogue continuing through fall 2026.
• Council questions focused on the rationale for moving mobile/pop-up to Tier 2 (to attract sponsorships/grants for expansion), the affiliate policy timeline (fall 2026), and equity considerations (Office of Race and Social Equity will be consulted).
• Vote: Motion to adopt the updated policy passed 8–0.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Items (9–17): Approved unanimously by roll-call vote.
• City-ACPS Ad Hoc Committee: Resolution adopted (8–0). Committee will report by November 10, 2026; council retains full authority over any charter change.
• RPCA Resource Allocation Policy: Updated policy adopted (8–0), effective July 1, 2026, with fee changes deferred to FY28.
• Council Schedule: Approved with addition of VML (Virginia Municipal League) meeting.
• Closed Session: Council reconvened in closed executive session to discuss personnel matters; later adjourned at 10:51 PM.