Public Meting on Operating Hours of Ben Brenman Dog Park

Please note a community meeting has been scheduled with the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities for Thursday, March 3rd at 7 PM at Cameron Station to discuss the Brenman Park Dog Park expansion, operating hours and illumination. Currently the hours are from "sunrise to sunset" and now would be from 6 AM to 10 PM in all lighted areas of the park. The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities is seeking a Special Use Permit to add lights to the Ben Brenman Park Dog Park located in the back corner of Ben Brenman Park across Holmes Run. Because the addition of lights at this location will extend the use of the park past sunset hours, there will be an associated change to the hours of the park that we wanted to make sure you are aware of. We would encourage all residents to attend but especially those residents who live on or near the park.   From Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities: The Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities (RPCA) will hold a community meeting on March 3, 2016 at 7 p.m. at the Cameron Station Community Room, 200 Cameron Station Blvd. to seek input on the hours of use in Ben Brenman Park. The Planning Commission requested RPCA hold the meeting in conjunction with the Special Use Permit (SUP2015-0128) request to add lights to the Ben Brenman Dog Park, located in the back corner of Ben Brenman Park across Holmes Run. The original Special Use Permit for Ben Brenman Park (SUP98-0048) allows the hours of operation for the park to be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. However, the hours have been more limited in large portions of the park to sunrise to sunset, except by permitted use. Because the new lights in the dog park will extend the use of that part of the park, RPCA proposes to change the posted hours of operation in the park as follows: * The current posted hours state that the park is open from "sunrise to sunset, except by permitted use." * The new posted hours will state that the park is open from "6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in all lighted areas of the Park." On April 5, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing and action to consider the request to add lights to and to expand the Ben Brenman Dog Park. Individuals unable to attend the community meeting are encouraged to send written comments to Dana Wedeles, Urban Planner III, by email at dana.wedels@alexandriava.gov  or standard mail to RPCA, Attn: Dana Wedeles, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria VA 22314. All comments received by March 31, 2016 will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for consideration.  The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City's Human Rights Code and the American with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, please call Jack Browand at 703.746.5504 (VA Relay 711) or e-mail jack.browand@alexandriava.gov.

  

Alexandria City Manager Mark B. Jinks Proposes Fiscal Year 2017 Budget

For Immediate Release: February 23, 2016

News Highlights

• On February 23, City Manager Mark B. Jinks proposed a General Fund Operating Budget of $671.6 million and an All Funds budget of $833.1 million, which represent increases over the current year of 3.46% and 1%, respectively.
• The proposed budget includes a real estate tax rate increase of one cent per $100 of assessed value, or a new rate of $1.053.  This will raise $3.8 million towards the projected $5 million cost of increased school enrollment in FY 2017 and the cost to make firefighter and other salaries competitive in the region.
• This year’s budget process continues the approach first used to develop the FY2015 budget, which links spending with the long-term outcomes and core City services Alexandria’s residents want.
• The proposed operating budget includes $206.6 million for the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), or a 3.9% increase over current funding.  This represents a $7.75 million increase in funds budgeted for ACPS over the current fiscal year and represents allocation of nearly half of all new General Fund revenue to schools.
• The Capital Improvement Program continues the current $1.6 billion capital investment over the next 10 years, including nearly $266 million for schools.

More Information

• www.alexandriava.gov/Budget

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On February 23, City Manager Mark B. Jinks presented City Council with a proposed General Fund Operating Budget of $671.6 million and an All Funds budget of $833.1 million, which represent increases over the current year of 3.46% and 1%, respectively. This budget includes $206.6 million in operating funds for public schools (a 3.9% increase over FY 2016 funding when a $3.0 million lease cost contingent is included), and invests $1.6 billion over 10 years in Alexandria’s Capital Improvement Program.

The proposed budget includes a real estate tax rate increase of one cent per $100 of assessed value, or a new rate of $1.053.  This will raise $3.8 million towards the projected $5 million cost of increased school enrollment in FY 2017 and the cost to make firefighter and other salaries competitive in the region.  The proposed rate remains significantly below that of all major Northern Virginia jurisdictions for commercial property, and all but one jurisdiction for residential property.  Combining the new rate with modest growth in real estate assessments, the average homeowner’s real estate tax bill would increase by approximately $14 per month, or less than 50 cents per day.

"This budget responsibly meets the varied demands of a growing population in challenging economic times." said Jinks. "My proposals reduce certain programs and provide efficiencies totaling $8.3 million, but maintain core programs and infrastructure and add targeted improvements to service delivery."

The balanced budget proposal is consistent with City Council’s guidance and reflects City Council’s Strategic Plan, analysis in the City’s Five-Year Financial Plan, the City Manager’s budget priorities, and extensive input from community engagement meetings and online forums.  The budget underscores the City’s investment in its workforce by funding merit increases for employees who earn them through performance, and increasing firefighter and other salaries to remain competitive with neighboring jurisdictions.

Regional competition, low revenue growth, and higher expense pressures have combined with stagnant or reduced federal and state aid to create a substantial budget gap.  In the early stage of budget planning, FY 2017 revenues were projected to increase by approximately $13 million, while the cost to maintain current service levels and planned capital funding was projected to increase by approximately $21 million.  This did not include the projected cost of $5 million to account for a 3.7% increase in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) student enrollment expected in FY 2017.  Meanwhile, Alexandria’s population has increased by 7.5% from 2010 to 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  Since FY 2009, however, the City has eliminated a net of approximately 115 staff positions and will reduce staffing further in FY 2017 .  As local government continues to take on more responsibilities with fewer employees, it has become more difficult each year to identify savings without cutting services.

City Council will hold 10 work sessions throughout the spring to review the proposed budget with City staff; a public budget presentation on February 25 at Beatley Library; a special budget public hearing on March 14; and a tax rate public hearing on April 16. All sessions are open to the public and will be recorded and posted online. The public may submit comments online, or speak at the public presentations and hearings.

The full City Manager's message to City Council, as well as details about the proposed budget, public budget presentation and public meetings, and online comments, are located at  www.alexandriava.gov/Budget.