The Commonwealth of Virginia is a Dillon Rule state which limits the governing authority localities have to what is expressly granted to them by the legislature, by state statute, or written in their municipal charter. Localities in Virginia request legislation every year to grant them enabling authority for specific powers they do not have already. These requests generally originate from the City Council, City staff, and boards and commissions. 

The goal of the City’s Legislative Package is to clearly communicate the City’s legislative and budget priorities to legislators, staff, advocates, and the general public. The requests that form the Package generally originate from City Council members, City staff, and the City’s many boards and commissions. 

On December 14, 2024, City Council adopted the 2025 Legislative Package.

The 2025 Legislative Package is organized into three areas - Key Priorities, Legislative Priorities, and Legislative Priinciples. Key Priorities are issues the City plans to expend significant political capital on these issues and will ask our General Assembly delegation to engage in on behalf of the City. The Legislative Priorities are intended to be specific revenue and legislative proposals that have been identified by City Council as the issues of greatest impact to the City. The Legislative Principles are generally broadly crafted and focus on comprehensive legislative strategies rather than specific legislative tactics. 

2025 KEY PRIORITIES

1. Automated Safety Enforcement – The City of Alexandria supports legislation expanding local authority to implement automated traffic safety enforcement tools in targeted, data-driven locations, including speed cameras, red light cameras, and noise cameras.
2. Animal Care Provider Inspections – The City of Alexandria supports legislation which grants localities the authority to conduct inspections of animal boarding establishments to ensure that the care, control, or protection of companion animals in these facilities is consistent with law.
3. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) – The City of Alexandria supports policies and investments that ensure the WMATA system is safe, reliable, and financially sound; and that addressing the future of WMATA funding is done without increasing the funding obligation of Northern Virginia localities.
4. Skill Games – The City of Alexandria supports efforts to ensure that any legislation to legalize skill games provides localities the authority to decide their appropriateness for their communities, either through the action of the local governing body or by voter referendum. Such legislation must also establish a comprehensive regulatory framework that safeguards local zoning authority, ensures consumer protections, enforces strict oversight, and grants fair local taxation authority.
5. Affordable Housing – The City of Alexandria supports legislation to preserve affordable housing by establishing a right of first refusal for localities during the sale of publicly supported multifamily housing that is at risk of expiring affordability.
6. School Construction Funding – The City of Alexandria supports legislation to afford all Virginia localities the authority to, by referendum, levy an additional 1% sales tax in their communities to generate revenue earmarked for school construction and renovation.
7. Shared Employees –The City of Alexandria supports a comprehensive study and actionable policy and funding recommendations on the adequate funding of “shared employees,” which better reflects the true cost of compensation for employees supported - either statutorily or practically - through a combination of State and local funds, including employees in our Health Department, General Registrar’s Office, Court Services Unit, Clerk of Circuit Court Office, Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Sheriff's Department, and public schools.
8. Douglass Cemetery Restoration – The City of Alexandria requests State matching funds to complete the restoration of Alexandria’s historic Douglass Cemetery.

Legislative Priorities of support

Recognize and Strengthen State Partnership with Localities

The City supports statewide programs and funding to address the need for additional affordable housing in our community and to preserve currently affordable housing stock, including an increase in funding for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund (VHTF), one of the Commonwealth's most important tools to assist local and regional efforts in crafting housing affordability solutions. 

Preserve and Expand Local Authority and Funding for Localities

The City supports legislation and budget items that protect and expand the stock of affordable housing in the region and across the Commonwealth and include new developments of assisted living facilities in the Virginia Affordable Housing Code.

The City supports additional local tools and authority that facilitate a housing economy in Alexandria, and across Virginia, that helps provide the necessary range of price points, safe and sustainable housing options, and the associated services to meet the needs of a thriving city, and a thriving Commonwealth.

The City supports legislation to provide localities with the authority to enforce the provisions of the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act related to health and safety of tenants; and authority related to rent stabilization and tenant protections from algorithmic and collusive practices and price-gouging.

The City Supports a budget amendment to repeal Item 3-5.05 in the Appropriations Act which requires excess fees collected by circuit court clerks to be apportioned two-thirds to the Commonwealth and one-third to localities in contravention of current sections of the Code.

The City supports legislation to provide localities with the express authority to regulate the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and to create incentive programs to encourage the adoption of energy efficient technologies, machinery, and appliances.

The City supports efforts to protect existing multimodal transportation funding and to ensure that transportation projects in Northern Virginia continue to receive appropriate funding after decades of underfunding by the state.

The City supports efforts to modernize the local tax structure. Short of comprehensive tax reform, the City is supportive of opportunities for additional local revenue authority to increase funding for critical local needs, including transit, transportation, school construction and renovation, and other significant capital needs.      

Protect and Support Vulnerable and Underserved Populations

The City supports legislation and budget items that prevent evictions and protect individuals and families who are precariously housed and facing housing challenges, including legislation to: reinstate the 14-day pay or quit notice; require full fee disclosure and transparency and require any fee increases to coincide with the term of a lease; establish a minimum amount owed for an eviction filing, and establish a right to counsel for eviction proceedings.

Enhance Public Engagement, Health, and Safety

The City supports increased State funding for gun violence intervention programs, including the Virginia Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund and the Operation Ceasefire Grant Program.

The City supports legislation that makes it easier for law enforcement agencies to recruit, hire, and retain officers, including recruiting and hiring non-citizens who have been in the country for five years and are on the path to citizenship.

The City supports efforts to reform our campaign finance system, including efforts to enhance disclosure, restrict personal use of campaign funds, limit campaign contributions, and enforce regular auditing.

Improve Resilience, Promote Energy Efficiency, and Encourage Clean Energy Investment

The City supports efforts to ensure Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, protect the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), and other legislation which has made advances in the areas of combatting climate change, promoting energy efficiency and encouraging clean energy investment.

The City supports efforts to ensure that current funding sources for flood resilience and energy efficiency projects are, at minimum, maintained and any funding that is removed is replaced, dollar for dollar, by a dedicated funding source.

The City supports State investment in clean energy and energy efficiency, including funding for a State E-Bike rebate program and funding for the existing state electric vehicle rebate program to complement the federal rebate program.

Positions will be posted following City Council Legislative meetings.
City Council legislative meeting dates:

• February 13, 2024
  • Bills Supported
  • Bills Opposed
  • Bills to Watch
• January 24, 2023
• February 14, 2023

2022

• January 25, 2022
• February 8, 2022

• 2023 City of Alexandria Legislative Package
• 2022 City of Alexandria Legislative Package
• 2021 City of Alexandria Legislative Package
• 2020 City of Alexandria Legislative Package
• 2019 City of Alexandria Legislative Package