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A Well-Heeled Challenger
Republican Mark Allen says that David Englin is outside of Virginia’s mainstream.
A Well-Heeled Challenger

Insiders Prevail in Hotly Contested Primary for Alexandria City Council
Incumbents and former incumbents win, pushing back calls for change.
Despite calls for change at City Hall, Alexandria voters sent a message Tuesday that they like the recent direction of city government, and they selected a slate of candidates that continues the status quo.

Democratic-Endorsed School Board Candidate Wins
Keys-Gamarra overcomes Republican-advantage in low-turnout August.
Guardian ad litem and Fairfax County Planning Commission member Karen Keys-Gamarra swamped Republican Chris Grisafe and two other candidates in a special election this week, one that Democrats say is a sign of strength for their party heading into the fall.

Registrar Expects Six Times as Many Voters in Primary Compared to Caucus
Traditional firehouse caucus had 2,000 voters; citywide primary could draw as many as 12,000.
Alexandria Registrar Tom Parkins is forecasting a 12 percent to 15 percent turnout for the June 12 Democratic primary, which would mean about 9,600 to 12,000 voters are expected to show up at the city's precincts on Election Day.

Alexandria Ditches Jim Crow Zoning
Unanimous vote on City Council eliminates single-family housing.
zoning

Lightning Campaign Pits Longtime Elected Official Against Progressive Newcomer
Democrats to determine special election candidate this weekend.
This week, Democrats will determine their candidate in a special election blitz campaign that offers little time for voters to learn much about their options.

View from Coffin Corner
Extreme position on House floor enjoys a storied history.
As a freshman delegate in 1978, Ken Plum was assigned a desk in the far corner on the Democratic side of the House of Delegates — seat 17. It wasn’t the best vantage point in the House because about a third of the Republican members were totally out of view. The senior members took the seats at the back of the chamber near the center, sticking Plum in the corner.

More for Enforcement, Less for Assistance
Since the recession, funding has increased for public safety but decreased for social services.
Since the recession, spending on public safety in Alexandria has increased year after year. According to documents from the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts, that category of government spending has increased 38 percent since 2010 as city leaders increased salaries for police officials and funded new positions at the city’s emergency communications center. But during that same time, spending on health and welfare programs has increased only 12 percent. Spending on social services has actually gone down since 2010.

Chamber Celebrates Tomorrow’s Alexandria
40 Under 40 feted by titans of industry at United Way headquarters in Old Town.

Council Members Dip Into Rainy-Day Fund to Avoid Raising Tax Rate
Unanimous budget will raise average residential property tax bill by $52.
Taxpayers can expect to pay more money now that members of the Alexandria City Council have adopted a tax rate for the coming year that will increase the average residential property tax bill by $52.

Incumbents and Candidates Face Difficult Test as City Council Campaign Heats Up
Rival groups of Democrats endorse slates of candidates for June 12 primary.
The fiercely competitive Democratic primary for the Alexandria City Council is about to get even more intense this weekend, as current council members take up the most controversial development proposal since the waterfront plan.

Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille Elected to Fourth Term
Democratic incumbent wins handily against independent challenger.
Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille hasn’t been in a competitive election since 2003, when he was first elected mayor against Republican Bill Cleveland and independent Townsend Van Fleet.

Iron Ladies of Old Town Challenge Waterfront Plan
Appeal of protest petition to move forward, either in Circuit Court or Board of Zoning Appeals.
The controversial waterfront small-area plan may have squeaked through City Hall on a five-to-two vote last month, but a final resolution could be months away
Simon To Resign from School Board
Opening prompts special election for this fall.
Simon said he loved doing the work of the School Board and thanked those who supported his campaign in 2012. But he said that he must make his family a priority and resign the seat.

More Educated, Better Paid
Foreign-born population attracted by government contracting and tech jobs.
Virginia’s foreign-born population is more educated and better paid, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. The Richmond-based think tank points out more than 40 percent of immigrants in Virginia have a bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s a significantly higher level of education than the United States as a whole, and it’s even a bit higher than native-born Virginians.

Candidates are Set for Fall Election
Don Beyer secures nomination as Republicans select candidates for fall election season.
Voters in Northern Virginia overwhelmingly supported four-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8)...

Use of Food Stamps Skyrocketing in Northern Virginia
Program doubles in Arlington, triples in Fairfax and quadruples in Alexandria.
The use of food stamps is skyrocketing in Northern Virginia, and the spike isn’t just about the recession.

Turnover at City Hall
As the era of Justin Wilson draws to a close, what comes next?
The era of Mayor Justin Wilson is drawing to a dramatic finish, creating an open seat for mayor at City Hall for the first time in 20 years.

Lenny Harris: From Missing to Murdered
Maryland man confesses to crime; three or four more suspects remain on the loose.
Since last summer, friends and supporters of missing Alexandria civic activist Lenny Harris have been hoping and praying that he would show up.
Treaty of Four Mile Run?
A potential compromise to ongoing dispute between Arlington and Alexandria.
Back in October 2010, Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition chairman Tim Lovain feared what he called a "disaster" on the horizon — transit corridor commuters may be facing a day when they would have to get off an Arlington streetcar and board an Alexandria bus.