On The Agenda

On the latest episode of On the Agenda, we are joined by Alan Shark at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. He tells us what he looks for in a budget, including deficits, debt, reserves, credit rating, economic growth and revenue diversification. We'll also preview the upcoming discussion about the city's proposed budget for fiscal year 2024, which is at 7 pm on Monday, March 27 at the Lyceum. Special thanks to The Zebra Newspaper for sponsoring this program.

As a preview to our September 26th program, Agenda Alexandria Board Member and former chair Ricardo Alfaro sat down with two former Alexandria City High School students, Sylvia Rahim (class of 2022) and Megan Embrey (class of 2013), to highlight the perspectives around school safety, campus security, mental health, and well being. Special thanks to The Zebra Newspaper for sponsoring this program.

As a preview to our May 23rd program, Agenda Alexandria Board Member and journalist Michael Pope sat down with Alexandria's City Manager James Parajon, to have a conversation about the city's master plan. Special thanks to ALX Community for sponsoring this program. Learn more at https://alxcommunity.com.

As a preview to our April 25 program, Agenda Alexandria Board Member Virginia Amos sat down with Helen McIlvaine, Alexandria, Virginia's Director of Office of Housing, to have a conversation about the cost of living in Alexandria. Special thanks to ALX Community for sponsoring this program. Learn more at https://alxcommunity.com.

As a preview to our March 28 program, Agenda Alexandria Vice Chair Rod Kuckro sat down with CJ Jordan, former campaign manager to now Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, to have a conversation about "City of Alexandria vs. Commonwealth of Virginia: new governing dynamics." Special thanks to ALX Community for sponsoring this program. Learn more at https://alxcommunity.com.

As a preview to our February 28 program, Agenda Alexandria board members Janet Barnett and Christopher Lewis sat down to have a conversation about "Experiences in Race: Storytelling in a Judgement Free Zone." Special thanks to ALX Community for sponsoring this program. Learn more at https://alxcommunity.com.

As a preview to our January 24 program, Scott Shaw sits down with our Vice Chair, Rod Kuckro, to have a conversation about the upcoming proposed changes to the Torpedo Factory Art Center. About Scott Shaw: Shaw was founder and CEO of Fishbowl, a venture-backed marketing and analytics company for the restaurant industry. In 2016 he joined Alexandria Restaurant Partners and has been active in activities on the Alexandria Waterfront. In 2017, Shaw founded the Tall Ship Providence Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving Alexandria's rich maritime history through educational programs and entertainment. Shaw also co-founded ALX Community and is Chair of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership. Special thanks to ALX Community for sponsoring this program. Learn more at https://alxcommunity.com.

Frank Shafroth joins Agenda Alexandria board members Michael Pope and Ricardo Alfaro to talk about the role of the city manager as a preview to the November 2021 flagship program. About Frank Shafroth: Frank is a member of the Supreme Court Bar; he has previously worked in the U.S. House for former Rep.s Gladys Spellman (D.-Md.) and Jim Moran (D.-Va.), in the U.S. Senate for former U.S. Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.) and then for the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. He was the Director of Federal Relations for the National League of Cities and then the National Governors Assoc. He also worked for the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and is an Instructor/Director for the Center for State and Local Government Leadership at George Mason University. Special thanks to ALX Community for sponsoring this program. Learn more at https://alxcommunity.com.

Retiring city manager, Mark Jinks, joins us for a conversation about his career and legacy in the City of Alexandria. The conversation was moderated by journalist and Agenda Alexandria board member, Michael Pope. Special thanks to ALX Community for sponsoring this program. Learn more at https://alxcommunity.com.

We're joined by the city manager of Alexandria, Mark Jinks, and the president of INOVA Alexandria Hospital, Dr. Rina Bansal, to help us understand this redevelopment and what it means for the future of the West End. This podcast was recorded at the ALX Community in Alexandria, VA.

Alexandria is about to create a new civilian review board for the Alexandria Police Department. Should the new review board have the power to subpoena witnesses and documents? What about the power to fire bad cops? Agenda Alexandria takes a look at the issue without taking sides. We're joined by former Alexandria Police Department Chief David Baker and Alexandria Gazette Packet editor Mary Kimm, who helped create a similar review board in Fairfax County.

Your ballot this fall has an amendment that will change how districts are drawn in Virginia for the General Assembly and for Congress. Instead of allowing the General Assembly to draw maps, the amendment will create a new 16-member commission to create political boundaries. Critics worry that the amendment does not require racial diversity on the commission, a problem considering Virginia’s recent history with racial gerrymandering. Supporters say the newly created commission is an improvement over the old way of doing things, where the party in power screws the political opponents, just like Elbridge Gerry did more than 200 years ago.

What is the city of Alexandria doing to ensure housing stays affordable for longtime residents, while new development and infrastructure projects in the area are increasing at a rapid pace. Helen McIlvaine from the Office of Housing in Alexandria, VA and Kayla Hornbrook from the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation join us to talk affordable housing.

What does Amazon's decision to locate in Arlington mean for Alexandria? What role - if any - did all that taxpayer money play in the decision? Tina Leone of the Ballston Business Improvement District and Michael Farren of the Mercatus Center join us to talk Amazon HQ2.