Reisdents of Alexandria will now be required to drop off their yard waste at a temporary drop off site set up by the City. Due to concerns of the coronavirus the City was forced to suspend the collection of garbage as it seeks to protect employees from the risk of the virus. Continue reading
Alexandria is an independent city (Virginia cities have no county affiliation), which derives its governing authority from a charter granted by the Virginia General
Assembly. Changes in the structure and powers of the City government are made by amending the Charter. This requires action by the General Assembly, usually upon the request of the City Council, following public hearings. The present City Charter was granted in 1950; it was amended extensively in 1968, 1971, 1976, 1982, and 1983. By referendum in 1921, an overwhelming majority of the voters approved the adoption of the council-manager form of city government, which went into effect in September 1922. This form of government centralizes legislative authority and responsibility in the elected City Council.
Administrative authority and responsibility are held by the City Manager, who is appointed by the City Council. The City Council is composed of a Mayor and six Council members who are elected at-large for three-year terms. Any in-term vacancy is filled by a special election unless the vacancy occurs within six months of the end of the term, at which time a judicial appointment is made. The Mayor, who is chosen on a separate ballot, presides over meetings of the Council and serves as the ceremonial head of government. The Mayor does not have the power to veto Council action. Council members traditionally choose the person receiving the most votes in the election to serve as Vice Mayor. In the absence or disability of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor performs the mayoral duties. The Mayor receives a salary of $30,500, and other Council members receive a salary of $27,500 per year.
Council determines the needs to be addressed and the degree of service to be
provided by the administrative branch of the City government. Under Alexandria's Charter, the Council has power to:
Determine policy in the fields of planning, traffic, law and order, public
works, finance, social services, and recreation;
Appoint and remove the City Manager;
Adopt the budget, levy taxes, collect revenues, and make appropriations;
Appoint and remove the City Attorney;
Authorize the issuance of bonds by a bond ordinance;
Appoint and remove the City Clerk;
Establish administrative departments, offices, and agencies;
Appoint members of the Planning Commission, and other City
authorities, boards, commissions, and committees;
Inquire into the conduct of any office, department, or agency of the City
and make investigations into municipal affairs;
Provide for an independent audit; and
Provide for the number, titles, qualifications, powers, duties, and compensation of all officers and employees of the City.
Council meetings are shown live on cable channel 70 and repeated at a later time. The council meetings can also be viewed via computer on streaming video. Past sessions of Council meetings can be watched via computer or on videos available from the Office of Citizen Assistance.
From time to time the city issues press releases which Condo Alexandria posts here.
About the Author --- Aubrey Nesbitt is a native of Northern Virginia who attended Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a veteran of the US Army and helps his family business by providing informational articles like this one. In addition to photography and blogging, Aubrey provides administrative support for the office.
Add a fence for privacy and distinction
Owning a home is an expensive proposition. There’s maintenance, landscaping, utilities, renovations, and, of course, taxes. It’s your civic duty to pay the latter, but it’s also your right not to yield a penny more than your fair share.
It’s possible to trim your property tax bill by appealing the assessed value of your home. But making a case against your real estate assessment, the basis for your property tax bill, requires doing a bit of homework. Initial research can be done online or by phone over two or three days, but the process can stretch out for months if you’re forced to file a formal appeal.
There are a few things to keep in mind as you weigh an appeal. The board can only lower your real estate assessment, not the rate at which you’re taxed. There’s also a chance, albeit slight, that your assessment could be raised, thus increasing your property taxes. A reduction in your assessment right before you put your house on the market could hurt the sale price. An easier route to savings might lie in determining if you qualify for property tax exemptions based on age, disability, military service, or other factors.
Read your assessment letter
A real estate assessment is conducted periodically by the local government to assign a value to your home for taxation purposes. An assessment isn’t the same as a private appraisal, and the assessed value of your home isn’t necessarily how much you could sell it for today. Real estate assessment letters are mailed to homeowners annually, or perhaps every two to three years, depending where you live.
The letter will include some information about your property, such as lot size or a legal description, as well as the assessed value of your house and land. Additional details—number of bedrooms, for example, or date of construction—can often be found in the property listing on your local government’s website. Your property tax bill will usually be calculated by multiplying your home’s assessed value by the local tax rate, which can vary from town to town.
If you think your home’s assessment is higher than it should be, challenge it immediately. The clock starts ticking as soon as the letter goes out. You generally have less than 30 days to respond, though the time frame varies not just between states, but within each state. Procedures are often outlined on the back of the letter.
Gather evidence
Start by making sure the assessment letter doesn’t contain any mistakes. Is the number of bathrooms accurate? Number of fireplaces? How about the size of the lot? There’s a big difference between “0.3 acres” and “3.0 acres.” If any facts are wrong, then you may have a quick and easy challenge on your hands.
Next, research your home’s value. Ask a real estate agent to find three to five comparable properties—“comps” in real estate jargon—that have sold recently. Alternatively, check a website like Smarthomeprice.com to find approximate values of comparable properties. The key is identifying properties that are very similar to your own in terms of size, style, condition, and location. If you’re willing to shell out between $350 and $600, you can hire a private appraiser to do the heavy lifting.
Once you identify comps, check the assessments on those properties. Most local governments maintain public databases. If yours doesn’t, seek help from an agent or ask neighbors to share tax information. If the assessments on your comps are lower, you can argue yours is too high. Even if the assessments are similar, if you can show that the “comparable” properties aren’t truly comparable, you may have a case for relief based on equity. Maybe your neighbor added an addition while you were still struggling to clean up storm damage. In that case, the properties are no longer equitable.
Present your case
Once you’re armed with your research, call your local assessor’s office. Most assessors are willing to discuss your assessment informally by phone. If not, or if you aren’t satisfied with the explanation, request a formal review. Pay attention to deadlines and procedures. There’s probably a form to fill out and specific instructions for supporting evidence. A typical review, which usually doesn’t require you to appear in person, can take anywhere from one to three months. Expect to receive a decision in writing.
If the review is unsuccessful, you can usually appeal the decision to an independent board, with or without the help of a lawyer. You may have to pay a modest filing fee, perhaps $10 to $25. If you end up before an appeals board, your challenge could stretch as long as a year, especially in large jurisdictions that have a high number of appeals. But homeowners do triumph. According to Guy Griscom, Assistant Chief Appraiser of the Harris County (Texas) Central Appraisal District, of the 288,800 protests filed in his Houston-area district in 2008, about 58% received reduced assessments.
How much effort you decide to put into a challenge depends on the stakes. The annual U.S. median property tax paid in 2008 was $1,897, or 0.96% of the median home value of $197,600. Lowering that assessed value by 15% would net savings of about $285.
This article provides general information about tax laws and consequences, but is not intended to be relied upon by readers as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Readers should consult a tax professional for such advice, and are reminded that tax laws may vary by jurisdiction.
Fairfax County is one of the largest, most prosperous and most populous counties in Virginia. To be more specific, according to the US Census Fairfax County has about a million residents. Furthermore, average annual household income in Fairfax County ($100,552) is twice the national average ($51,106).
The county government is managed by a Board of Supervisors that are elected from nine different magisterial districts . The board is overseen by a chairman who holds an at-large seat.
The County Supervisors appoint seven members to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Commission.
Of course as a homeowner you'll be responsible for maintenance and repairs on the house. As a condo owner, many of these responsibilities are handled by the condo association. Either way, you're the type of person who has taken charge of his or her life. You can paint your wall any color you want. You don't need your landlord's permission to get a pet.
Fred
As a homeowner you're more likely to be a part of the neighborhood watch and the garden club. According to some studies, home owners are more likely to vote, and more likely to participate in local government activities. As a condominium owner you have become one of America's landed gentry. According to the Rossi and Weber National Survey of Families, home owners possess significantly higher levels of self-confidence than renters.
Tax advantages are one of the biggest financial benefits of home ownership. The typical home owner that pays a $1,000 house payment will realize tax savings of about $120 each month. (As a general rule, most homeowners can deduct most or all of their interest payments on their home loan, property taxes and loan points, but check with your tax advisor about your situation.) What this means is that next year your rent won't go up, but your liability will go down. Generally if you can afford the cash flow, it's cheaper to buy than to rent. Because you're a homeowner, you know what this means.
This increase confidence and wealth will have an impact on your family life as well. According to Boehm & Schlottmann, University of Tennessee, "Children of home owners are 59% more likely to become homeowners. Their children are also 25% more likely to graduate from high school and 116% more likely to graduate from college."
As an owner, you'll stop paying rent and you'll start building ownership equity. A survey of consumer finance by the Federal Reserve Board found that the median net worth of most modest-income owners is almost $60,000 compared to less than $10,000 for renters in the same income group.
In many cases, your home will provide you with more privacy than rental living. For some, this means a quieter living environment, for others it's the ability to have a grow garden, have a backyard barbecue or a build a garage. You'll have the freedom to make whatever changes or improvements you like. Now that you control your living environment, you can make adjustments as your family changes or just as your personal taste dictates.
For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.
The Defense Contract Management Agency located in Alexandria, Virginia is a sub-component of the Department
The Defense Contract Management Agency Logo and Seal
of Defense primarily responsible for ensuring that "DoD, Federal, and allied government supplies and services are delivered on time, at projected cost, and meet all performance requirements. DCMA directly contributes to the military readiness of the United States and its allies, and helps preserve the nation's freedom." This department is usually the office that handles Foreign Military Sales contracts. Employees serve as "information brokers" and representatives for military, federal, and allied government buying agencies throughout various transactions.
Homes for Sale in Alexandria
“Zero-loss” of remaining County-owned natural lands
248 County-owned acres identified for preservation
Three-year inventory found seven unmapped streams, 600 native species, including 14 rare plants
ARLINGTON, VA – The Arlington County Board today approved the County’s first comprehensive plan to preserve and manage County-owned natural lands.
“By adopting this plan today, we are taking much-needed action to protect our remaining open spaces, and the plants and animals they shelter, for future generations,” County Board Chairman Jay Fisette said. “Our parks department has done an outstanding job of comprehensively mapping this County’s natural resources and giving us the information we need to preserve Arlington’s natural resource assets.”
The plan is based on an unusual, comprehensive inventory of Arlington’s natural resources carried out between 2005 and 2008 by the County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. The inventory found that only 4.7 percent of Arlington’s surface area — a little more than 700 acres — remains as natural lands. Of these, well over half are owned by the U.S. Park Service as part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway system. Fifty percent of all surface streams have disappeared and invasive plant species are widespread. (View presentation to the PDF, 2MB)
Highlights of the plan’s 19 recommendations for preserving and managing natural lands include:
Adopting a general policy goal of “zero-loss” of County-owned natural lands.
Developing a new GIS-based environmental review process to protect significant individual natural resources on County-owned open space.
Establishing a single, specialized management unit to manage Arlington’s natural resources.
Establishing a new administrative category of County-owned open space, or Natural Resource Conservation Areas (NRCA).
Developing an individual natural resources management plan for each County-owned park designated as a Natural Resource Conservation Area, or containing NRCAs.
The Board voted 5-0 to approve the plan.
To read more about the plan, visit the County’s website.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
The federal government is driving demand for office space, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s annual report on federal real estate procurement.
US Capitol Dome
In Washington, D.C., the federal government will require more than 5 million square feet of new office space by the end of 2010. That is more than both public and private entities combined will require elsewhere in the United States.
"I’d say it would make sense for brokers to be targeting federal agencies rather than private agencies," says Scott Homa, senior market research analyst at Jones Lang LaSalle.
Source: GlobeSt.com, Robert Carr (03/31/2010)
Alexandria Residents To Benefit From Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Residents in Alexandria who are facing financial hardship due to the coronavirus crisis can benefit from the COVID-19 Emergency Rent Relief Assistance Program recently launched by the City.
Alexandria Opens Temporary Drop Off Site For Collection Of Yard Waste
Reisdents of Alexandria will now be required to drop off their yard waste at a temporary drop off site set up by the City. Due to concerns of the coronavirus the City was forced to suspend the collection of garbage as it seeks to protect employees from the risk of the virus.
Amazon Makes Donation To Alexandria And Greater Washington In Fight Against COVID-19
Amazon has provided assistance to the City of Alexandria and the Greater Washington area through a monetary donation of $1mil. The $1 million donation will aid in the emergency COVID-19 response funds which will benefit four local community foundations.
Increase in Real Estate Tax To Be Approved By Alexandria City Council
The Alexandria City Council has voted for a real estate tax rate increase to $1.155 per $100 of assessed value from the current $1.13 which would represent an increase of 2.5 cent.
Alexandria is an independent city (Virginia cities have no county affiliation), which derives its governing authority from a charter granted by the Virginia General
Assembly. Changes in the structure and powers of the City government are made by amending the Charter. This requires action by the General Assembly, usually upon the request of the City Council, following public hearings. The present City Charter was granted in 1950; it was amended extensively in 1968, 1971, 1976, 1982, and 1983. By referendum in 1921, an overwhelming majority of the voters approved the adoption of the council-manager form of city government, which went into effect in September 1922. This form of government centralizes legislative authority and responsibility in the elected City Council.
Administrative authority and responsibility are held by the City Manager, who is appointed by the City Council. The City Council is composed of a Mayor and six Council members who are elected at-large for three-year terms. Any in-term vacancy is filled by a special election unless the vacancy occurs within six months of the end of the term, at which time a judicial appointment is made. The Mayor, who is chosen on a separate ballot, presides over meetings of the Council and serves as the ceremonial head of government. The Mayor does not have the power to veto Council action. Council members traditionally choose the person receiving the most votes in the election to serve as Vice Mayor. In the absence or disability of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor performs the mayoral duties. The Mayor receives a salary of $30,500, and other Council members receive a salary of $27,500 per year.
Council determines the needs to be addressed and the degree of service to be
provided by the administrative branch of the City government. Under Alexandria's Charter, the Council has power to:
About the Author --- Aubrey Nesbitt is a native of Northern Virginia who attended Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a veteran of the US Army and helps his family business by providing informational articles like this one. In addition to photography and blogging, Aubrey provides administrative support for the office.
.jpg)
