Councilman Frank Fannon IV

4th Annual "Alexandrians Have a Heart" Valentine's Weekend Clothing and Canned Food Drive

2012-02-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

Councilman Frank Fannon Hosts 4^th Annual “Alexandrians Have a Heart” Valentine’s Weekend Clothing and Canned Food Drive

Benefit to be held Saturday February 11^th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

(Alexandria, VA) - Alexandria City Councilman Frank Fannon is hosting his 4^th Annual “Alexandrians Have a Heart” Valentine’s Weekend Clothing and Canned Food Drive to help Alexandrians in need throughout the community.

The benefit will be held in the parking lot located at 225 South Henry Street in Old Town behind the Suntrust Mortgage building. Please bring your clothing and food donations to support Alexandria’s local charities. Donations will go to Christ House, Carpenter’s Shelter and ALIVE Food Bank.

“I hope my fellow citizens of Alexandria will join me in contributing serviceable clothing and canned food for our city’s less fortunate,” said Fannon. “During these challenging economic times, it is important that we remember those members of our community who are in need of assistance,” Fannon added.

This will also be a great opportunity for citizens to discuss City issues with Councilman Fannon. Coffee and donuts will be provided.

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For more information, please contact John O'Neal at 703-927-0846.

Paid and Authorized by Friends of Fannon

2012-01-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

January, 2012

Alexandria Waterfront Plan

As many of you know, the City Council recently voted on the rezoning of the Alexandria Waterfront. We were asked to vote on a Masterplan amendment that increased the density and uses of several key parcels of real estate along the Potomac River. On January 21st, after more than 11 hours of public testimony from well over 100 citizens and business leaders, the Waterfront Plan was passed by a 5-2 vote. I was one of the two dissenting votes. The proposed plan had many positive aspects regarding economic development and job growth, but it also had numerous negative elements.

I had several concerns. The plan lacked details on parking, traffic flow, and flood control, and the true economic costs remained unanswered as we were to vote on fundamentally transforming Alexandria's waterfront. Additionally, there has been a tremendous amount of concern from our community about the detrimental impact of overdevelopment on our city's historic waterfront and its fragile infrastructure. The final plan endorsed the seizure of private property through eminent domain as an option. I have voted against eminent domain in the past, and I encourage the Virginia General Assembly to pass stronger laws this session to protect the rights of property owners.

I am a proponent of an improved waterfront for Alexandria. It is important that the City and developers work together on specific proffers for each parcel and assess proposals individually, piece by piece as we move forward. It is essential that we have a complete and thorough understanding of what the impact on the community and the environment will be before proceeding.

I would like to thank the Waterfront Work Group that was assembled by the Mayor and City Council this past June. The Work Group consisted of 7 citizen members who spent over 60 hours and 15 meetings reviewing, commenting and making changes to the plan. In the end, 4 members supported the plan and 3 were opposed. I have received hundreds of letters, emails and phone calls from supporters on both sides of the issue, and it was encouraging to see Democracy at work. I also commend the two advocacy groups that were created and saw the two sides of this challenging decision that the Council had to make. Now that the plan has passed, we need to come together and move forward for what is best for our community.

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November, 2011

2011-11-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Election Day, 2011

Early November is now upon us, which means election day is approaching on Tuesday. Americans will have the right to vote in local and state elections. While voting is often recognized as a fundamental human right, millions of individuals around the world do not have the opportunity that we have in America.

In Alexandria we have contested races for the Virginia State Senate and the Clerk of Court. Take time on Tuesday November 8th to head to the polls and select the candidate of your choice to represent you.

Budget Discussions in Progress

The next City budget will not be voted on for another six months. However, discussions on the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget are well underway. Currently, the City operates on a $566 million annual budget. Over the past few years, changes have continued to be made to ensure the long-term fiscal health of Alexandria. Three of the major budget expenses exist. First, the Alexandria City Public School System operation costs are at $175 million. Second, salaries and benefits of City employees total around $257 million. Finally, debt service totals around $43 million. All of these costs can be lowered. It is essential that more resources are focused on individual teachers in the classrooms rather than management and consultants in the school system.

To help reduce costs, City employees will be increasing their contributions to 20 percent next year towards healthcare, and new employees will contribute 4 percent of their income towards their pensions. The turnover rate in the City of Alexandria is about 7 percent per year, which equals around 175 positions annually. These positions will be reevaluated before being filled to make sure that the most cost-effective decisions are made. Additionally, major projects throughout the City of Alexandria that were approved in the mid-2000's, such as the Charles Houston Recreation Center, a new high school, and the police station, have increased the debt services cost. Due to low interest rates, some of the bond services can be refinanced. Besides the West Eisenhower Fire Station, there are not many new projects in the pipeline for the City.

This week we have asked the City departments to present a cost reduction list of six percent of their budget for consideration. This will equate to $20 million in potential expense reductions that will be discussed in coming meetings.

We are all stakeholders here in the City of Alexandria, and it is important that we continue to monitor and improve the organization each and every year.

As your Councilman, I need your feedback and thoughts. Have a great November.

October 11, 2011

2011-10-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting of the Virginia Municipal League in Henrico County, Virginia. The VML is a bipartisan organization established in 1905 that brings together local elected leaders from all over the Commonwealth to represent the interests of local governments.

Virginia has just under 8 million residents according to the 2010 Census and is the 12th most populated state in the country. Two of the leading issues the VML is addressing to the General Assembly deal with transportation and finance. Over the next 25 years Virginia is expected to have over $65 million in transportation needs, and these should be viewed as a statewide issue, not a regional, urban or rural one. Northern Virginia is the economic engine of the state, and a greater portion of state money needs to go to highly populated areas to reduce gridlock. I believe the state should not shift its funding responsibilities to localities.

The General Assembly has permitted municipalities in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia to charge an inequitable Commercial Add-On Tax to commercial and industrial properties to pay for transportation. I advocated against this tax in Alexandria and am glad that it was defeated in our last budget session. I will continue to advocate for more state money to support our growing transportation needs.

Virginia is a fiscally well-managed state. However, local municipalities have many unfunded or inadequately funded mandates from the state. The Governor has assembled the Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review, which will identify unnecessary state mandates that are required of the local jurisdictions. State-initiated services and programs should be funded by the state and not rely on local funds to supplant state dollars. Fifty-seven percent of Alexandria's Annual Budget of $566 million is generated by the local real estate tax.

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Voting Trends in Virginia

Virginia is a balanced state in terms of its representation by both Republicans and Democrats. In local elections throughout Virginia, 80 percent of Mayoral and City Council races include candidates who do not identify with a political party. Additionally, Independent voters have become the largest block of voters on a national level. Currently, 40 percent of voters consider themselves Independent, whereas 30 percent consistently identify as Republicans and 30 percent consistently identify themselves as Democrats. Studies show that voters prefer and sincerely want balanced government in addition to fiscal restraint from their elected leaders.

Currently, the Commonwealth has a Republican Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. In the Virginia General Assembly, the Senate is controlled by Democrats while the House of Delegates is controlled by Republicans. At the federal level, Virginia voted Democratic in the 2008 Presidential election. The two U.S. Senators from Virginia are Democrats, and eight out of Virginia's eleven members of the U.S. House of Representatives are Republicans. Virginia is considered one of the nine swing states that could go either Republican or Democratic for 2012 along with New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and Nevada. The Independent voter in Virginia will play a large role in determining who will win the Presidential election in 2012.

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2011-09-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

September, 2011

Mirant-GenOn Closing Update

Last week the GenOn power plant in north Old Town announced their intention to cease operations in October 2012. As many of you know, in 2008 the City of Alexandria and Mirant-GenOn reached a mutual agreement for facility improvements of up to $34 million over the coming decade to comply with enhanced environmental standards and upcoming EPA requirements.

Mirant's recent merger with GenOn grew the number of power plants GenOn owns in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Alexandria plant consistently operates at 15-20 percent of capacity. After reviewing their business model and operating costs, GenOn made an economic decision not to invest the remaining $32 million into an aging power plant.

In an agreement reached early last week, the City Council will release the $32 million held in escrow for plant improvements back to GenOn upon their closing of the plant. This agreement was a win-win for GenOn and the City of Alexandria. GenOn will be able to reinvest their capital into other projects, and Alexandria will have approximately 25 acres of prime real estate that will be developed over the next decade.

To read the press release and for more details on the plant's closure, click here.

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Landmark Redevelopment

After many years of a discussion into the redevelopment of Landmark Mall, it appears the private property owners are eager to get started. The 51 acres in the Landmark Mall area are owned by 3 different entities - Sears, Macy's and the Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC), which is an affiliate of General Growth. HHC has done infill redevelopment projects all over the country and is now focused on the prime location at I-395 and Duke Street.

The potential vision is for a pedestrian friendly redevelopment of housing, retail, restaurants and office space for the area. This would also be an ideal location for a convention center minutes away from Washington, DC. All three private entities will need to work together for the best results for themselves and the Alexandria community. Look for more discussion of the early stages of planning coming forward in the near future.

2011-05-04T07:39:00.001-07:00

FANNON LETTER TO THE EDITOR

FY 2012 Budget

By Frank H. Fannon IV, Alexandria City Council

May 2, 2011

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Alexandria City Council's FY 2012 budget season came to an end on May 2^ndwhen the budget was adopted by a unanimous 7-0 vote without the controversial, additional tax for commercial properties. This consensus did not come without compromise, and during this budget season, there was a tremendous amount of give and take to reach a budget with a unanimous vote.The add-on tax for commercial properties, funding for schools, and pension adjustments were the three major topics of discussion.

I am pleased to say that the solution for our continuing transportation challenges does not impose an additional burden exclusively on our business community in these fragile economic times. I advocated strongly for not creating a special tax district on commercial and industrial properties, and not imposing this tax was instrumental in my support of the overall budget. Citizens and business owners voiced their concerns about this inequitable tax, and after much debate, the Council listened. Over $10 million a year has been budgeted through the general fund for necessary projects that will support our growing city's transportation needs.

Another major challenge we faced in the budget this year is the growing enrollment in City schools. Currently, 24,000 youth under the age of 18 live in the City, which accounts for 17 percent of our population. Two existing elementary schools approaching 50 years old were approved for major renovations in the budget.

The majority of the Council was not in favor of making any modifications to the pension plans of current City employees. However, I am hopeful the newly appointed Ad-Hoc Pension Advisory Committee will bring proposals forward that are in-line with private sector retirement plans. I am committed to maintaining fiscal responsibility while continuing to offer competitive benefits to City employees.

Some of Alexandria's greatest needs will be served through this budget. We have successfully provided funding for long-term needs, such as education and public safety, while also addressing the urgency of transportation funding without burdening our City's job-creators and harming economic growth. It has been a pleasure working with my fellow City Council members to find solutions to these challenges and keep Alexandria moving forward.

Frank H. Fannon IV

Alexandria City Council

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2011-03-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

FANNON LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Proposed new Add-On tax a detriment to our economic growth

By Frank H. Fannon, IV, Alexandria City Council
February 28, 2011

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The Alexandria City Council held a budget work session recently to discuss the potential implementation of an additional real estate tax for the 2,700 commercial properties in Alexandria to fund local transportation projects.

The proposal would result in the average commercial property paying an additional $6,000 a year in taxes if the maximum additional tax of 12.5 cents per $100 of assessed value was levied. The maximum tax increase would cost businesses over $12 million in the next year.

The question facing the City Council is should the tax be implemented and what projects need to be funded at this time.

After the budget hearing it became very clear to me that there are not any urgent projects at present that need to be funded with local money (Note: West End BRAC projects will be funded with Federal and State money). One of the lead projects on the list is to spend $21 million over the next two years for an entrance on the north side of the Eisenhower Avenue metro station, currently the entrance is only on the southside. This is a far cry from an urgent project.

Last month the council learned of an unused $11.5 million available from state urban funds - monies that could be used immediately for local transportation projects. This is roughly equal to the amount the new tax would generate this year.

In this most challenging economy of our lifetime, where we have seen the worst job losses in 70 years, now is not the time to increase the tax burden, on anyone. The financial tsunami of the past few years has touched the lives of every American.
The commercial vacancy rate is improving in Alexandria but is still over 10%. An additional tax on commercial properties will result in higher vacancies due to the fact that many leases have the taxes and insurance passed on to many cash-strapped tenants. Job losses will result when business are faced with the mandate of higher taxes or the option of keeping an employee.

Alexandria’s business community is unique and is comprised of many small businesses. Eighty percent of the businesses have less than 20 employees. Our city needs to promote an environment where businesses can flourish. It is up to the Council to put the correct policies in place that will promote entrepreneurship and make Alexandria a desirable locality for business to locate. Other jurisdictions in our region have implemented this onerous Add-On tax, but rather than copying them, we should use this instead as a recruitment advantage.

A positive budget proposal on the table is to reduce the business taxes for companies that gross less than $750,000. This would generate savings of $1.6 million for over two thousand of our businesses and free up capital that owners can reinvest in their enterprises.

Profitable businesses contribute to the health and vibrancy of our community and help take the financial burden off of homeowners.

The budget public hearing is on March 7th at 4:00 pm at City Hall. This is an opportunity for the City Council to hear your thoughts on all budget-related matters.

As for the Add-on tax, I think reasonable minds can appreciate that folks can continue to cross Eisenhower Avenue to ride the metro as opposed to our business community being additionally taxed to fund this project and others like it.

Frank Fannon
Frank H. Fannon, IV
Alexandria City Council

2011-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

2011-01-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Save the Date!

February 4 – Reagan Centennial Celebration

The City of Alexandria will be hosting its own celebration of the centennial of President Ronald Reagan's birth on Friday, February 4th with a special event scheduled at 12 p.m. held in the City Council Chambers in City Hall (301 King St.). Former Virginia Senator George Allen will deliver the keynote speech. There will also be other speakers who served in President Reagan's administration.

2010-11-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

Council News

Parking Meter Rates

The decision by the City Council to adopt an increase of the parking meter rates in Old Town in the 2011 budget created a strong backlash in our community especially among businesses along King Street. This is why the Council looked at the issue during its first meeting back from its summer recess, as well as held a work session with city staff to cover a variety of parking issues in Old Town as well. During the last City Council meeting I made the motion to roll back the meter rates to $1.25 until new multispace meters are installed sometime in April of 2011. I thought that this rate was the best comprise and would hopefully mean that citizens would not have to carry quite as many quarters with them when parking in Old Town until the new meters are installed. As I have said before, I think that the Council acted too hastily in raising these rates without fully realizing the repercussions, but I think that we were able to quickly address concerns that were raised.

Food Cart Pilot Project in Market Square

The Council during its last legislative meeting in October approved a pilot project which will allow King Street restaurants to operate food carts in Market Square during the spring and summer months in 2011. The carts would operate Sunday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 1 p.m. (after the farmer's market) to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The program would be limited to up to 8 participating restaurants. The City will also provide tables and chairs for patrons of the carts to enjoy in Market Square. There are strict rules for cleanliness as well as rules guiding the signage restaurants may use on their carts and elsewhere. I think this program will be great opportunity for local restaurants to provide a quick lunch or dinner to those working or shopping in the Old Town area. The area near Market Square to the waterfront offers a number of restaurant choices but does not offer many quick service food options. It will also allow people to enjoy Market Square during the afternoon and evening. I hope this program is a success but rest assured the City Council will have the ability to monitor the program as it proceeds and that this is only a pilot project.

Torpedo Factory

The issue of governance at the Torpedo Factory, particularly the composition of the new governance board, has been a major concern in the community over the past several months. I think that the compromise reached and passed at our last meeting was a good one. I thought that it was important that there be a diversity of opinion on any new board governing the Torpedo Factory. These would be people in our community that would bring forward different perspectives as well as expertise while also having the best interests of the Torpedo Factory at heart. Alexandria has become a great destination in this country for art and it should stay that way. My primary concern was that someone from Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association who could represent tourism had a seat at the table as well as the City Manager's office who is responsible for the building itself. On the other hand, I recognized the sentiment of some in the community and supported equaling the interests on the board with those of the artists. I want the Torpedo Factory to continue to be successful and the anchor of the waterfront. I believe that this new governance serves to enhance the Torpedo Factory and will hopefully make it more successful than it already is today.

2010-10-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Article About My Participation in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon

I had the opportunity to run in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon the other weekend.

You can find out more about how I did in a recent article by the Alexandria Gazette Packet: http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=344817&paper=59&cat=104

2010-08-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

Recent Interview and Article Regarding Financial Reform

I recently had the chance to share some of my thoughts on the current state of the economy and financial reform with AlexandriaNews.org.

You can find the full article here: http://www.alexandrianews.org/2010/08/financial-reform-harder-to-buy-sell-lend/

2010-07-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Keeping City Personnel Costs Down

The City Council at its last meeting in June adopted a resolution that would require each new City employees to contribute 4% of their salary to their Virginia Retirement System (VRS) pension. The move was inline with legislation passed by the General Assembly during their recent session. The legislation allowed localities to require new employees to contribute up to 5% of their salary to their VRS pension. I was a strong proponent of this action and was the one who brought it to the attention of the Council and it was approved on 5-1 vote. Although the Council did not support the full 5% allowed by the General Assembly, I was still glad that we took this action. The ever increasing costs of employee pensions has proven to be a major fiscal issue in many states and a municipalities across the country. Although Alexandria is in a better fiscal situation than many in terms of its pension system, the increasing costs still must be addressed. This is a small step, but will save the City over $175,000 in the coming year. More importantly, it is a long-term strategy to improve the financial sustainability of our City's personnel costs. I hope to work with my colleagues again in the future to continue to take actions that ensure a better financial future for Alexandria.

2010-07-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Potomac Yard Redevelopment

Potomac Yard has the potential of being one of the most desirable business and residential communities in the country and we're on our way to making that a reality. Recently the City Council approved the rezoning of Potomac Yard for development of 7.5 million square feet of retail, residential and commercial space.

In 1997, 600,000 square feet of retail space opened at the historic rail yard. The rezoning today commences a 15-25 year build out with the first phase of 2.25 million square feet of retail/residential space. Construction will begin as early as next year with initial occupancy taking place in 2013.

The Metro station is a critical piece of the redevelopment plan because of the anticipated high density of this project. The final decision to begin construction of the approximate $250 million metro station will not take place until 2014. At that time we will have the opportunity to evaluate the economic situation and judge the success of the first phase of development.

The plan also takes into consideration the need for relieving traffic congestion and includes the construction of Potomac Avenue. The new road will consist of four lanes with a two-lane transit way in the middle to support bus or light rail. Potomac Avenue will run from the Monroe Avenue bridge and connect to Crystal City to relieve traffic along Jefferson Davis Highway-US Route 1.

As the plan proceeds, the retail shopping center presently located at Potomac Yard will be replaced by mixed use retail and residential development. Many of the stores will likely remain open during development including Target which has a lease through 2017. This store and others may be transitioned to the new retail space as it is completed.

A major factor of any development project is financing. This project must be self-sustainable. Revenue will be derived through the use of special tax districts, a tax premium on new properties, and developer contributions. I do not support special tax districts being applied to existing properties where the home owners have purchased in a neighborhood without the advance notice of the tax premium.

The developer of Potomac Yard has agreed to the special tax districts of all new development and a $32 million contribution toward the new metro station. Potomac Yard is a prime location with the potential of being one Metro stop away from Reagan National Airport. Upon completion of 7.5 million square feet of development, it is projected to contribute 13% of Alexandria's real estate tax base in the future. This public-private partnership represents unlimited job growth potential and other economic opportunities for Alexandria.

More detailed information can be found on the City's website here: http://alexandriava.gov/PotomacYard.

2010-05-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

Budget Recap

The Alexandria City Council voted on May 3rd to adopt a budget for next year without my vote. But I was justified in my dissenting vote. I was elected by Alexandrians to provide a different voice that has not been present on the Council for several years. I came into this process with a sense of optimism and a willingness to work with my colleagues. In the end, as I made clear throughout the process, I could not support a budget that increased the City's spending over last year while also raising taxes and increasing personnel costs.

In February the City Manager presented his budget of $534 million, which was $4 million more than last year's budget of $530 million. I became concerned about the increase in spending and additional taxes to Alexandrians in the most challenging economic environment of our lifetimes.

With federal income taxes certain to increase in the near future, it is important that we as local leaders do everything we can to protect your prosperity on a local level. If you have a family, a job or are part of the 57 percent of Americans that pay federal income taxes, your opportunities and freedoms are being taken away every time government expands.

This is the first City budget process I have participated in, and it is has not been an easy task. However, I was very clear throughout the budget process that I will not go to the taxpayers and say that I voted for a budget that does all three of the following: (1) increases the City's spending over last year; (2) raises taxes; and (3) increases the City's personnel costs. Without my colleagues willing to compromise on just one of these three important issues to the citizens of Alexandria, I was forced to vote against the budget.

My vote against this budget is not a vote against the core services provided by the City. But it is a vote against a lack of compromise. I look forward to continuing to serve the fine citizens of Alexandria in the years to come. I hope the Council can come to a consensus next year and adopt a unanimous budget inline with the goal of One Alexandria.