Virginia Politics Blog Archive: Christy Goodman
Alexandria council votes to create transportation tax, allow increase in property tax rate
The Alexandria City Council voted to advertise higher real property tax rates and a new transportation tax for commercial properties at Saturday's meeting. The council voted 5 to 2 for a rate of $1 per $100 of a property's assessed value, a 2.2-cent increase over City Manager James K. Hartmann's proposed rate. Council members Alicia Hughes (I) and Frank H. Fannon IV (R) opposed the measure.Hartmann's proposed fiscal 2012 budget would lead to about a $16 increase in the average homeowner's tax bill, totaling about $4,395 for a $449,400 property. The council's tax rate would increase the average homeowner's bill by about $100.The council also approved a rate of 12.5 cents per $100 of a commercial property's assessed value that would be dedicated toward new transportation projects.By law, a locality may not pass a tax rate higher than what is advertised but may pass a lower rate....
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Christy Goodman
| March 12, 2011; 3:57 PM ET |
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Alexandria, Christy Goodman
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Guilty plea in Arlington voter fraud case
William Cockerham pleaded guilty to voter fraud Wednesday in Arlington Circuit court. Cockerham and Cheryl Simmons were indicted in December for voter fraud. Both were hired to collect petition signatures in a failed effort to change Arlington's form of government. Virginia law requires that each signature collected is witnessed by a person who can vote or register to vote. Cockerham signed off on petitions that he did not circulate and is a convicted felon, making him ineligible to vote in Virginia, said Richard E. Trodden, the commonwealth's attorney, in his proffer of evidence. Cockerham was hired by Shawn Wilmoth, president of Signature Masters, who was contracted to train local residents to collect 12,000 signatures. Cockerham agreed to be paid $2 per signature. Cockerham went with Wilmoth to notarize 58 petition pages June 28, Trodden said. "Approximately four of these sheets contained voter signatures that the defendant had obtained himself. Some...
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Christy Goodman
| February 17, 2011; 5:18 PM ET |
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!Elections, Arlington County, Christy Goodman
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Alexandria removes breastfeeding from indecent-exposure law
Breastfeeding mothers no longer will feel more comfortable feeding their child in public places in Alexandria. The Alexandria City Council unanimously amended their indecent-exposure ordinance Saturday to exclude breastfeeding. The council plans to pass a special proclamation later this month. "In our efforts to be a more family friendly community, we have to take on all aspects of what that means, including doing right by moms," said Council member Rob Krupicka, who originally proposed the amendment. The council member said the city should work on public education, because many businesses do not allow breastfeeding and studies have proved that public health-care costs rise for both mother and child if they do not breastfeed....
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Christy Goodman
| February 12, 2011; 2:13 PM ET |
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Alexandria, Christy Goodman
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New commercial transportation tax, less school construction money proposed in Alexandria
Alexandria City Manager James K. Hartmann proposed a $553.4 million budget Tuesday night to the City Council that includes a transportation add-on tax for commercial properties but no new fees, taxes or service reductions for residents.
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Christy Goodman
| February 8, 2011; 7:00 PM ET |
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Alexandria, Budget, Christy Goodman, Transportation
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Alexandria city manager will step down
James K. Hartmann, Alexandria's city manager for the past six years, announced his resignation Monday afternoon. Hartmann said he wants to pursue other job opportunities, including a county manager position in Seminole County, Fla. "I was ready to pursue other career challenges and ... because it will be a very open environment, I thought it was best to close out this chapter as I'm building the next one," Hartmann said. After eight years in the U.S. Coast Guard, Hartmann worked in Orange County, Fla., for 13 years. His wife is originally from Orlando. Hartmann has previously worked as a county administrator in Eagle County, Colo., and Spartanburg County, S.C. He informed the city council and mayor of his intentions at the Jan. 25 meeting. His official resignation came Monday. The initial announcement "came as a total surprise and shock to all of us," said Mayor William D. Euille, who said...
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Christy Goodman
| January 31, 2011; 5:04 PM ET |
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Alexandria, Christy Goodman
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Del. Hugo holding up Arlington funding over HOT lanes suit
Del. Timothy D. Hugo (R-Fairfax) is holding up about $1 million in potential tourism dollars for Arlington because of the county's HOT lanes lawsuit, in particular because the county is suing federal and state officials as private citizens, he said. A bill, sponsored by Del. Robert H. Brink (D-Arlington), which would renew an existing surcharge paid by Arlington hotel guests is sitting in Hugo's finance subcommittee, as was first reported on Not Larry Sabato. The county has reportedly spent more than $1 million on a federal lawsuit filed in 2009 against both federal and state Departments of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and top officials at the time, including Pierce Homer, a former Virginia secretary of transportation. The suit alleges that the agencies did not fully evaluate the environmental impacts to the communities surrounding the project on I-95/I-395. "If they have so much money to spend on frivolous, intimidating, abusive...
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Christy Goodman
| January 25, 2011; 3:47 PM ET |
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Arlington County, Christy Goodman, Fredrick Kunkle, General Assembly, Transportation
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