City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: FEBRUARY 5, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: ANGELA MANIGLIA TURNER, GENERAL REGISTRAR AND DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing, Second Reading and Final Passage of an ordinance to temporarily move the polling place in the George Mason School Precinct to Trinity United Methodist Church and temporarily rename the Precinct accordingly. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of an ordinance to establish Trinity United Methodist Church as a temporary replacement polling place in lieu of George Mason School and temporarily rename the precinct to Trinity with no changes to the precinct boundaries, through the period of construction at George Mason School.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council pass on first reading and set for public hearing, second reading, and final passage on February 22, 2025, an ordinance (Attachment 2) to establish Trinity United Methodist Church (2911 Cameron Mills Road) as a polling place in lieu of the George Mason School and rename the George Mason School Precinct to Trinity Precinct, through the period of construction at George Mason School.
BACKGROUND: The Alexandria Electoral Board, which is a bipartisan board comprised of three members who are appointed by the Alexandria Circuit Court for staggered three-year terms, is responsible for making recommendations to City Council concerning changes in precinct boundaries, polling places, and establishing new precincts. The City Council has the statutory authority to make these changes.
On January 13, 2025, the Alexandria Electoral Board voted unanimously to recommend relocating the George Mason polling place to Trinity United Methodist Church, with no changes to the precinct boundaries. In making its recommendations to City Council, the Electoral Board was primarily concerned with ensuring that the voting location conforms to legal requirements, has suitable voting facilities and those voting facilities can be fully accessible.
George Mason Elementary school is scheduled to be renovated beginning early June 2025 through summer 2027 and will not be available to serve as a polling place. On January 10, 2025, the Board of Trustees at Trinity agreed to serve as temporary voting location. The facility is 0.3 miles away from the current voting location and has a large Fellowship Hall. To ensure ADA compliance, the office will procure a temporary ramp to ensure all voters have access to voting inside the Fellowship Hall.
TIMELINE: If the City Council approves this ordinance, it will be implemented earlier of receiving a Certification of No Objection by the Office of the Attorney General as required by § 24.2-129 of the Code of Virginia, or sixty (60) days after the Request for a Certification of No Objection is filed with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. Affected voters will be mailed updated voter information notices.
FISCAL IMPACT: Voters affected by this change will be sent notification via mail. This mailing would cost approximately $3,100. Additionally, to ensure the voting locations ADA compliance, a temporary ramp will need to be procured at a cost of approximately $5,000.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance Cover
2. Proposed Ordinance
3. Map of the Voting Districts
STAFF:
Alethea Predeoux, Deputy City Manager
Cheran Ivery, City Attorney
Shawn Lassiter, Assistant City Attorney
Morgan Routt, Director, Office of Management and Budget
Angie Maniglia Turner, General Registrar
Mark Hirschman, Elections Manager
Members of the Alexandria Electoral Board