Environmental Sustainability

Biology and conservation have always been a passion for Jimmy. Having earned a bachelors of biology from the College of William and Mary, he understand the power role municipal policy plays in protecting people, ecology and infrastructure. On Council, he will use his expertise to:

• Accelerate the City’s Energy and Climate Change Action Plan to achieve net carbon zero before 2050;

• Ensure science and data underpin City decisions and policies;

• Protect and expand the City’s mature tree canopy and green spaces;

• Mitigate residential flooding that pushes pollutants and debris into our waterways, the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay; and

• Increase on-site renewable power generation and EV-charging on City properties, apartment buildings and condominium communities.

Affordable Housing

After more than a decade trapped in the “rent cycle” and 18-months of searching, Jimmy and his husband became Alexandria homeowners in 2020. He understands that secure, affordable housing provides stability to families and allows them to invest in their future and the future of our City. As a member of City Council, Jimmy will:

• Increase the City’s stock of affordable housing, especially around public transit hubs;

• Protect and expand the City’s existing low-income housing stock, while ensuring existing housing is safe;

• Expand the existing first-time homebuyer program and improve it functionality to allow families to build generational wealth; and

• Encourage developers and public-private partnerships to increase affordable housing beyond the incentives provided by bonus density provisions.

Read James’ Alexandria Times column on improving the City’s first-time homebuyer program.

Flood Prevention

In recent years, flooding has become a major crisis in Alexandria. More frequent extreme rain events driven by climate change, fewer mature trees and insufficient infrastructure have resulted in flooded homes, property damage and community anxiety. On Council, Jimmy will prioritize flood mitigation by:

• Targeting resources to the highest-impact capacity projects with an all-of-the-above approach to reduce flooding immediately;

• Working with over-impacted communities to identify and pilot solutions for wider adoption throughout the City; and

• Creating incentives to transition large impermeable surfaces to more sustainable options that reduce runoff and allow for a more natural flow of water.

Read more about James’ plan to mitigate flooding.

Mental Health

Having lost his father to suicide, Jimmy personally understands the tragedies that a lack of mental health services creates. Unfortunately, the lack of these services has driven an increase in crime, gun violence, illegal drug usage and overdose deaths in our City. To reverse these trends and support the health of all Alexandrians, Jimmy will:

• Prioritize investments that expand access to mental health services, especially within ACPS;

• Aggressively expand access to overdose reversal medications, like narcan, and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) programs to support individuals fighting addiction; and

• Prevent individuals with mental health challenges from being criminalized and placed into the criminal justice system.

Public Safety

As the son of a volunteer firefighter/EMT and former Congressional staffer responsible for first responder issues, Jimmy knows how critical protecting public safety is to the well-being and future of our City. On Council, he will:

• Increase access to mental health resources to reduce recent strikes in crime, gun violence, drug usage and overdose deaths;

• Ensure competitive salaries and strong collective bargaining rights for our firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement; and

• Empower community members to fight back against overdose deaths through increase training and access to overdose reversal drugs, like narcan.

World-Class Public Schools

As a proud graduate of public schools, Jimmy is committed to ensuring a world-class education for all Alexandria students. Quality public education vital for our children’s and Alexandria’s future.  City Council must work with the elected School Board to assess priorities and target resources to increase equity and performance. As a member of Council, Jimmy will

• Address overcapacity with immediate and creative solutions while making necessary long-term capital investments;

• Expand ACPS’ successful and unique bilingual immersion programs;

• Empower ACPS to recruit and retain high-quality teachers through higher salaries and strong collective bargaining rights; and

• Support students, families and staff in closing lingering learn gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic,

Road Safety

As Chair of the Traffic and Parking Board and former member of the Transportation Commission, Jimmy is deeply familiar with the serious challenges of congested roads, aggressive drivers, dangerous intersections, missing sidewalks and cut-through traffic facing our City. On Council, he will

• Use the annual vehicle tax notice program to educate drivers of safety related to pedestrians and bicyclists;

• Increase the City’s focus on pedestrian safety to prevent tragedies;

• Manage congestion, especially along main roads, to reduce travel times for all users, regardless of mode; and

• Retain a robust transit and multi-modal network to create viable and efficient alternatives to driving.

Fostering Business Success

As a small business owner and Vice President of the West End Business Association (WEBA,) Jimmy is committed to a strong, diverse and robust business community in Alexandria. On Council, Jimmy will:

• Advocate with state leaders for greater authority to prioritize local businesses for City contracts, especially businesses owned by people of color, women and veterans;

• Pilot incubator programs that foster the next generation of Alexandria businesses and create collaboration;

• Ensure affordable housing so businesses can recruit and retain workers; and

• Maintain strong support for Visit Alexandria and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP,) which generate massive return on investment.

  Read James’ OpEd on fostering small woman and minority-owned businesses