Councilwoman Alicia Hughes has taken a job at the University of Delaware, but said it wont affect her responsibilities as an Alexandria City Council member. 
    
I would like to, for the benefit of the public and my colleagues, advise that I have taken a new position as the associate director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and I am quite pleased with the position, she told her colleagues Saturday at a public hearing.
    
She publicly announced the new position because quite a bit of buzz has been generated in the community as to whether I am still a member of the Alexandria City Council, Hughes said.
    
I would like to offer my congratulations to Ms. Hughes on her new position and albeit located in Delaware, I hope that you will be able to carry on the workload of the council because it does require seven members, Vice Mayor Kerry Donley said. 
    
Hughes has held her new position for a month, she said, and missed a council meeting last week. The Delaware Biotechnology Institute is a little over two hours from Alexandria by car.
    
And also, for those that have the belief that I will be resigning my position or relocating to another state, I think that that is wishful thinking at best and speculative conjecture at worst. I will continue to serve for this term as a member of the Alexandria City Council, Hughes said.