Mayor Levar M. Stoney will be hosting community town hall meetings over the coming weeks to discuss his proposed FY2020 budget. The mayor presented his fully balanced budget to Richmond City Council on Wednesday, March 6, which includes an investment of $18.5 million for Richmond Public Schools, $16.2 million for roads and sidewalks, $2.9 million for affordable housing, an additional $965,000 for increased GRTC service and $485,000 in funding for eviction diversion.

Click here to view the presentation shown at each meeting.
Below are the scheduled Town Hall meetings:

Thursday, March 21
7 – 8:30 p.m.
Southside
Southside Community Center
6335 Old Warwick Rd.

Wednesday, March 27
6:30 – 8 p.m.
West End
Thomas Jefferson High School
4100 W. Grace St.

Tuesday, April 2
6:30 – 8 p.m.
Northside
Northside Family YMCA
4207 Old Brook Rd.
For more information, please contact Tameka Jefferson at Tameka.Jefferson@richmondgov.com or call (804) 646-6936.
 

The City Treasurer’s Office is proud to announce the Inaugural Financial Literacy Fair to be held on Friday, April 5, 2019 from 10 am – 3:30 pm in the lobby of City Hall.  Richmond city residents can earn chances at prizes by attending workshops on budgeting, savings and banking 101.  Financial counselors will also be available during the fair to talk through questions and issues individually with attendees.

The event will include remarks from the Mayor, Treasurer and other city officials. City Departments, GRTC and other organizations will have tables making information and resources available to give participants confidence in their financial decisions.

The purpose of this fair is to empower the citizens of Richmond to take more control of their finances and begin the initial steps needed to build personal wealth. The mission of the Richmond City Treasurer's Office is to inspire, encourage, and pursue the high possibilities of potential in others through the elimination of financial barriers by taking "Small Steps for Big Change." This literacy fair is one step toward positive change and hope you will take part.

For more information please contact Kimberly Morris at (804)646-6474 or Treasurer@richmondgov.com

Dear Richmond Resident, 

We want to hear from YOU! We would greatly appreciate you taking the time to participate in this 5-minute survey. The Richmond Office of Emergency Management is conducting a brief survey to assess the Richmond City residents' preparedness in the case of an emergency. 

We are asking you to provide information on your emergency preparedness education and awareness as well as how prepared you or your family are in the case of an emergency. The data collected from this survey will be used to create additional public outreach, but personal information will remain confidential. 

To take the survey, click here

Thank you for your time.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Richmond Office of Emergency Management at askemergencymgmt@richmondgov.com or (804) 646-2500.

Estimado(a) residente de Richmond, 

¡Queremos escuchar su opinión! Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para participar en esta encuesta de 5 minutos. La Oficina de Manejo de Emergencias de Richmond está realizando una breve encuesta para evaluar la preparación de los residentes de la Ciudad de Richmond en caso de una emergencia.

Le pedimos que brinde información sobre su educación y conocimiento sobre la preparación para emergencias, y sobre qué tan preparados están usted o su familia en caso de una emergencia. Los datos recopilados en esta encuesta se utilizarán para crear una mayor difusión pública, pero la información personal se mantendrá confidencial.

Para realizar la encuesta, haga clic aquí.

¡Gracias por su tiempo!

Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes, comuníquese con la Oficina de Asuntos Multiculturales de Richmond en llamando al (804) 646-0145.

On Thursday, March 21, the city is adding 20 new battery operated pedelec bikes to its RVA Bike Share fleet. These electric-assist e-bikes are designed to make it easier to climb hills and endure long rides. This will enable those who were previously unable to use the current 8-speed bikes to also use the bike share service.

The pedelec bikes will be docked at current RVA Bike Share stations, but are identified by a yellow lightning bolt. Riders will be able to unlock the bikes using their RVA Bike Share key fob or from the RVA Bikes application. The motor automatically turns on once the rider starts pedaling. The bikes can reach speeds up to a safe 12 mph. The motor stops when the rider stops pedaling or uses the brake.

RVA Bike Share was implemented in summer 2017. It currently has 220 bikes at 16 docking stations. In February the city began electrifying docking stations and converting the existing 8-speed bikes to make them pedal-assist. Eventually the entire fleet will have pedal assist capability.

To learn more about RVA Bike Share and the app, visit RVABikes.com 
We’re social! For updates on DPW-related projects, activities and events visit us on Twitter @DPW_RichmondVA 

Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will discuss how local leaders can tackle critical social issues including racism and racial disparities, the history and symbolism of monuments and how to chart a path toward dismantling inequities. Julian Hayter, historian, author and associate professor of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, will serve as moderator.

The event will be held Tuesday, March 19, 2019 from 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, located at 428 N. Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220. Doors will open at 9 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Members of the public can rsvp to info@unumfund.org.

“It’s imperative we have the tough conversations about the history of racism and systemic inequities that continue to harm our communities,” said Mayor Stoney. “Historically marginalized communities — primarily low-income neighborhoods and communities of color —continue to feel the burden of a Jim Crow-era system in every facet of society, including in education, housing, transportation, economic development and health. Each of us share in the responsibility to speak honestly and work boldly to undo historic wrongs and give our children, families, and communities their due opportunity to thrive. I am excited to welcome former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to Richmond to engage in this critical dialogue with our community.”

Landrieu will be visiting Richmond with his E Pluribus Unum initiative, which is bringing people together across the American South around issues of race, equity and economic opportunity.

“As Virginia honors the four hundredth anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans, the country must reckon with its tumultuous past and the institutional racism that shapes us today,” said former Mayor Landrieu. “Growing up in the South and having dealt with the issues of equity, poverty, and violence in New Orleans, I strongly believe the time has come for America to have a national conversation about race. I’m honored to be coming to Richmond and excited to speak with Mayor Stoney about how our two cities can learn from each other as we seek to improve our communities.”

Landrieu and his team are traveling across the South with the goal of listening to local leaders and residents in order to learn about their concerns, hopes and efforts around the movement to create more equitable communities. They are convening community members in nearly a dozen cities and towns, visiting each state across the south to listen and learn, exploring how these issues are playing out in these communities and how local organizations are working together to address them. Following this phase, E Pluribus Unum will develop programs and initiatives seeking to bring people of different races and backgrounds together around their shared values.

For more information about this mayor-to-mayor initiative, please contact Osita Iroegbu at Osita.Iroegbu@richmondgov.com or (804) 646-4336.