Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney today unveiled his administration’s proposed FY2021 budget, a values-based plan consisting of an operating budget of $782.6 million-dollars and an $85 million Capital Improvement Plan. It makes historic investments in schools, roads and affordable housing, along with targeted investments in city departments aimed at improving response time for services, from tree trimming to sidewalk maintenance.
 
It also includes investments in and increased funding for efforts that lift up the most vulnerable in our community, like eviction diversion, workforce development, child and maternal health and pay parity for public defenders.
 
In his address, the mayor noted his budget is built on the four pillars of One Richmond: youth and education; housing and neighborhoods; transportation; and economic development.
 
“We have a responsibility to address the most significant challenges our community faces,” said Mayor Stoney. “I am proud of the investments we make in this budget, which will improve opportunity for our children and families, deliver quality services and lift up our most vulnerable residents.”
 
Here’s a brief overview of the FY 2021 budget highlights:
 
Schools
 
The proposed budget increases the city’s support to Richmond Public Schools (RPS) by $16 million. Combined with the 20-million-dollar increase in state education funding, the allocation will fund the next phase of the Dreams for RPS Strategic Plan.
 
This investment is consistent with the mayor’s commitment to support RPS at no less than the same proportion of real estate tax revenue allocated to RPS in the FY2020 budget.
 
The mayor also noted that with the city’s FY2020 $18 million allocation to RPS, the Richmond School Board, Superintendent Jason Kamras and his team were able to provide a three percent raise to teachers, hire 10 additional art, music and foreign language teachers, add more social workers and nurses, and purchase 10 new school buses, among other investments.
 
Over the past three years, the Stoney administration has increased funding for RPS by over $40 million.
 
Housing
 
The proposed budget centers housing, especially affordable housing, as a key city priority by:
Increasing the city’s funding of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to $3.5 million; and
Increasing funding to the Eviction Diversion Program by more than 40 percent, to $686,000.
 
Since its launch in October 2019, the Eviction Diversion Program has helped 122 families avoid eviction.
 
In order to address the challenges that those living with homelessness face, the mayor plans to submit a budget amendment to transfer $2.1 million in projected surplus funding from FY2020 to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The funding will support additional investments in eviction prevention, as recommended by the Eviction Task Force, as well as enhance the city’s capacity to invest in affordable housing opportunities and community partners’ capacity to provide homeless services.
 
Alongside the budget amendment, the administration will propose a legislative package that would include zoning changes, which would allow community partners to more quickly, effectively and permanently address the needs of the homeless community. 
 
Roads and Transit
 
The proposed budget includes:
$32 million to pave roads and maintain and grow the sidewalk network;
15 million city dollars toward paving;
15 million state dollars, made available by the passage of House Bill 1541;
$2 million for both sidewalk improvements and new sidewalk installations; and
$7.9 million from the city to GRTC to maintain existing service levels, in addition to the $25 million to support regional transit initiatives made possibly by HB 1541, which constitutes the first time the region as a whole has committed to funding transit.
 
City Services
 
The new budget prioritizes key city services based on demonstrated resident need. It will:
Support six new sidewalk maintenance and installation teams, projected to decrease the backlog for concrete sidewalks by 80% and brick sidewalks by nearly 70%;
Double the current number of urban forestry teams to six, projected to improve service completion time by 40%;
Fund salary increases and career development for police officer and firefighters; and
Fund a two percent salary increase for general employees.
 
Equity-Focused Initiatives
 
Equity remains a priority of the Stoney administration, evidenced through the following investments:
$150,000 to create a Richmond Doula Fund, to address racial disparities in maternal and child health;
$350,000 to supplement the salaries of Richmond’s public defenders, the first of a three-part, three-year commitment to support pay parity with Commonwealth’s Attorneys;
$700,000 to enable the Department of Parks and Recreation Workforce Development Program to train more than 50 returning citizens with the ultimate goal of full-time employment; and
$250,000 for the History and Culture Commission, to be used for implementing recommendations for everything from adding monuments or new street signs, to community engagement and research of historical and cultural assets.
 
The proposed budget does not impose any new taxes on Richmond’s residents. It does include modest increases in utility rates that are expected to result in an additional $5.56 on the average customer’s monthly bill.
 
“After three years, I know the only way we will get to One Richmond is by working together,” said Mayor Stoney. “So it is my hope that this year’s budget process will be a time where the leaders of this city, and the communities we all serve, can come to consensus around our shared priorities and say ‘yes,’ to growing opportunity for ALL our residents.”
 
To read the full remarks, click here. To view the presentation, click here.
 
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The City of Richmond offices will remain closed to the public from Monday, May 4 through Sunday, May 17.

The continued closure is designed to ensure the health and safety of residents, employees and the general public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Essential personnel will continue to work, and essential city services will continue. Access a list of those services here.

Please check the dedicated city webpage, linked here, for updates on the city’s response to COVID-19. Check RVAStrong for ways to get and give help.

2020 will see the formation of the city’s first Office of Children and Families and the unveiling of the city’s Affordable and Equitable Housing Strategy
 
City on track to surpass goal of 1,500 housing units by 2023 with over 1,600 completed or under construction by the end of 2020
 
10 pieces of city land to be turned into parks and recreational space to address greenspace inequity
 
By the end of February, developers and property-owners will have the option of contracting with a registered 3rdparty to perform building plan reviews and inspections

In his annual State of the City address, Mayor Stoney declared Richmond a can-do city, highlighting three years of progress and accomplishment and laying out his vision in the coming year for One Richmond investments and initiatives to make Richmond the most inclusive, equitable and competitive city in the nation.
 
“The state of our city is stronger and more competitive than it’s been in years,” the mayor said. “This is our time, our chance, our opportunity to realize our potential to work together to empower others,” he said. 
 
The mayor shared his upbringing as the son of a returning citizen who struggled to make ends meet for his family and a student who grew up on free and reduced lunch, saying he feels a duty as mayor to be a voice for the voiceless.
 
“A compassionate government must be in the business of lifting people up, not writing them off,” the mayor said during remarks at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture on Thursday.
 
“I want everyone to feel that sense of community and support here in the city of Richmond. Each and every day, we are taking positive steps to be the city we want to be.”
 
The mayor highlighted some of the many accomplishments of his administration in 2019 and over the past three years. He charted Richmond’s progress in doing the “blocking and tackling” of city services.
 
Since 2017, the city has filled 84,000 potholes, paved over 355 lane miles, repaired 4,700 alleys and placed 30 miles of sidewalks. The Department of Public Works has filled 34,000 potholes in 2019 alone and has paved 188 lane miles since July, 2019.
 
Before 2017, the city frequently filed its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) late. Since 2017, the mayor’s administration has completed every CAFR on time, and the tax collection rate has increased to 97 percent, the highest in 25 years.
 
The City of Richmond Eviction Diversion Program has prevented 76 individuals and families from losing their homes since October and are on track to meet the goal of diverting between 300 and 500 evictions within a fiscal year. After highlighting the success of the program, the mayor recognized the members of the Eviction Task Force, which is tasked with addressing the root causes of and solutions to Richmond’s housing crisis.
 
The mayor also noted the city’s plans to continue building One Richmond through initiatives in housing, investments in transportation, and steps to ensure a quality education and workforce empowerment.
 
City on track to surpass goal of 1,500 housing units under construction by the end of 2020
 
In 2018, Mayor Stoney and his administration set a goal of increasing the number of housing units that are affordable by 1,500 by the year 2023. The lofty goal was a response to the increasing demand for housing in a growing city as well as a dearth of housing suitable for vulnerable groups, namely low-income families, veterans, people living with disabilities, the elderly and teens and children living in foster care.
 
In the speech, the mayor announced that the city is on track to exceed its goal of 1,500 units, with 1,628 units completed or under construction by the end of 2020. Those units will range in area median income from 30 percent to 80 percent, ensuring a variety of affordability levels from below the poverty line to city workforce housing.
 
In the coming weeks, the city will release its Affordable and Equitable Housing Strategy. The plan will create housing opportunity for renters, homeowners, and those seeking to become homeowners through tools such as tax abatement and zoning reform, tax deferral programs for very low- and low-income homeowners and housing rehabilitation programs.
 
10 pieces of city land to be turned into parks and recreational space to address greenspace inequity
 
Parks and green space play a central role in the quality of life and livability of cities, providing recreational space, exposure to nature and protection from the heat. However, Richmond currently only uses six percent of its land for parks and recreation, compared to the national average of 15 percent. As a result, 51,000 residents of Richmond live further than a 10-minute walk to a park.
 
To address this disparity, Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, the Mayor’s Office and community partners will join forces with the ultimate goal of identifying 10 pieces of city-owned land to be converted into green spaces. In phase one of this project, the mayor’s “Green Team” will identify and design five potential parcels of land.
 
The city will partner with leading area experts such as Jeremy Hoffman, Chief Scientist at the Virginia Science Museum, to focus on areas that have proven to be disproportionately vulnerable to climate change while also applying an equity lens, prioritizing areas that have been historically overlooked.
 
Says Mayor Stoney: “We will also work closely with these communities to ensure that the green space is designed in a way that meets their needs. This will be a community effort.”
 
2020 will see the formation of the city’s first Office of Children and Families
 
Mayor Stoney announced that, in 2020, the city will launch Richmond’s first-ever Office of Children and Families, designed to establish citywide goals and evaluate and improve the services provided to children and those who care for them in the City of Richmond. The office will work in partnership with other city agencies and Richmond Public Schools to reduce redundancies and ensure that Richmond is the very best place to grow up and raise a family.
 
“My administration believes that thriving children are the product of thriving families. The Office of Children and Families will be our north star, setting direction for the entire city so that we collectively support our families and together lead our children to one destination: a happy, healthy adulthood, no matter their neighborhood or background,” said Mayor Stoney.
 
The office will be housed within the Human Services portfolio, and its director will report to the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services, Reggie Gordon. Its creation is part of a broader effort to reorganize Human Services to be more person-centered and responsive to community needs.
 
Contractors and property-owners now have the option of contracting with a third-party for permitting in the city
 
Construction investment in the city has doubled in the past 3 years to approximately $1 billion in 2019.  And while that is a good thing for our growth, the result has been that some have had difficulty in obtaining plan reviews, building permits, and inspections.
 
By the end of February, the city's Bureau of Permits and Inspections will initiate a Third-Party Plan Review and Inspections Program that will give developers and property owners the ability to contract directly with qualified,third-party inspection agencies to perform building plan reviews and building inspections in a timely manner.
 
The program allows contractors and property owners to rely on qualified, registered third-party professionals to perform building plan reviews and building inspections in a timely manner. This will alleviate lengthy wait times, benefitting both residents and the efficiency of the department. 
 
“The important thing is that when we encounter a bump in the road, we don’t let it knock us off our course. We focus on the fix,” said the mayor. “We commit ourselves to the work of problem solving, not problem seeking.”
 
Third party program services will include plan reviews, special inspections, limited 48-hour inspections, and unlimited general inspections.
 
In the address, the mayor also indicated support for various pieces of legislation proposed by members of the Richmond delegation to the Virginia General Assembly.
 
He endorsed House Bill 1541, which creates the Central Virginia Transportation Authority, calling it “a game changer” for the city. Also on the topic of transportation, the mayor thanked Richmond City Council for unanimously passing his proposed ban on using handheld devices while driving, legislation that is up for debate in the General Assembly this session.
 
He also used the platform to reflect on the city’s public safety progress and advocate for the passage of commonsense gun laws in the General Assembly, calling on the Commonwealth of Virginia to follow Richmond’s lead. In 2019, Richmond passed both a restriction on firearms in public parks and municipal buildings and a reporting requirement for lost or stolen firearms.
 
At Monday’s City Council meeting, the administration introduced a resolution to hold school funding harmless throughout the construction period of the project, addressing concerns that the funding for Richmond Public Schools would be negatively affected by the downtown redevelopment. Additionally, HB1345 would shrink the increment financing area from 80 to 11 blocks, or by 86 percent.
 
The mayor closed the speech by calling on Richmond’s leaders to listen to the residents who want good jobs, good roads, strong schools and access to affordable housing and support the restructured Navy Hill proposal.
 
The issue, he said, is for Richmond to have confidence in the city’s potential.
 
“If we truly want the change we need, we have to believe in ourselves,” said Mayor Stoney. “And we have to have faith that we can do something great for this city. It is time we have faith, not fear, and move our city forward in a direction that benefits ALL Richmonders.”
 
“I will not quit, I will not rest, until we have built the most welcoming, inclusive, equitable and competitive city in the entire country,” the mayor stated.
 
“After three years, I know, Richmond CAN.”
 
A copy of the mayor’s remarks as prepared for delivery can be found HERE.

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Mayor Stoney’s new partnership has prevented 76 evictions and is on pace to meet its annual goal

In its first three months, the City of Richmond’s Eviction Diversion Program has diverted 76 evictions and is on track to meet its goal to divert 300-500 evictions in its first year.
 
The program, which launched last October, provides Richmond tenants with pro bono legal assistance, financial counseling and literacy services and referrals to supportive services while ensuring landlords receive past-due rent payments.
 
As of January, the program is over one third of the way towards its goal of providing 300 tenants with financial literacy and money management education.
 
Studies show that housing instability can impact school outcomes, employment and mental health. Evictions particularly affect families with children, who are evicted at twice the rate of families without children. Single parent, female-led homes and communities of color are disproportionately impacted.
 
The Richmond Eviction Diversion Program provides a holistic solution to the city’s eviction challenges, having established goals to not only reduce the displacement of low-income individuals and families but also to address the social inequity, chronic school absenteeism and lingering financial burden that accompany an eviction.
 
“We still have a long way to go in ensuring everyone has access to quality, stable housing, but the Eviction Diversion Program has already allowed 76 families and individuals to stay in their homes,” said Mayor Stoney. “That’s a huge step in the right direction.”
 
The city’s Eviction Diversion Program partners include:
 
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
City of Richmond Circuit Court Judges
City of Richmond General District Court Judges and Clerks
Firms in Service
Greater Richmond Bar Foundation
Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia
McGuire Woods
Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia
Office of Mayor Levar Stoney
Office of the City’s Chief Administrative Officer
Richmond City Council
Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities
Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
Virginia Housing Commission
Virginia Legislative Black Caucus
Virginia Poverty Law Center
 
For background information on the Eviction Diversion Program, click here.
 
For more information on the Eviction Diversion Program, contact Osita Iroegbu, Mayor’s Senior Policy Advisor, at Osita.Iroegbu@richmondgov.com.

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The City of Richmond is scheduled to be closed through May 17, 2020 due to COVID-19. However, the Office of the General Registrar will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays for in person absentee voting for the June primary starting May 8, 2020. Until city offices open to the public, voters should come to the Broad Street side of City Hall (900 East Broad Street) to vote in person. Persons who need handicapped accessibility may enter through the 9th Street side but must ask to be escorted to the voting area. Curbside voting for persons 65 and older or disabled will be available from the 9th Street side of 900 East Broad Street. Voters needing curbside voting should pull up to the curb and ring the call bell that will be there.  

Persons wishing to file candidate campaign documents for the November election may e-mail VoterRegistration@richmondgov.com and request an appointment. They should specify the date and time they wish to file. Please visit www.elections.virginia.gov for filing requirements and forms.
The Office of the General Registrar will be closed to the public for other business so long as the City of Richmond is closed. Voters who have a valid Virginia DMV ID may register to vote or apply for an absentee ballot online and paperlessly at www.elections.virginia.gov. 

Those that do not have a valid Virginia DMV ID can print the forms out from that website and mail them to P.O. Box 61037, Richmond, Virginia 23261. Persons who do not have printers may e-mail us at VoterRegistration@richmondgov.com and we will mail you a form upon request.  If you do not have email, please call Richmond 311 at (804) 646-7000 and they will send us a message that you need assistance.
The next election in the City of Richmond will be a Democratic Party Primary election for U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District, and a Republican Party Primary election for U.S. Senate. Voters may only vote in one primary or the other; they may not vote in both primaries. The purpose of these elections is to nominate candidates to appear on the ballot in November. These primary elections will be in all City precincts.

The original date for the primary elections was June 9, but that date was changed by order of the Governor to June 23, 2020. The polls will be open 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on June 23, 2020. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot through the mail is 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 16, 2020. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot in person (with limited exceptions) is 5 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020. Virginia will require an excuse to vote absentee through June 2020. However, the state has granted liberal use of reason code 2A (illness or disability) due to COVID-19 for persons wishing to vote absentee through the mail for June. Sample ballots and more information can be found at http://www.richmondgov.com/Registrar/index.aspx