2020 Mayoral Candidates | Richmond Mayorathon

Kimberly Gray

Visitation to parks and green spaces has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but access to them is inequitable. How will you approach funding and implementation of the James River Park System Master Plan and the creation of parks and greenspaces in communities that currently have poor access?

I will start by preserving the precious existing greenspace we have and listening to community concerns. The Mayor’s recent affordable housing announcement includes the development of parkland in Oregon Hill and perhaps other locations. This lack of attention creates conflict between neighborhoods and the legitimate goals of affordable housing.

I applaud recent initiatives to bring greater tree canopy to disadvantaged communities, but we have to listen to community concerns. I recently learned of a pool in Gilpin Court that has been inoperable for many years—how could that be?

The James River Master Plan has given Richmond one of the great park assets in the entire US. I have said to School, Public Safety, Human Service, and other advocates what I say to the Mayorathon. I will start by developing a five year budget for both capital and operating needs. We have to stop the one-off, big shiny project commitments that keep putting important investments on the back burner.

A sustained, five year commitment to the James River Master Plan is more valuable than a one-time ribbon cutting ceremony.

Given the increasing magnitude of heavy rain events as a consequence of climate change and the passage of Senate Bill 1064 earlier this year, how will you approach Richmond's combined sewer system and stormwater management in general?

I will continue to use stormwater funding to make sure our system continues to upgrade to meet all mandated requirements, and dedicate it solely to that purpose. In addition, we must get more aggressive at obtaining Virginia Water Quality Improvement Funds. Wealthy jurisdictions like Alexandria have recently received large grants, but Richmond has not.

One unknown is the impact of new development. We may need to start looking at individual projects for their impacts on combined sewer overflow.

Richmond's formerly redlined neighborhoods - neighborhoods that continue to be predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods - experience disproportionate climate impacts. These neighborhoods see surface temperatures nearly 5 degrees hotter during the summer. They have 36% less tree canopy and have poorer air quality due to their proximity to highways. All of these factors contribute to higher instances of asthma and heat-related illness. What policies would you support to encourage climate resiliency and reduce urban heat island effects? How will you ensure funding for these proposals?

In addition to the aforementioned creation of more greenspace citywide, adding to parks and creating conservation easements, the city must do more to increase its urban tree canopy, especially in areas like the housing courts, and we must work to increase energy efficiency of city buildings (and schools), and begin the transition to an electric fleet in future budgets. Again, I would rely on the professional expertise of this group to provide unbiased and objective analyses of these many options BEFORE we embark on a course of action (instead of announcing a media-driven course of action and expecting the communities and stakeholders to fall in line).

City Council recently adopted the Net Zero Resolution (2020-R024) which updated the City's carbon reduction commitment from 80% by 2050 to 100%. Emissions from transportation and gas utilities are a major barrier to achieving this goal. What specific steps will you support in fulfilling this commitment and how will you support the Office of Sustainability's efforts to reduce emissions?

We must begin a transition of the city fleet to electric vehicles to meet that goal as well as

development and implementation of an equity- centered, integrated climate action and resilience plan to advance the climate action and resilience goals; the education of residents and businesses on matters related to the climate crisis; and full community participation, inclusion, and recognition of the residents and businesses within the city of Richmond, along with community organizations dedicated to faith, youth, labor, academic institutions, civic participation, and marginalized populations, and other such community allies, who will be integral to the climate action plan development and implementation and mobilization effort.

A five-year budget plan will be way of measuring and sustaining progress on this issue.

Energy efficiency presents a highly cost-effective way to work towards Richmond's emissions reduction goals. What specific steps will you take to support energy efficiency in city infrastructure and buildings? Will you support updating energy efficiency standards across the City?

I will support efforts to improve city owned facilities to weatherize and improve energy efficiency. Other cities use third parties to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings and pay for the contracts through the savings they achieve in lower energy bills, which in turn requires less reliance on traditional energy sources. We can also look at doing the same with our streetlight network as well as making small-scale solar facilities easier to cite and build in the city.

Neighborhoods

Richmond had an eviction crisis before COVID-19 and the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. To put the looming catastrophe in perspective, consider the following: during July 2020, landlords were awarded an average of $1,787 in each unlawful detainer case. At the time of this writing, there were over 1,200 unlawful detainer cases scheduled to be heard in September. Assuming the average judgment remains roughly the same, this amounts to a total of over $2 million in unpaid rent in September. Not every household facing eviction participates or is eligible for the EDP, nor do they necessarily receive the full 50% of back rent the EDP provides; however, these numbers are illustrative nonetheless. The FY2021 budget allocates $485,000 to the EDP for the entire year. Those funds will be exhausted in roughly two weeks given the current numbers. Will federal and state programs cover this gap? If not, how will you adequately fund this essential program? What additional solutions do you propose to address the coming wave of evictions?

Due to COVID, the City will likely be facing a long-term decline in revenues, and that means our immediate actions need to focus on the most desperate situations—evictions, homelessness, and restricted health care access. We have not seen where the Mayor is allocating federal CARES Act money because the process has not been transparent. Our Housing Authority is the single biggest evictor in the city; our homeless services operate on 9am-6pm weekday schedule – that must change; and the recently unemployed typically are not prepared for the loss of health care. These are not hugely expensive problems to solve, but they do require knowledge of human service programs and the grit and hard work and patience necessary to solve these problems. I am a 27-year public servant with a background in many of these issues. Unlike our current Mayor, I will do the hard and sustained work to make city and regional organizations first and foremost take care of our most vulnerable populations. Leadership matters and experience matters—ask anyone at Camp Cathy or any resident actually living in our public housing projects.

One of the most rudimentary functions of local government is to provide residents with adequate public facilities. Yet, despite paying the highest property tax rate in the region, flooding is routine on the Southside, in Brookland Park, and across the city. Backyards are falling into eroded and unmaintained alleys in the West End. Where sidewalks do exist, they are often inaccessible to people with mobility challenges. How will you make sure these basic and essential services are fulfilled by City Hall? What will you do differently?

Many drainage issues in various parts of the City have been problems for years but ignored. I will ensure that stormwater fees are dedicated to their intended purpose as part of a five year operating and Capital Improvement Program (CIP). We need to focus on the myriad needs of basic infrastructure, not on big shiny projects like Navy Hill. That includes finding ways to build sidewalks with third parties since a city built sidewalk costs twice as much for the same project in the counties. Having a longer term plan and funding it transparently every year is the only way to address the many needs we have to deliver. It should be a plan of action, not a political one.

What kind of policy would you seek to help maintain Richmond’s economic and racial diversity? Are there existing programs that are underutilized, for example the Real Estate Tax Relief Program, that could be leveraged more effectively? Would you support a longtime owner occupant program similar to Philadelphia’s?

I have proposed the idea of tax deferment so people that have been in their homes for many years will not be forced out by rising assessments, gentrification, or real estate scammers. It would hold in place the tax level of a house until the resident sells and then the tax bill is paid from the proceeds and the house is reassessed. It is similar to a Homestead Exemption and the “LOOP” program in Philadelphia.

Grants, incentives, and tax relief should be provided on objective criteria and not be based on political contributions. We need not only housing policies that build and strengthen real families with a path to home ownership, but also a Mayor that is committed to getting it done instead of relying on press release promises.

Richmond was denser in 1950 than it is today. Increased density cuts housing costs for residents, preserves the City's limited greenspace, and saves the City money on providing essential services. What changes, either administratively or via ordinance, can the City make to help create dense residential development? What steps can Richmond take to entice, encourage, and facilitate additional residential development? How do we ensure a diversity of housing stock that is accessible to Richmonders at all income levels?

The city should expand more housing types throughout the city and allow greater density, especially along major transit corridors and create incentives to convert vacant land into housing opportunities for low-income or first time buyers/renters. I do believe that any incentives should be directed towards “Family Friendly” housing. We need housing policies that build and strengthen real families and meet their real needs.

While the City of Richmond and the Richmond Redevelopment & Housing Authority (RRHA) are subject to federal regulations and budget allocations, there is nothing preventing the full engagement and partnership between these governing bodies and the residents they serve. Unfortunately, the history of public housing in Richmond is a history of distrust, betrayal, and silencing of public housing residents themselves. Like many cities across the nation, Richmond intentionally built highways to segregate and isolate public housing from the rest of the city, effectively preventing its residents from participation in the city's prosperity. Richmond used Urban Renewal to demolish public housing units without a one-to-one unit replacement which resulted in the physical and emotional destruction of public housing neighborhoods. While this is the history of Richmond's public housing, there is nothing that mandates that it also be the future. If elected, how will you work with public housing residents? How will you ensure that residents get to decide their own collective futures rather than having a government entity decide what is best for them?

First, I will reform the RRHA Board by working with Council to appoint an Authority board that welcomes public participation and views RRHA residents as full partners. Second, I will ask the City to review RRHA evictions—they are the single largest source of evictions in the City. Finally, we will achieve a one-for-one relocation of current residents BEFORE we undertake any redevelopment of the major projects. When we condemn properties for highways or sewers, we purchase the properties and relocate tenants. We owe at least this standard of care to the residents of our public housing projects. We also need to conduct any such process mindful of the need to preserve community and family connections.

Public Safety

Many in the City of Richmond have called for the reallocation of funding to support community based public safety response strategies. Do you support allocating funds to support training and resources for resident/community-led efforts in trauma prevention, intervention, and crisis response?

There is broad recognition that we need special teams of law enforcement, social services, mental health professionals and others to handle calls and situations that may require a different approach than just a badge. That will have to be part of the budget process to begin these reforms above what we have already set in motion like the Marcus Alert and the establishment of a civilian review board. It’s one thing to announce important reforms like these. It’s another to have the grit and the knowledge to make them real. I will make them real; the Mayor’s record over the last four years shows he will not.

Sustainable, living wage employment opportunities are strong deterrents to crime. Felony convictions are a huge barrier to employment, including employment with the City of Richmond. Will you support incentivizing employers to participate in strategies such as "Ban the Box" and work within City Hall to review hiring practices for the re-entry population?

I would be interested in learning about the suggested incentives. I have devoted significant personal and professional time to employing our re-entering populations.

I will work within City Hall to review hiring practices for the re-entry population and especially expand the Office of Community Wealth Building’s efforts to help those trying to re-enter society. I would also work with City Council to explore the idea of requiring businesses working with the City empty such strategies as “Ban the Box” among others.

Longer term, we need fair enforcement and prosecution of our criminal laws.

Accountability and transparency are critical in rebuilding trust and healing relationships between our public safety agencies and the community. Will you prioritize the ongoing need for quality policy data, reformed policing practices, and increased transparency and accountability in reporting?

I worked for several years with the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Program (RTAP). The Mayor and Police Chief never responded to any of their correspondence or issues. Had they done so, perhaps Richmond could have avoided the months of civil unrest that shook our city.

This summer, we have heard and seen our communities and in particular, our young people, organize and advocate for justice and for change. If elected, will you commit to empowering and engaging young people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who have been impacted by the criminal justice system to help inform policy? Will you commit to allocating funds to support stipends for youth serving in these roles?

I have always been committed to uplifting youth in our community. It is important for their voices to be heard. I definitely support programs that offer stipends and scholarships to assist students in need of financial resources to support their academic pursuits.

Our city advocates demand a formalized process by which citizens play a strong role in investigating and reviewing claims again police misconduct. Do you support the creation of an independent civilian review board with subpoena power and the ability to investigate claims of police abuse? If not, what solutions do you support to ensure that all Richmonders are empowered to challenge they system where it fails and that police are held accountable?

I do and have supported the creation of an independent civilian review board with subpoena power.

Transportation

When we look at our transportation network as a whole, large swaths of the city do not have sidewalks, the bike network has grown has only a handful of protected bike lanes - which are a key factor in making the average person feel comfortable biking. Additionally, GRTC has the lowest public transportation funding per capita compared to our peer cities. Walking, biking, and transit are more equitable and cleaner modes of transportation. What policies would you support and what specific steps would you take to prioritize funding for transportation infrastructure and services that would close these network gaps?

The new regional transportation authority created by the state will greatly improve the regions’ transportation options and connectivity with additional annual funding that will allow the city to go far beyond what we have done in the past. It is an opportunity to broaden our transit network and create a modern system that has long been lacking. The city leadership needs to make sure GRTC continues to study and adjust routes and connectivity as necessary to serve those in need. Our leadership must also work cooperatively with our regional partners to make sure anyone can get to a job anywhere in the region and ensure that the new authority revenues are focused on more than just roads but true transit options. The biggest mistake we can make is to put the majority of the regional transportation authority funding into existing services.

Putting these regional funds into a transparent five year budget is the easiest way to avoid the current gamesmanship around one-off funding commitments to shiny objects.

In the last five years, our peer cities have reorganized to pull transportation oversight of public works or planning departments into a focused department of transportation. "The department is particularly necessary now because the nature of transportation planning has changed. Transportation isn't a maintenance activity anymore. It's really keeping up with new design standards and meeting the really rapidly changing and growing needs of travelers," said Matt Nicholas, Oakland's transportation policy advisor about creating the Oakland DOT in 2016. Would you support establishing a Department of Transportation to comprehensively address Richmond's multifaceted needs? Why or why not?

What worked for Oakland probably would not work here. We already have four regional transportation organizations in the region: GRTC, RMTA, RRTPO, and new Central Virginia Transportation Authority. Getting these entities to collaborate is where we need to focus.

Richmond City streets are not just for cars, bikes, and pedestrians. They also host stormwater, water supply, gas lines, fiber optic and electric lines and transformers. If we are serious about resilience and fixing basic infrastructure, we need to address ALL of those uses comprehensively under a single agency.

Richmond's average WalkScore is 51 out of 100, or "Somewhat Walkable," with the most walkable areas being Church Hill, Downtown, Carytown, and VCU. Richmond has dedicated roughly $2 million in the annual budget for new sidewalks. The average cost for a mile of sidewalk is roughly $500,000. How much will you commit to new sidewalk funding annually to ensure our most vulnerable users can travel safely? How will you prioritize more affordable and immediate options to provide walk/rollways to neighborhoods that need them by repurposing existing roadways?

Funding for basic sidewalk and path improvements are both popular and smart investments. As part of my five year budget program, I will commit to as much as we can per year given the limitations of the budget. But if we use third parties to reduce the cost of what we are paying (twice the rate as in Henrico) then we can add more sidewalks each year and make every dollar budgeted go farther.

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation this year to create the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) and providing new, dedicated revenue sources for the Richmond Region. The bill requires that 35% of funds be used for regional transportation related purposes, 15% of funds will be distributed to GRTC, and 50% will be given back proportionally to each locality to be used for local mobility, which can include construction, maintenance, or expansion of roads, sidewalks, trails, mobility services, or transit located in the locality. How will you ensure that the CVTA prioritizes additional funding for regional transit and equitable mobility throughout the region? Additionally, in anticipation of this new revenue source, Richmond cut its budget allocation to GRTC in half; however, it is clear that because the CVTA relies on gas and sales tax to raise funds, the expected $8 million will not be available this fiscal year. Unless the funding gap is filled, transit service in Richmond will be reduced. What steps, if any, will you take to restore Richmond's funding for GRTC to 100% of FY2020 levels?

Our region has several regional successes – the airport, RMTA, the convention center, RVA Tourism, and now the CVTA. We must have a mayor who embraces regionalism and works with our partners to make sure the CVTA is as successful as those other entities.

The worst mistake we could make would be to commit all that new funding to existing services, thereby creating a structural deficit we would be hard pressed to overcome. A realistic, transparent five-year budget process, for both capital and operating expenses, would allow the mayor and Council to make a predictable and realistic commitment to GRTC services.

My priority for GRTC services would be to serve our transit-dependent communities for employment, education and medical access.

Youth & Family

RPS has served more than 750,000 meals since schools closed in March. What will you do to ensure RPS has the support they need to continue feeding students during the duration of the pandemic and beyond?

I served on the School Board during the Great Recession, and we were able to continue these vital services then. We also have the possibility of federal COVID relief funds to supplement these sources. Many jurisdictions have appointed a federal COVID funding committee to explain and oversee the allocation and actual use of these substantial federal funds.

As Mayor, I will create just such a citizen committee to develop options for the use of these funds and then to track their actual use. Feeding students properly must be a priority for the use of federal, state and local funds—even during our virtual school year.

Prior to the pandemic, 9,500 children in Richmond under the age of five, live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level; however, there are only 3,500 seats in both private and public early education centers in the city. What can you do to create more early educational opportunities for our most vulnerable children?

I recognize the value of early education, and I also recognize the likelihood of a long term COVID recession. We have such incredible educational disparities that need fixing—facilities and programs and teacher pay. Those disparities MUST be fixed and those are my priorities.

In the short term, I would welcome any creative ideas for early education from this group. Post COVID, could we partner with private schools to provide a few slots each? Could commercial landlords get a state, federal or local tax break by using empty retail space for early education? Could we create Saturday Academies for early education? We will need to be creative to improve this situation.

Schools are the heart and soul of our neighborhoods. How do you propose the Mayor's Administration and Council should work with RPS and the School Board to ensure that every student has access to a high quality education and safe facilities to learn in? What funding streams would you like to see leveraged to support Richmond Public Schools' strategic plan?

The first step in solving any problem is acknowledging that we have a problem and our graduation rate falling from 80% to 70% last year is proof of that. The COVID learning environment will likely take it further down.

I served on the Richmond School Board for eight years, and helped to steer our schools through the 2008 downturn and my program for school improvement as Mayor has three elements: First, we will develop a five year budget plan that will allow the Schools to have certainty over their resources that will allow us to make the serious, long term commitments necessary to fix and properly staff our deplorable school facilities, including teacher pay. Second, as part of this process, we will insist on accountability and efficiency in school facility usage—avoiding one school with trailers and another half full. Third, we will work regionally with our neighboring counties to explore regional approaches to special education and regional approaches to technical and career development tracks for students who do not want to pursue a higher education track.

If we have a plan, and we stick to that plan for several years, we can make progress on our most challenging educational issues.

Justin Griffin

Environment

I would love to see the expansion of the parks system, but the creation and expansion of parks and greenspaces requires money and organization. Richmond currently is so mismanaged, and our money wasted to an extent that not only is there not enough money for these initiatives but our current parks and other infrastructure are not properly maintained. My first step will be to utilize my skills and knowledge from my background in law and accounting to conduct a comprehensive audit of City Hall and then actually take action. By rooting out all of the waste and mismanagement in our city, we can then focus on expansion of our parks system.

Our stormwater/sewage system currently dumps raw sewage into the James River. There needs to be a comprehensive plan to change that. However, this will take a lot of money. Just like above my job will be to find the necessary money to put towards this.

The tree canopy in impoverished neighborhoods is non-existent because mayors ignore those areas. First, I will always make sure all of our neighborhoods see investment, not just certain favored ones. Second, we cannot maintain the tree canopy we have now. Again, my job is to fix City Hall and make sure our money is going back into our neighborhoods instead of wasted.

This would not be a focus of my administration.

I will support energy efficiency in City facilities if the cost of conversion results in a net gain to the City’s bottom line in a reasonable period of time.

Neighborhoods

The problem with the eviction diversion program is that it waits until a person is in court before it begins to help. There is only so much you can do when someone is 3 months behind on rent. Help must start immediately after they fall behind. We need an all of the above approach to evictions:

1. Enforcing Code Violations
2. Educate tenants about rights
3. Help before residents fall behind, not just after it is in court
4. Uplift our people economically

This goes back to my answers in the environmental section. Our tax dollars are consistently wasted on mismanagement, endless studies, and cronyism/insider deals. As a political outsider and financial watchdog, I will make sure that money finally gets invested into our neighborhoods. The misplaced priorities of get-rich-quick schemes and big shiny projects will be a thing of the past. Basic services and infrastructure maintenance will take priority.

The key to keeping Richmond’s diversity is to focus on an incremental approach to development that encourages small business instead of mega-projects. We must also create an education system that uplifts our people economically and that gives them the skills and opportunities to thrive economically so that economic progress as a city doesn’t leave them behind or force them out. I would encourage entrepreneurship through an Entrepreneurship Academy and incubators in areas like Grace St. and Hull St.

The top priority for Richmond from a building and housing standpoint has to be to fix the broken Permits and Inspections Office. It has been a disaster for many years. The inability to get permits in a timely and efficient manner increases housing costs and prevents the increase in supply necessary to keep prices down. To encourage affordable housing in Richmond, we must make it affordable to build affordable housing. We also need to work with the counties to create a standard region wide housing plan.

I believe in 1 for 1 replacement and any redevelopment of public housing should be done with plenty of notice to and with input from those that currently live in the community. While the quality of the public housing buildings is something that needs to be addressed, my main focus will always be on the people inside the buildings. When we talk about schools and public housing, we always seem to care more about the buildings instead of the people. My priority will be to implement programs and education that help uplift people out of poverty so we can transition public housing from what has become a permanent stop for many into the temporary assistance that it should be.

Public Safety

Yes, I support increased training and social services within the police department such as the reinstatement of the Second Responders program. Second Responders are social workers assigned to police precincts that arrive at crime scenes to help victims especially young victims or those involved in domestic violence. It allows detectives and officers to focus more on solving the crime while the social workers offer on the spot counseling. I do not support defunding the police to accomplish this goal.

I support reentry support. As the husband of a former public defender, I am very aware of both the needs in this area and the quality nonprofit organizations in our city working in this area. I would review hiring practices within City Hall in relation to the re-entry population.

A key part of quality policing is accurate and timely data. I believe in transparency in all aspects of government. If you are doing things the right way, then you should have nothing to hide.

I think one requirement of a good leader is the willingness and ability to listen. I will always listen to all of the residents of our city to hear the needs and problems facing our diverse neighborhoods. I think the key to learning about the needs of the neighborhoods is to reengage our many civic associations and bring them to the table.

I do not support a civilian review board. The power of police review currently already falls to elected civilians. Another board is not the proper avenue in my opinion to provide quality oversight.

Transportation

My first priority would be catching up on our backlog of infrastructure maintenance. When it comes to GRTC, my priority will always be to focus on providing those that rely on public transportation as their only mode of transportation with increased coverage and reliability.

I would not. Adding another layer of bureaucracy will only make the services provided by Richmond even worse.

We again must first catchup on the back maintenance of our current sidewalks. I would then prioritize expansion in areas where there is high vehicle traffic but are also heavily traveled by foot. There are places that inexplicably don’t have sidewalks in our city. You can see the dirt paths where people walk them. Those should be the first priority for expansion.

I will make it a priority to ensure that GRTC’s funding levels are not negatively affected by the CVTA. Richmond’s budget has grown by a significant amount over the last 4 years and now the CVTA will provide increased transportation funding. With additional funding should not come cuts to bus services.

Youth & Family

Funding for the free meals from schools comes through grants from the Federal Government. I will make sure RPS continues to take advantage of such funding.

While in the long run expanding learning options needs to happen, RPS cannot provide a quality education for our children currently. The current state of our schools must be addressed as a top priority before the school system begins to take on more responsibility.

I have a schools plan that addresses both the buildings and the quality of the education inside the buildings on my website at https://www.griffinformayor.com/2020/03/30/schools/. You will see links to the 3 steps towards the bottom of the linked article.

Alexsis Rodgers

Environment

City Council adopted the James River Park System Master Plan which is a first step in the 10-year plan. Now, it’s a matter of ensuring there’s funding to support this plan. It’s essential for key recommendations from the James River Master Plan to be adapted in the Richmond 300 master plan so that operations and projects are funded. This includes invasive species management, additional personnel, the 10-minute walk initiative, increased greenways and trails (especially for South Richmond), educational programming, economic tourism and the Reedy Creek Welcome Center.

As mayor, a first step will be to expand conservation easements of the approximately 300 acres of JRPS land to protect natural resources in perpetuity.
My administration will analyze the pros and cons of utilizing proffers and impact fees to fund capital projects and growth. And, if this is the way to move forward, advocating at the General Assembly to grant Richmond the authority to levy either. Right now, Norfolk has tapped into this mechanism to have dedicated funding for projects.

I am committed to expanding park space in the city and understand this is a long-term process that requires multiple ordinances, resolutions and agreements between departments.

My administration will continue the work of the Parks and Sustainability Office of identifying city-owned parcels of land that are greatly impacted by climate change, such as urban heat islands and flooding. After a community-engagement process, we will determine the best use of that land and convert it into accessible green and open spaces.
Work with the city council to codify the designation of public land owned by the city as parks so they can be protected, including land gifted to the city. Without that protection, land can be leveraged and sold for development.
I will work with communities, especially historically-Black communities, to gauge support for expanding park spaces to park-adjacent land. My administration would work with community groups to explore models for Black-owned community land trusts.
My administration will work with the Department of Public Works to find public right-of-ways that can be used as parklets.

Our residents don’t have the sustainable infrastructure they deserve. We need a climate resilient city, and we can’t do it without stronger collaboration between the city leadership teams focused on transportation, public works and sustainability. Parts of our sewage and water treatment systems are 150yrs old and must be redone to reduce street flooding and to improve the water quality returning to the James River. By collaborating and prioritizing sustainability, the city can work across offices / departments to improve our sidewalks and drainage systems at the same time.

I have committed to increase city-wide tree canopy to 60%. Excessive heat is the greatest weather-related cause of death in the U.S., where our most vulnerable residents — including low income families, those without air conditioning, and those with respiratory illnesses suffer the most.

I will do this by:

By prioritizing increased tree canopy in areas with the greatest heat vulnerability index, we will not only increase shade and produce cleaner air, but improve the overall health of residents.

My administration will reinstate the Urban Forestry Commission. The commission will update the city’s tree ordinance, which hasn’t been updated in 30 years, and create an urban forestry master plan.
Work with Parks & Recreation and the Department of Public Workers to improve processes for park management and tree watering and stewardship.
Review the relationship with the city’s contractor responsible for street trees and maintenance.
Invest in city arborists and a green workforce to plant and care for street trees and green spaces. This will close the gap between neighborhoods in certain communities that do not have the access to money and resources to maintain public spaces.
Increase partnerships with community groups where they can plant trees, do educational programming and manage green infrastructure.

To make Richmond a clean energy leader, we must transition to greener vehicles. Richmond can follow Roanoke’s lead and purchase gently used, affordable electric vehicles for employees to use for city business. This will save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance and fuel costs while also reducing the amount of harmful fumes being pumped out by cars. By taking the first step, Richmond can help gradually build out the charging infrastructure residents will need to make their own switch to cleaner, more affordable cars.

As mayor, I will encourage and support making the Office of Sustainability’s efforts cross-departmental to ensure we are actively pursuing emission reduction goals in every city department.

Our city government must continue to lead by example by reducing its own energy consumption. As mayor, I will prioritize making Richmond a clean energy leader, including greener city-owned buildings and vehicles. I commit to further the city council’s efforts through CPACE (Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy) to assist private sector businesses in improving efficiency and adding solar to their buildings. Additionally, by fixing Richmond’s broken permit process we will eliminate barriers to solar energy for our neighbors.

Neighborhoods

I don’t want to put Richmonders in a place where they have to wait on a currently-Republican controlled HUD to meet their needs. It obviously won’t happen. Housing is a human right. We need to tackle this head on. I will prioritize access to housing for every Richmond resident and support zoning policies and programs that promote economically-diverse communities and reduce displacement.

I will work to fully-fund Richmond’s eviction relief fund. I will stand up to mega landlords who are bad actors and profit off the cycle of poverty. My administration will increase the city’s investment in the Maggie Walker Land Trust Fund to create permanently affordable housing in Richmond and explore the option to eliminate property tax payments for long-term homeowners over the age of 60.

We are losing residents to surrounding counties because of a lack of services families need to stay in Richmond. As mayor, I will work closely with the Chief Administrative Officer to empower a diverse, talented team at City Hall to improve the provision of essential services. Everything my administration does will be through the lens of creating equity for neighborhoods that have consistently been left behind. My administration will provide direct accountability for increasing efficiencies in City Hall through cross-department collaboration.

I will prioritize access to clean, safe and affordable housing for every Richmond resident and support programs that promote economically-diverse communities and reduce displacement. As mayor, I would explore a Property Tax Protection program to support long-term homeowners over age 60. To support our seniors living in high-growth areas with increasing property taxes, we should find ways to keep them in their home. One option is to eliminate property tax payments for long-term existing homeowners if they’ve owned their home or have been paying off a mortgage longer than 20 years and are over the age of 60. My administration will explore providing this relief as a way to reduce gentrification and protect neighborhoods from predatory house flippers and developers.

Not only is Richmond rated the 2nd-highest when it comes to evictions, we’ve become unaffordable for working-class people. We have to open up more inventory for affordable housing & rezone parts of our city that currently ban apartments.

As mayor, I would work with the city council to rezone the city. What we see in Richmond is the direct result of redlining and we must be intentional with how we move to combat those effects — we have to ensure that any progress first takes into consideration the communities most affected by systemic racism. Currently, multi family housing is banned in about two-thirds of the city due to these antiquated zoning ordinances. I will work with city council and neighborhood associations to push for equitable, community-driven development of the city.

Additionally, the city used to pass on all abandoned and blighted properties to the land trust for free so the trust could refurbish and add to Richmond’s permanent affordable housing stock. In recent years, the city has chosen to auction off such properties to make money quickly instead of investing in the city’s long-term affordability. I will engage housing and land trust nonprofit organizations in purchasing soon-to-be abandoned/abandoned properties from family estates, along with other vacant parcels in the area, for the construction of affordable infill single-family home development in these neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, the history of public housing in Richmond is a history of distrust, betrayal, and the silencing of public housing residents themselves. Like many cities across the nation, Richmond intentionally built highways to segregate and isolate public housing from the rest of the city, effectively preventing its residents from participation in the city’s prosperity. Richmond used Urban Renewal to demolish public housing units without a one-to-one unit replacement which resulted in the physical and emotional destruction of public housing neighborhoods. While this is the history of Richmond’s public housing, there is nothing that mandates that it also be the future. If elected, how will you work with public housing residents? How will you ensure that residents get to decide their own collective futures rather than having a government entity decide what is best for them?

Every Richmond resident deserves a clean, safe, and affordable place to call home. However, the racialized nature of how Richmond neighborhoods were designed has negatively impacted generations of Black and brown residents. Housing is a human right. We need to tackle this head on.

Anything RRHA does needs to be done through a lens of equity and racial justice while centering the needs and dignity of tenants. Residents who live in our public housing units have been wronged; where they’ve been repeatedly told one thing yet seen another happen, resulting in their safety net being disrupted. We know that having blended communities that are reflective of the diversity of our city is good, and we need to make sure

that everyone who is living in RRHA housing has a voice in this process. Any kind of development around public housing has to be done in a way that leads with tenants first — that respects their dignity, their right to self determination, and a say in the process.

Building trust with public housing residents and the entire community will be paramount to me as mayor. That includes ensuring public meetings are announced in a timely manner and planning documents are accessible so residents and the community can participate. We’ve made progress by banning discrimination against housing vouchers, but that’s not enough. The city needs to encourage landlords to participate in the housing vouchers system. My administration will lay out a framework for resident-driven redevelopment of our public housing. The status quo of decades-long divestment and negligent mismanagement have left entire communities isolated and ignored by city leaders. Under my administration, I would seek to empower RRHA residents to chart a new future of expanded opportunities for their communities.

Public Safety

Yes. Currently, we call on police officers to do too much. I support reducing the scale and scope of policing in Richmond to ensure we’re only sending police officers into situations they are trained and prepared to handle. Some police training curriculum has not been updated in 20 years, and currently not all forms of training are mandatory. Richmond deserves public oversight of the Richmond Police Department through an independent civilian review board with subpoena power. We also need greater transparency within the police department. I will advocate for collecting and reporting demographic data on all stops, arrests, charges, and use of force incidents. I’ll work collaboratively to meaningfully address these challenges instead of making political decisions to create the appearance of action.

Every Richmond resident deserves to live without fear of facing deportation or being separated from their family. As mayor, I will call to end all collaboration with ICE and proactively work to build trust with all immigrant communities.

Racial equity is something we need to focus on within every agency and city government office. While Richmond recently banned the box, the city has more work to do to ensure we are a welcoming workplace for qualified individuals who have a criminal record. My administration will work to eliminate policies that further punish job applicants for mistakes in their past. I will work with community organizations and the Office of Community Wealth Building to encourage employers to incorporate hiring practices that allow qualified Richmonders who are returning home to compete for good jobs.

For a CRB to work properly, there must be a pillar of transparency within the police department. I will commit to collect all data relevant to the daily goings-on with the RPD and make it public; I pledge to work with the experts to get this done. When I’m mayor, I will work diligently to actually fix challenges facing our Richmond Police Department instead of making politically motivated decision to create the appearance of action.

Yes. Young people who have been most impacted by our criminal justice system must have a leadership role in policymaking so that we can meaningfully address the issues. I support providing a stipend for these roles. As President of Virginia Young Democrats, I created a paid internship program for our organization and led a successful effort to establish a paid internship program through the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Yes, I support the formation of an independent civilian review board with subpoena power. Its creation is vital to bring true transparency and reform to policing. As mayor, I will do everything in my power to support the creation and implementation of a civilian review board (CRB) with subpoena power. Charlottesville has a good model we can look at as we move to instate one in Richmond. Assuming the General Assembly gives localities the ability to create them, Richmond will have a CRB that can serve as a model to the rest of the commonwealth.

Transportation

In alignment with Vision Zero, my administration will coordinate repaving projects with efforts to add protected bike lanes and more curb space for pedestrians. Who we give space on our roads is a reflection of our values, and I will work to ensure that people of all ages and abilities feel safe traveling through our city, no matter their transportation of choice. Everyone in Richmond deserves dignity as they make their way to work, to school, and to all their other destinations. Far too many of the city’s bus stops lack basic necessities such as benches, trash/recycling cans and shelter — let alone modern standards such as real-time arrival signs. Through partnerships with nonprofits and community benefit agreements, my administration would work to create a more dignified experience for all bus riders. Additionally, I will be a strong advocate at the Virginia General Assembly and with surrounding counties to improve Richmond’s regional bus and rail transportation network.

Yes, I called for the creation of a Department of Transportation in my transportation plan. This department deserves its own leadership and resources, separate from the Department of Public Works, to meaningfully address the needs of our growing city. For far too long our city administration has neglected residents’ mobility. As mayor I will work with the City Council to modernize our local government by creating a long overdue Department of Transportation to provide direct accountability for the state of our streets.

Transportation plays a major role in how we are connected. However, car culture and systemic inequities in public transportation access drives too much of our urban planning.

Poorly maintained sidewalks, inaccessible parks, and unreliable CARE Van service makes it tough for Richmonders with physical disabilities to get around our city. This year, the current administration proposed $30 million for road repaving but only $2 million for sidewalks. My administration will be more transparent and equitable in how we allocate road and sidewalk maintenance dollars. Further, we will build consensus on city council to bring needed improvements areas of the city that currently lack adequate sidewalk infrastructure.

Budgets are a reflection of values, and I would seek to reallocate funds to prioritize reliable, free public transportation for every Richmonder. Removing $60 a month for a bus pass will help working families pay their rent or feed their kids. Coupled with improved route reliability, free public transportation means Richmonders won’t have to think twice about whether they can take GRTC to get to work, run to the store or visit their loved ones.

Youth & Family

I admire the efforts of Richmond Public Schools and the School Board to meet the needs of our students and their families during these challenging times. As mayor, they would have my full support as a collaborative partner to find the resources necessary to make sure no child is hungry in Richmond. I will pursue innovative partnerships within city government and with community partners to address inequities in food access within our city.

Children who are economically disadvantaged often lack access to Pre-K, creating a learning gap before entering the classroom in grade school. Those who start behind their peers are more likely to stay behind. I support a mixed delivery approach for pre-K, including public and private schools, community-based providers to ensure we are meeting the diverse needs of Richmond’s children. The city needs to recognize how crucial early childhood education is and should have a point person who’s in charge of city-provided services for children ages 0-3. Early investment in a child’s development improves educational attainment and career readiness.

Every student deserves a quality education. I graduated from the public school system and understand first-hand the value schools have in a person’s life. Teachers, administrators, counselors, staff and coaches played a major role in my success, even after I left the classroom. Student success is contingent on what we – leaders, educators, parents, caregivers and neighbors – contribute to our public education system.

Richmond residents already pay a fair amount into the school system, but the state hasn’t been doing its part for over a decade. I will fight for RPS and its staff within the General Assembly and use the network I have built to do it. Additionally, the state government is not meeting its constitutionally-mandated commitment to a free public education and must implement meaningful, common-sense tax reforms to remedy that problem. As mayor, I will continue to be an advocate for public education at the General Assembly to ensure that more funds are provided by the state. I will also work to establish strategic, community-driven partnerships with corporations that operate in the City to ensure they are investing in our schools as part of the benefit of operating in Richmond.

Levar Stoney

Environment

I intend on allocating the necessary funding in my second term to see the James River Park System Master Plan fully realized. The James River is the crown jewel of this city, with an estimated 2 million+ visitors so far this year. As mayor, I proposed numerous Parks and Rec funding increases, and I will continue to do so in my second term. We need additional funding not only for staffing increases but also for alleviating the parking and access point issues at entrance nodes such as Pony Pasture. I also plan to bring the key partners and stakeholders to the table to ensure that we accomplish the goals set out in the plan. One of our early priorities will be to focus on connectivity of our trails and parks. As mayor, I’ve taken a number of direct actions to increase Richmond’s green space and grow the parks system. I developed a first of its kind Conservation Easement protecting over 260 acres of the James River Park System. On December 5, 2019, I issued a proclamation in support of Richmond joining the Biophilic Cities Network, meaning that the city will focus on accessible nature in which humans and wildlife thrive. In January of 2020, I also announced the creation of the Green Team – which was tasked with

identifying pieces of city-owned land that can be converted to parks and green space to help us reach our ten minute walk to a park goal. With that effort, my administration announced five new parks in September in Richmond’s southside – the first new parks in the city since the 1970s. The Green Team will continue to recommend additional parcels, using equity centered data. During my second term, I will continue to expand these efforts not only to see our green space expand, but also as an environmental justice issue where Black and brown communities have equal access to green space.

Over the last 30 years, investments of over $300 million have netted significant improvements in our Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) system and has vastly improved the health of the James River. These investments include the separation of 21 of the City’s 46 CSO outfalls and upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will decrease nutrient discharge to the river and will increase the capacity of wet weather treatment from 75 million gallons a day (MGD) to 140 MGD while decreasing overflow discharges to the river by 550 MG per year.

The James River is one of the Commonwealth’s greatest natural resources. With the long and continuing work of the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and in collaboration with our many partners, the James River has transformed from one of the most polluted in the country to one of the most improved. Today, the James contributes greatly to the recreational and economic development needs of the region.

This year, our administration collaborated with the Governor’s Office and the James River Association to amend and pass SB 1064, patroned by Senators Stuart and Dunnevant. The first draft of this bill by the patrons, with support from Senator Morrissey, would have left the city ratepayers solely responsible for what could be billions in infrastructure improvements. However, we worked alongside the Governor’s Office to ensure the adopted bill paired the city’s plan to develop a prioritized timeline for future upgrades to the CSO system with a requirement of future state appropriations to support these CSO improvements. This shared commitment will enable us to make further improvements in water quality in the James River without placing undue burdens on Richmond’s ratepayers, particularly the most vulnerable.

Under SB 1064, Richmond will continue to work with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on the combined sewer overflow system (CSO) and to maintain compliance with all state and federal laws and improve water quality. In compliance with the federal Clean Water Act, DPU has been operating under a Long Term Control Plan that is a part of the 2005 Special Order by Consent with the Virginia State Water Control Board. The City has been and remains in full compliance with both state and federal regulations. DPU is also the first agency in the state to receive an integrated permit, which combines the efforts of managing CSO, wastewater, separate stormwater and drinking water quality.

The recent New York Times article on Richmond’s climate redlining has highlighted the need for equity in our green space. I am committed to expanding Richmond’s urban tree canopy and enhancing accessibility to open green spaces, which is a central goal of the Green Team. Their work has already identified five parcels in South Richmond, which will help to reduce the heat island effect. Jeremy Hoffman, Chief Scientist at the Science Museum of Virginia, is on the Green Team and assisted with the science behind the identification of the parcels of land to be converted to green spaces in the city. Furthermore, I have been working with the Department of Public Works to ensure that additional arborists are hired by the city to assist with tree planting and maintenance. The Green City Commission is also planning to create a new subcommittee specifically that focuses on the urban tree canopy, but without the unnecessary bureaucracy attached to the former Urban Forestry Commission. As mentioned, we have already proposed five new parks in Southside, and we will identify more moving forward.

In 2017, I announced our comprehensive climate and clean energy plan for the city, RVAGreen2050. I am committed to implementing and expanding on that program. This will include substantive analyses on the feasibility of winding down Richmond Gasworks, moving to a city “green fleet”, and expanding our bus fleet to include electric vehicles. And our work must be centered in racial equity and prioritize giving equitable, affordable access to city services first to underrepresented communities.

As mentioned above, my administration adopted the RVAgreen 2050 plan in 2017. RVAgreen 2050 is the City of Richmond’s equity-centered climate action and resilience planning initiative to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and help the community adapt to Richmond’s climate impacts of extreme heat, precipitation, and flooding. RVAgreen 2050 is the guide to all of our sustainability efforts, including energy efficiency and what standards need to be set in order to meet the goals behind this plan. Currently, the Office of Sustainability is engaging the community on their sustainability and environmental justice priorities as part of this process.

Additionally, even though 96 percent of local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the Richmond community broadly, and only 4 percent come from city government, it is important for city government to lead by example. Out of the city government’s contribution to GHG emissions, approximately 66 percent comes from electricity and 20 percent comes from gas and diesel. As this is where we can have our biggest impact, I have asked the Richmond Office of Sustainability to focus on several items, for which they have already made progress:

Look at sites for on-site solar installation. Working with the Office of Sustainability, the Green City Commission approved the following approach to on-site solar: by 12/31/2021, develop a comprehensive energy management policy for City government to include a plan to improve efficiency of all city facilities; install renewable energy on new city facilities and roof replacements of existing facilities; the purchase of off-site renewable energy to cover City demand after deployment of on-site solar and energy efficiency initiatives; and other strategies as appropriate.
Off-set 50% of the city government’s electricity usage by purchasing off-site renewable energy. This objective was approved by the Green City Commission earlier this year. Specifically, they agreed to: pursue and purchase off-site renewable electricity to source 50% of city government electricity use with renewables by 12/31/2022.
Lastly, the Richmond Department of Public Utilities is embarking on converting 7,500 streetlight fixtures to LED lighting. LED lights are 80% more energy efficient and thus do not contribute as many GHG emissions

These are not the only steps that need to be taken to reduce our GHG emissions and make our city government more energy efficient. However, these are strong first steps, in addition to the work being considered by RVAgreen 2050 through their community-centered and equity-based climate mitigation model.

Neighborhoods

In 2019, I launched a first-of-its-kind Eviction Diversion Program. In its first nine months, the program has prevented over 147 evictions. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the economic depression that has followed, there has been a surge in unlawful detainers filed here in Richmond. In fact, Richmond’s cases account for roughly 15% of the total number in Virginia since the pandemic started. This is why I invested $14.5 million in federal CARES Act monies into the Eviction Diversion Program and rental assistance programs. I also requested a local moratorium on evictions. I will continue this work to ensure Richmonders stay healthy during COVID and have the housing accessibility they need moving forward.

In order to address the infrastructure challenges we have as a city, we must continue to invest in our neighborhoods. We have years of deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed. That is why in my previous budgets I have added new dollars to address sidewalk repairs and paving. For example, in prior years, city government only allocated approximately $3 million towards paving. In my FY20 and FY21 budget, I have proposed $16 million and $30 million (including CTVA funds) in paving, respectively. We have more than quadrupled our investment in new infrastructure since 2016, funding more investment than any previous administration. We have paved over 500 lane miles of new roads – including 320 lane miles just this year, filled over 84,000 potholes, repaired 4,700 alleys, and placed more than 10 miles of new sidewalks. As a result of this investment, we have seen a 65 percent reduction in pothole requests to RVA 311. Thanks to the new Central Virginia Transportation Authority, we budgeted $32 million in this year’s proposed budget for paving and other infrastructure improvements. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, that was reduced to $20 million – still a sizable investment. We have more work to do here to get our roads up to good condition, and I am confident we will get that done in my second term.

Since I took office in 2017, I have made historic investments in Richmond’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which currently stands at over $3 million. This program, coupled with further investment in building new, affordable housing, will allow more and more residents to buy homes. With regards to building more affordable housing, my administration set a goal of building 1500 affordable units by 2023. We have already exceeded that number and have no plans of stopping that continued growth. Additionally, since 2000, Richmond has seen a more than 30% decrease in Black homeownership, while white homeownership has increased by over 150%. A priority for my second term will be increasing homeownership within the Black and Brown community and also working with City Council and the General Assembly to create more progressive tax abatement and tax deferral programs to allow those already in their homes to remain despite gentrification.

If Richmond wants to be more than a charming, southern city, we must continue to grow. That starts with zoning reform – relying less on single family zoning and instead moving to multifamily and mixed commercial zoning, especially through the Pulse corridor and our downtown core. I am incredibly proud of the work we have already done with the Richmond 300 Masterplan, engaging the community and collecting input from all stakeholders to make sure that we are truly building One Richmond, a city that works for everyone. A central focus of my second term will be to dramatically increase the available stock of affordable housing in the city, and that cannot happen until we allow for greater density and act intentionally to create mixed-income communities. Until the changes outlined in the Richmond 300 masterplan are made, our city will not have the tools to be able to sustain our much-needed growth. We must align our ordinances and regulations with our goals and priorities and I will work to accomplish that in my second term.

I will make transforming and redeveloping public housing a priority in my next term. Our current public housing stock opened in Richmond in the 1940’s. Meant to be temporary housing post-WWII, that housing still stands today. The conditions are undignified, and it reflects poorly on how we treat the least fortunate of us in our community. Moving forward, I believe we need to reimagine public housing and guarantee each and every resident who lives in public housing today has a home in the City of Richmond tomorrow. During my next term, I will work with stakeholders to build new housing dispersed throughout the city in mixed-income communities, whilst ensuring current community members do not face displacement. That starts with seeding the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and identifying a dedicated revenue stream for the fund. We also need to focus on promoting mixed income development projects that have units priced between 10-50% of the AMI so we can put an end to concentrated poverty in the corners of our city. We can only accomplish that by reworking city zoning laws as outlined by the Richmond 300 Plan so that we have greater density. As we move forward with further economic development projects here in the city, I would like for my administration to approach community engagement with a similar process that was used during the Richmond 300 outreach. Not only did they host numerous in-person community engagement meetings throughout the process, but they also solicited input via multiple electronic surveys and allowed residents to virtually edit drafts of the plan in a user-friendly platform.

Public Safety

Unlike some of my opponents, I do not agree with defunding the police. Our law enforcement professionals play a crucial role in the safety and security of our city, and I am thankful for their service. However; I do believe in reform. Thanks to my task force to reimagine public safety, we will focus on routing calls for service to more appropriate agencies, taking the non-criminally-related workload off of our officers, and bringing more community members into our public safety apparatus. We will also continue our work on the mental health crisis alert and creating an independent civilian review board with subpoena power. We must fund the change we want to see in our police department, and I have full confidence in Chief Smith to implement these reforms.

I am a lifelong supporter of worker’s rights, particularly giving our working class a second chance at redemption. As Secretary of the Commonwealth, I worked with Governor McAuliffe to restore the civil rights of over 150,000 Virginians. I led the effort to “ban the box” on state employment applications, and I personally contacted employers on behalf of returning citizens to encourage employers to give them a fair shot at employment. I strongly believe in leading by example: Richmond is one of the highest employers of former offenders in the region, made possible by banning the box on all Richmond City employment applications and also giving candidates an opportunity to talk about former offenses that may show up in a background check. My administration also instructed the Office of Community Wealth Building to focus on reskilling former offenders for the job market. The OCWB, in tandem with the Virginia Department of Corrections, also uses the Federal Fidelity Bonding Program, which encourages businesses to hire returning citizens by offering an insurance policy via bond letter with employment.

Yes – I support increased accountability and transparency within the Richmond Police Department. I recently hired a new Chief of Police who believes in those values as well and who will be a change agent for the department. Chief Gerald Smith wants to listen and engage the community on what they want and need from their police department and has already started that process after only being with RPD for about three months.

Additionally, I wanted to have a community-driven approach to informing additional ways to reform our local policing practices. That is why I formed the Richmond Task Force on Reimagining Public Safety. This task force has three subgroups focusing on various pressing issues, such as: use of force, calls for service (using a human services lens), and community engagement and healing. I asked for an initial report within 45 days and a final report within 90 days. I was impressed and appreciative for their initial report, which was presented to me and Chief Smith on September 23. Initial recommendations included an emphasis on de-escalation training, the creation of a community-led training academy, support for a civilian review board, a more accessible and easy to navigate RPD website, rerouting certain calls for service away from a police response, community listening sessions, and a center for racial and equity training.

Through this entire process, members from my administration have been working alongside task force members to ensure data and information is received and discussed in a timely fashion. It is vital that we redefine our public safety system to not begin or end with police — and this community-based approach to public safety is the direction we must go as a city. I look forward to receiving the final report of the Task Force on Reimagining Public Safety in November.

We have also made strides to improve accessibility of publicly available data through updating the city website. Ease of use and navigational simplicity will allow Richmonders to better understand their city government and fully access all its available resources.

My administration has incorporated a number of youth programs into the Mayor’s Office to prioritize uplifting youth perspectives and involvement in our criminal justice system. The Future Leaders Council, started under my tenure, is an advocacy program for young people ages 14-18 to engage in youth advocacy, criminal justice reform, and civic participation. The Youth Justice Group also brings a panel of teenage leaders together to hear low level case violations of the law from peers, instead of sending those same young people through the criminal justice system. Many of those who appear before the YJG end up joining the group afterwards. We also employ young people through the Mayor’s Youth Academy, which expands job skills and workforce readiness for Richmond youth. We must engage with our youth early as part of the long term solution to criminal justice reform and the prison pipeline, and my administration will continue these same efforts into my second term.

I strongly support the creation of an independent Civilian Review Board with subpoena power to ensure transparency and accountability of our police department. We have a good police department: it is nationally accredited, with one of the highest homicide closure rates in the country. However, I want our department to be accredited by our community as well. Thanks to the recommendations made by my task force to reimagine public safety, we will focus on routing calls for service to more appropriate agencies, taking the non-criminally-related workload off of our officers, and bringing more community members into our public safety apparatus. We will also continue our work on the mental health crisis alert, a “Marcus Alert” system. We must fund the change we want to see in our police department, and I have full confidence in Chief Smith to implement these reforms.

Transportation

Our region must do better when it comes to equitable access to transit. That is why I was a major proponent of the passage of the Central Virginia Transportation Authority. This new authority will allow tens of millions of state dollars to be set aside for transit and transportation infrastructure projects in the Richmond area. As Chair of the Finance Committee, it’s my hope that we can greatly expand bus service within the city and routes into the counties. I also support a permanent elimination of bus fares on the GRTC and Pulse. Transit fees are a barrier to economic mobility, and this will help countless working families. My administration has also created more than 20 miles of bike lanes and 10 miles of sidewalk improvements, and I will continue this work. My goal is to have a connected bike lane network and increased walkability in the city.

During my first term, I also invested $785,000 in route enhancements and supported the redesign of the bus system, specifically in the East End and Southside, to allow greater access in communities who need bus service the most. I also announced the creation of the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility, which will oversee most of the work I have highlighted above.

Even though I respect what other cities have done to advance transportation needs, I do not think a department of transportation is the most appropriate solution for Richmond. We have tried to have a department of transportation in the past, and it was found to be ineffective and only added to the levels of bureaucracy — thus it was dissolved. We need to learn from our past mistakes and take a fresh look at what the needs of Richmonders are: more equitable transit and mobility options.

That is why I have created the Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility, housed within our Department of Public Works. This office will work alongside DPW engineers to hold infrastructure projects accountable to the mobility needs of Richmonders and the designs that we want to see in the future (e.g. complete streets), and it will be a collaborative partner to establish an equitable transit and mobility network. The vision is simple: we must move our city away from being vehicle centric to pedestrian centric.

Specifically, this office’s portfolio will include:

– Extending universal free bus fares;

– Enhancing Richmond’s Complete Streets approach;

– Designing a mobility action plan;

– Expanding Vision Zero work;

– Liaising with the Central Virginia Transportation Authority;

– Evaluating and developing the city’s bus and paratransit system; and – Connecting existing walkways, bike lanes and other multimodal infrastructure to improve last mile connectivity for commuting Richmonders.

We have launched this office by reorganizing current staff and resources. However, I do plan to add additional staff and dollars in future budgets as this office moves forward with its mission. With the launch of the CVTA, this is the ideal time for this office to begin its work and I look forward to seeing how they will advance our transit and mobility needs.

As stated above, in my first term, my administration has created more than 20 miles of bike lanes and 10 miles of sidewalk improvements, and I will continue this work. My goal is to have a connected bike lane network and increased walkability in the city, as well as expand overall infrastructure funding through the Central Virginia Transportation Authority.

Revised revenue projections, post-pandemic, still show that CVTA will generate more than $20 million for Transit this fiscal year. GRTC has also received more than $31 million in CARES funding during the pandemic. These funds have and will enable GRTC to maintain service levels this year, provide for enhanced safety and cleanings, and provide services fare-free. In fact, the GRTC board and leadership has proposed placing more than $3 million in CARES funding as well as more than $20 million from the CVTA in reserves for future regional expansion. The funding we provided in FY21, along with the CVTA funding, will maintain current local service levels as well as fund a significant regional expansion of transit. There will be NO cuts in service – only expansion.

I think it is about time that the region invested in transit and that the Richmond taxpayers who have footed the bill for transit almost exclusively got a break so that we can invest more in schools and housing. The CVTA is the first time that’s happened. Without it, we would not have been able to fund the increase in RPS’s budget we were able to provide this year. Would we rather that $8 million dollars sit in GRTC’s reserves rather than go to fund the $8 million increase to RPS we provided in this budget, even after the adjusted revenues from the pandemic?

Also, I think it’s appropriate that when we do consider additional funding for GRTC, the city (administration and council) get greater control over the services we receive in exchange for our funding for GRTC. When GRTC completes the regional expansion planning process, when they have done community engagement and have a plan for local route expansion, I will be there to fund Richmond’s fair share. But it is going to take them time to develop these plans. So I do not think it is fiscally prudent to give GRTC 8 million more on top of the 20 million from CVTA so it can sit in reserves – when it can be supporting our students today, like it is now.

Moving forward, our Office of Transit and Mobility will work with GRTC to ensure that any future city investments will go to expanding local routes, increasing route frequencies, and maintaining fare-free service.

Youth & Family

The most important thing we can do to guarantee that we can continue feeding students during the pandemic is to ensure that the federal government continues to provide the enhanced flexibility in the school meal programs to allow schools to feed kids in what’s called “non-congregate” settings like the pick-up sites that have been so critical since March. Before the start of this school year, the Trump administration at the USDA actually proposed pulling back that flexibility. It would have been terrible.

Eva Colen in my office worked with RPS to outline why this flexibility has been so critical to getting these meals to our kids, and, in my role as the Chairman of the Committee on Children, Health and Human Services for the US Conference of Mayors, we organized a group of Mayors to sign and send a letter to the Trump administration demanding that they restore the flexibility – and they did. So while the school meal programs are not something that my office is directly involved in, it is a great example of what we can accomplish working with RPS and through our relationships with Mayors around the country.

We have told our children for decades that public education is the great equalizer, but, currently, 59% of Richmond children are unprepared to learn on their first day of Kindergarten. Next term, I will create a public option for universal pre-K for every 3 and 4 year old so that every Richmond child has an opportunity to succeed. I will approach this proposal as I have every one of my administration’s priorities: collaboratively. I am prepared to work with council to identify the funding necessary to accomplish this by 2025. I have funded every one of my priorities, and universal pre-K will be no different.

We must have a collaborative approach to RPS, where the Mayor’s office, City Council, and School Board all work together for our kids. That is why I have attended the Education Compact meetings, even as one of my opponents has missed 7 of the last 10 meetings. My administration has also fully funded the RPS Strategic Plan and created a guaranteed property tax revenue stream for our public schools. My administration also fought for additional funding for three new schools, expanded afterschool programs to every elementary and middle school, and will fight for universal pre-K during my next administration. All funding options must be on the table; our kids deserve nothing less than the best.

Richmond Mayorathon

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A Focus on the 5th

Kimberly Gray

Justin Griffin

Alexsis Rodgers

Levar Stoney