The City of Richmond today launched the COVID-19 First Responder Meal Program in an effort to support both the local restaurant industry and the city’s diligent first responders. 

Through the program, first responders on duty will be given options to order a meal from different local restaurants each day, ensuring that small businesses are given priority in nourishing the hardworking essential employees that protect civilians and organize emergency response every day. 

The city invites local restaurants within city limits who employ fewer than 25 employees at each location to apply to participate in the program. Once a restaurant is approved to participate, the program administrator will assign the restaurant one or more dates when the program will pay the cost of the first responders’ meal. 

The assigned restaurants will change day-to-day to give as many restaurants as possible in the city the opportunity to benefit from the program.  

“This program is a simple and delicious way for the city to expand our support for small businesses,” said Mayor Stoney. “Our first responders deserve food that nourishes the body and the soul, and I know Richmond’s restaurants can deliver.”

Interested restaurants should access the application and program guidelines here, on RVA Strong.

Go to the “For Businesses” section of  to learn more about resource to support our business community during COVID-19. 

New FY21 budget based on nearly 5% reduction in projected revenue due to COVID-19

The Stoney administration today unveiled the adjusted FY2021 proposed budget, which was designed to align with a $38.5M projected general revenue fund decrease.

Budget and council staff have been working together tirelessly since the mayor declared a state of emergency in the City of Richmond, aiming to adapt the proposed FY21 budget to the new restrictions posed by the economic effect of the pandemic. 

The FY21 budget outlined in Mayor Stoney’s March 6 presentation was based on a $782.6M general fund revenue projection. That projection has been updated and is now estimated to decrease by $38.5M and now stands at an estimated $744.1M. That represents a decrease of 4.9 percent from the budget presented to City Council on March 6th. 

The city is now projected to face a shortfall at the end of FY20; a surplus was originally expected. The city has implemented cost-saving measures such as a hiring freeze and a moratorium on all discretionary spending to help offset the effect. 

Currently, the updated budget still aligns with Richmond’s priorities: supporting schools, fixing roads and sidewalks, and making the city a more equitable, safe place to raise a family. 

The revised FY21 budget will still allocate more to RPS than the city did in FY20, following council-approved guidance to dedicate a certain percentage of real estate tax revenue to schools. A total of $181M will now go to RPS, compared to roughly $175M in FY20. 

The City of Richmond also remains dedicated to supporting nonprofit partners who meet the needs of the Richmond community. Knowing that many non-profit partners are facing challenges due to COVID-19, the mayor worked to ensure that partners budget did not receive a cut from their FY20 allocations through the city’s non-departmental budget.  

Richmonders will no longer see utility rate increases in FY21, which has a $2.5M impact on projected general fund revenues - in the form of a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) payment to the city. The city has adjusted for this change by making further cuts to department budgets. 

“This international crisis is forcing local governments everywhere to make tough, sometimes heartbreaking decisions when it comes to budgets,” said Mayor Stoney. “In Richmond, we’re blessed with a team unified around our shared values: equity, opportunity, and fiscal responsibility to our residents. This adjusted budget reflects those values.”

The following lists do not include all changes. The finalized amendments will be available once they are formally submitted to Richmond City Council by April 20.

The following items funded in the original FY21 budget have been eliminated:
2 percent salary increase for employees; 
Step increases for public safety personnel and base salary increases for public safety recruits;
Nearly $9.4M in currently funded full-time and part-time employee positions, and the elimination of 12 proposed new positions throughout the administration, including in Citizen Service and Response, Parks and Recreation, Human Services, and the City Attorney’s office, among others;
Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities workforce development program for returning citizens;
Doula program run through the Richmond City Health District; 
History and Culture Commission operating budget; and
Several non-departmental allocations to nonprofits that did not receive funds in FY20. 

The following items saw an increase in the original FY21 budget but have now been brought to FY20 funding levels:
The Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which was slated to receive $3.5M but will now receive $2.9M;
The Eviction Diversion Program, which was slated for a $201k increase but will now receive $485k; and
Many non-departmental allocations to nonprofits that received funds in FY20. 
  
The budget amendments will be formalized and submitted to Richmond City Council by April 20, at which point they will become publicly available. 
 

The City of Richmond successfully sold $333.7 million in Public Utility Revenue and Refunding Bonds, of which $150.9 million was for new money projects and $182.8 million was to refund existing debt service for interest rate savings.

The cost of funds for the city’s new money projects was approximately 3.09 percent, which is near the lowest cost of funds in several decades. In addition, the city took advantage of the low interest rate environment to refund its 2013A bond issue, which will result in the city reducing its existing debt service by $22.7 million over the next 23 years. Those savings will be spread across the city’s gas, water, and wastewater enterprise funds and will alleviate a portion of the expected future year rate increases.

The bonds were highly rated by all three national credit rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch (Aa1, AA and AA, respectively). Investor interest appeared to be enhanced by the utilities credit rating upgrade the city received from Moody’s two weeks before the sale.

“The extraordinary amount of competitive demand to purchase our utility bonds, which drove down the interest costs and will ultimately benefit our customers, demonstrates the confidence that investors have in the effectiveness of our system,” said Mayor Stoney.

David Rose, Senior Vice President and Manager of Public Finance at Davenport & Company LLC, the city’s financial advisor, said, “The Moody’s upgrade and overall credit quality was significant and undoubtedly showed real momentum, as the city saved many millions compared to initial pre-pandemic planning.”

“The results of this bond sale reaffirm that the city’s utility system is well run and well respected by investors,” said Acting Chief Administrative Officer Lenora Reid

Las oficinas de la Ciudad de Richmond seguirán cerradas al público entre el lunes 13 de abril y el domingo 3 de mayo. 

Este cierre continuado está diseñado para garantizar la salud y seguridad de los residentes, empleados y el público en general, debido a la pandemia de COVID-19. 

El personal esencial seguirá trabajando y los servicios esenciales seguirán funcionando. Puede acceder a una lista de esos servicios haciendo clic aquí. 

Por favor lea la página en Internet que ha dedicado la ciudad a este tema, haciendo clic aquí, para obtener actualizaciones acerca de la respuesta dada por la ciudad al COVID-19. Si desea colaborar u obtener ayuda, visite la página RVAStrong. 

NFL player and proud Richmond native Clelin Ferrell has generously agreed to donate $100,000 to two local relief efforts. 

$50,000 will go to support the Eviction Diversion Program, founded in 2019 by the Stoney administration and managed through local nonprofit Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME). 

The other $50,000 will support Richmond’s Family Crisis Fund, which provides one-time grants to families who have experienced income loss due to COVID-19. The Stoney administration announced last week that the city has matched the Robins Foundation’s original contribution to the fund. Both the city and Mr. Ferrell’s contributions, through a partnership with local nonprofit Enrichmond, will be disbursed directly to Richmond families. 

“Knowing who I am means knowing how much my hometown, Richmond, VA means to me,” said Ferrell. “There’s something special about the people from this city and how we are built. For a long time, we have had one of the highest eviction rates in the country and people are losing their jobs because of the crisis, so I am donating $100,000 to the Family Crisis Fund and the Eviction Diversion Program to help the communities that made me who I am. I love y’all and stay strong, stay safe, and always stay Richmond!”

“Clelin embodies everything I love about Richmond: its strength, its resilience, and its sense of community. His contribution will help hundreds of families, as well as our city as a whole, emerge from this crisis safe and supported,” said Mayor Stoney. 

Last week I provided my second weekly COVID-19 response and recovery update to members of the Richmond City Council and public.This third memorandum will build upon what was described last week as part of my administration’s comprehensive response to combat COVID-19.

To date, Richmond has 81 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three tragic COVID-19-related deaths.[2] Public health projections assume that more residents will be impacted before this crisis is abated, which is why my message to the public this week remained “we are safer and stronger at home.” I encourage you to share this message within your respective districts to ensure that we all do our part to flatten the curve of this pandemic. 

Furthermore, last week I described how my administration and our community partners are providing assistance to our most vulnerable populations during this health crisis. Here are our updates on actions taken this week. 

1. On April 2, the Richmond Economic Development Authority created the Richmond Small Business Disaster Loan Program, which will offer interest-free emergency loans of up to $20,000 to small businesses within city limits. The program is intended to provide relief to small businesses who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Monies will go toward paying employee wages, empowering local, small businesses to continue operating and keep employees on their payroll. The application will be available starting Monday, April 6 and applications will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can learn more here.
2. Today, we launched the RVAStrong website, which centralizes support for our neighbors who need it and amplifies those who are willing to offer it. There are resources for everyone on RVAStrong– from those who need help finding diapers, to small business support options, to those who want to volunteer at a food distribution site. I encourage you to share this resource with your constituents.
3. My administration also announced today that we will provide a $500,000 match to the Robins Foundation Family Crisis Fund. The money will fund relief payments to families in the City of Richmond. You can read the city’s announcement on that here.
4. My administration will present FY21 budget amendments to the previously proposed FY21 budget along with a presentation to City Council on April 13, 2020. The proposed amendments will address the reduction in revenues due to COVID-19 as well as corresponding reductions in the proposed expenditures. Please see the attached memo from Acting City Administrative Officer Lenora Reid for additional information.
5.  Working with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities, we decided to temporarily close all public playgrounds and athletic courts to help combat COVID-19. Additionally, activities at the James River are restricted; no swimming, sunbathing or gathering in groups will be allowed, though patrons may still use the area for exercise, such as biking, walking, running and hiking. You can read my full statement here
6. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities also decided to close the main parking lots that provide access to the James River on weekends. This policy will remain in effect for the duration of Governor Northam’s stay-at-home order. 
7. The YMCA of Greater Richmond is now operating five emergency childcare sites across the region for children (ages 5-14) of all essential personnel. This week, they significantly discounted their daily fee to $15 per day per child; $10 for each additional child. More information is available here.
8. Starting next week, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will open an emergency childcare site at Carver Elementary for children (ages 5-14) of essential local government employees. There is no fee for this program. All employees will receive registration information by email, or they can email RVASPECIALEVENTS@richmondgov.com for more information.
9. YWCA Richmond’s Sprout School, a non-departmental grantee, re-opened its downtown preschool this week to serve children (18 months-5 years) of essential personnel. More information and registration are available by email at sprout@ymcarichmond.org.
10. RPS has continued to expand its approach to serving meals by utilizing buses to transport meals to locations across the city, making food more accessible. RPS now has 10 school-based sites and 43 “grab and go” sites serving meals. You can locate the sites here;
11. My administration initiated a conversation with immigrant and refugee service providers to ensure that these vulnerable populations are receiving the services and information they need during this pandemic. My office will continue to engage and support these providers and populations during these challenging times.
12. The Richmond Economic Development department has recommended the establishment of a tax amnesty program for small, local businesses. We will introduce an ordinance at the next scheduled city council meeting offering amnesty for all penalties and interest on most local taxes due March 13 – June 30;
13. The Office of the Press Secretary continues to update the city COVID-19 webpage on a daily basis;
14. Updates to available city services can be found here.

    My administration is also continuing to explore how we can provide additional support. Specifically, we are:

    1. Working with community partners to ensure our most vulnerable populations have access to food.
    2. Additionally, I have continued to advocate for numerous policies and efforts at the state level.  This week, I wrote a letter to Governor Northam and began conversations with finance and banking leaders in the Richmond-region encouraging partnership to determine options available to support financially-challenged Virginians. You can read my full letter here. 
    3. My administration has also supported recent efforts taken by Governor Northam, such as his recent mandated stay-at-home order, to help flatten the curve. We are committed to enforcing his executive order in the City of Richmond. To report non-compliance, please call the RPD non-emergency number: 804-646-5100. Additional information on enforcement can be found here.
    4. We are in uncharted territory and are taking these measures out of an abundance of caution.
    5. My administration remains committed to working with the Richmond City Council and providing timely updates during these ever-changing times. This is an opportunity for us to come together and do what we were elected to do: serve our constituents when they need us most.
    6. We are in uncharted territory and are taking these measures out of an abundance of caution. 
    7. My administration remains committed to working with the Richmond City Council and providing timely updates during these ever-changing times. This is an opportunity for us to come together and do what we were elected to do: serve our constituents when they need us most.

Richmond is offering loans of up to $20,000 for small businesses within city limits to help employers cover labor costs to keep businesses open and pay employee wages.  and will be linked to from the Economic Relief Resources section of the city’s dedicated webpage, here.

The RVAStrong webpage includes information on eligibility, supplemental documents required alongside the application, and a PDF of the application itself.

Interested parties should email the following documentation to Rick Winston at the Department of Economic Development:

• Completed and signed Richmond Small Business Disaster Loan Program application;
• Documentation of weekly payroll expenses for the last eight weeks;
• Two years of the company’s financial statements;
• Two years of the business signed tax returns; and
• Two years of the applicants’ individual signed taxed returns.

There is a limited amount of funding for this program. Applications will be considered in the order in which they are submitted.