Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced the appointment of Leonard Sledge as the city’s next director of Economic Development.

Sledge brings more than 13 years of experience in economic development to the position. Throughout his career, he has led construction, renovation and retention projects for universities and municipal governments.He has served as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Hampton and for the College of William and Mary. Most recently, Sledge served as the executive director of the Henry County Development Authority, which serves the southeast portion of the Atlanta metro region.

Sledge earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Morehouse College and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from Georgia Tech. He holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix. In 2019, he was named one of North America’s top 50 economic developers by Consultant Connect.
“The City of Richmond is growing and we need to make sure we pursue development that not only expands our tax base, but is community-oriented and expands opportunity for all of our residents,” said Mayor Stoney. “Leonard’s background in local government and his record of informed, principled decision-making indicate he’s the right person for the job.”

As the Director of Economic Development, Sledge will oversee the economic growth of the city, including business retention and attraction, real estate development and redevelopment, and small business development and support. He will oversee the administration of the City’s Enterprise and Opportunity Zones, as well as several economic development loan programs. He will report directly to Sharon Ebert, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic and Community Development. “I’m excited for the opportunity to work with this talented city team, civic-minded stakeholders and the community to help Richmond realize its economic development potential and move the city forward,” said Sledge.

“Mike Herring has been an outstanding Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond who has served the residents of our city with dedication and distinction for 13 years.

Mike’s keen and progressive legal mind, fairness and commitment to justice, both inside and outside the courtroom, has made Richmond a safer and more equitable place to live.

We will miss Commonwealth’s Attorney Herring’s steady and principled leadership in this critical law enforcement role, and I join the residents of the City of Richmond in honoring his public service and in wishing him well in the next chapter of his professional life.”

The City of Richmond has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). 

“This is another mark of achievement in our efforts to maintain the highest levels of fiscal responsibility in Richmond,” said Mayor Stoney. “I congratulate our Department of Budget & Strategic Planning for this significant achievement.” The award represents a significant achievement by the city’s Department of Budget & Strategic Planning. Richmond had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation to receive this award. These guidelines are designed to assess how well the city’s budget serves as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide and communications device. Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories.

“I am very proud of our budget staff,” said Richmond Budget Director Jay Brown. “This recognition affirms the commitment we have to best practices.”

The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

Questions concerning this GFOA award can be directed to Michael Nixon-Garrison at (804) 646-7922 or by email: michael.nixon-garrison@richmondgov.com
 

City nearing 400 retimed signalized intersections~

RICHMOND, Va – The city continues to ramp up its retiming of traffic signals.  Work begins Monday, February 4 to retime 147 more. These improvements will increase pedestrian safety on our major arterials citywide at more than 390 signalized intersections. The work during this phase includes intersections west of Belvidere (VCU, Fan, Museum District and West End). 

The project is part of an initiative that began one year ago and included the retiming of 71 intersections in the Southside, 17 in the Northside, and 179 in the Downtown Area.  It is part of a comprehensive plan to deploy low cost, systemic pedestrian safety improvements at signalized intersections through 2020. These improvements include: high visibility crosswalks, accessible ramps, pedestrian countdown signals and improved signal timings. 

The project aligns with the city’s participation in the Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to reduce crashes resulting in serious injuries and death for all transportation users through updated traffic signal timings. Additional benefits of new timing plans include improving pedestrian safety and multi-modal mobility, decreased wear on motor vehicles, as well as improved gas mileage by reducing the number of stops and starts. Environmental benefits include the reduction of vehicle emissions such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and volatile organic compounds. 

Richmond is working on the project in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Richmond Regional Planning Organization (RRTPO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The city is leveraging state and federal funding sources to implement this important timing project as part of an overall $3.5 million initiative to improve pedestrian safety through funding from the FHWA and VDOT's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), and $800,000 funded throughout the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program from RRTPO.

Due to the changes in some traffic signal operations, all transportation users are encouraged to be alert as they become accustomed to the new traffic patterns.  Each corridor takes several weeks to fine tune before the pattern is finalized.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced a plan to engage Richmond residents in the process of seeking a permanent replacement to succeed retired Richmond Police Department Chief Alfred Durham.

“Community engagement is one of the core functions of effective policing in our city,” said Mayor Stoney. “So it only makes sense that as I go about the business of finding a permanent replacement for Chief Durham, my administration seeks residents’ opinions and perspective on what they’re looking for in their next chief. We are going to conduct a national search, but we are going to listen to our residents and prioritize the input we receive in the community.”

The five-week public engagement period will commence with a series of public forums and community meetings sponsored by the City’s Department of Human Resources, as well as an online survey for residents to complete.

The meetings, which will be held throughout the city in each of its four police precinct communities are scheduled as follows:

Community Town Halls

February 6
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Southside Community Services Center
4100 Hull Street Rd. (2nd Precinct)

February 11
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Richmond Police Department Training Academy
1202 W. Graham Rd.
(4th Precinct)

February 13
11 a.m. to noon
Sarah Jones Garland Center
2600 Nine Mile Rd.
(1st Precinct)

February 21
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
First Baptist Church
2709 Monument Ave.
(3rd Precinct)
  
The survey can be found here, at richmondgov.com in the City News section.

The engagement is believed to be the first time in recent city history that feedback from the community has been formally solicited by a mayor as part of the hiring process for a new police chief. The city will conduct a national search.

Below is an approximate timetable for the hiring process:

February - March – Community engagement

March 10 - April 6 – Online application posted to richmondgov.com/HumanResources

April – Review and pre-screening of applications by City Dept. of Human Resources

May – Interviews of qualified applicants; selection of finalists to be interviewed by Mayor and CAO

June – Offer extended to top finalist; selection announced by Mayor

“Chief of Police is one of the most important jobs in any city government, requiring skills that go well beyond policing itself,” said Mayor Stoney. “I’m confident that this inclusive process will help us select not just a highly qualified law enforcement professional, but also the right chief for Richmond moving forward.”

Mayor Proposes Key Initiatives to Build an Inclusive and Competitive City

Mayor Levar M. Stoney delivered his 2019 State of the City address this evening, unveiling bold and ambitious, first of their kind initiatives to further Richmond’s progress as an inclusive and competitive city serving the needs of all Richmonders.

Speaking before a packed auditorium at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, and streaming online via Facebook, Mayor Stoney announced the creation of a new, first of its kind Eviction Diversion Program, and inclusion in his 2019-20 budget of a 20-year capital improvement plan to make needed investments in city streets, sidewalks, community centers and city transportation fleet, among other priorities. 

The pilot Eviction Diversion Program is a new partnership between the city and Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Housing Opportunities Made Equal and city courts system. Mayor Stoney said the program incorporates pro-bono attorney representation and financial assistance to support eligible tenants, mediation between landlords and tenants and payment plans to ensure landlords receive tenants’ rent due in a timely fashion.

Mayor Stoney announced a new city lactation policy for nursing mothers, the first of its kind among any city in the South. He made a commitment of support to renaming the Boulevard to Arthur Ashe Boulevard as well.

“This is what it means to be inclusive,” said Mayor Stoney. “This is what makes us more competitive; and that’s what building ‘One Richmond’ is all about.”

In reviewing his administration's significant accomplishments of 2018, Mayor Stoney proclaimed, “I can say without equivocation – and with pride and gratitude – the state of our city is strong!” Adding, “Richmond is competing, and it is competing at a higher level than it has in a long time.”

Examples of these 2018 successes included new investments in education and the groundbreaking of three new public schools, a new Department of Citizen Service and Response, achievements in multimodal transportation and affordable housing, establishment of the Shockoe Alliance to advance the future of the Shockoe area and raising Richmond’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI) score to 94. 

The MEI is the Human Rights Campaign’s measure of a locality’s responsiveness to the LGBTQIA+ community, and Richmond achieved the greatest score increase of any locality in the United States in 2018, and highest score in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Mayor Stoney cautioned the city would not rest on the laurels of success or progress made, but let the audience and viewers know he is still excited about Richmond’s future and achievements made to date, “I am so excited about the possibilities for our city. I am so confident we will be successful because all of you are here with me on this journey. Together, this city is working. This city is moving forward. And we are not turning back.”

The mayor's State of the City address, as prepared, can be found here.

Download additional information about the Eviction Diversion Program here.

Watch the video played during tonight’s address here.

Today Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced appointments to the History and Culture Commission, which will advise the mayor on issues of historical and cultural significance within the city.

Early work of the commission will center around memorializing the deep history of Shockoe Bottom as the area where enslaved Africans were brought hundreds of years ago and providing direction on implementing the recommendations of the Monument Avenue Commission.

“In order to move forward in creating more equitable spaces and opportunities for all Richmonders, we must ensure the stories we tell uplift and empower, not tear down or divide,” said Mayor Stoney. “We must reclaim our complete history and dismantle the systemic racism and inequities that resulted. I am confident this commission will provide appropriate and rightful guidance in this important task.”

Commission members include:

• Jamie O. Bosket, President of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture
• Melanie Buffington, Associate Professor in the Art Education Department at Virginia Commonwealth University
• Free Egunfemi, Independent Historical Strategist and founder of Untold RVA
• Julian Hayter, Historian and Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond
• Maurice Henderson, NASA
• Hakim Lucas, President of Virginia Union University
• William “Bill” Martin, Director of the Valentine Museum
• Ryan Rinn, Executive Director for Storefront Community Design
• Paula Saylor-Robinson, Director of Audience Development and Outreach, Virginia Museum of Fine Art

In addition to the nine voting members, the commission consists of four non-voting members, including Richmond City Council President Cynthia Newbille and Kimberly Chen, principal planner in the Department of Planning and Development Review. Two youth members will be appointed by the nine voting members of the commission, which will convene later this spring.

“I am grateful for the service of these talented and committed experts,” Mayor Stoney said. “And I look forward to their work to ensure the complex narrative of the City of Richmond is told accurately, inclusively and holistically.”

For more information, please contact Osita Iroegbu at  Osita.Iroegbu@richmondgov.com or call (804) 646-4336.

Fully balanced proposal provides an increase of $18.5 million for Richmond Public Schools, $16.2 million for roads and sidewalks, $2.9 million for affordable housing, additional $965,000 for increased GRTC service and $485,000 in funding for eviction diversion

Mayor Levar M. Stoney today unveiled a FY 2020 budget making bold investments to meet Richmond’s long-neglected needs in public education and neighborhoods to build a more inclusive, more competitive and more equitable city.

“This budget marks a new beginning,” Mayor Stoney stated. “With this budget we have the opportunity to invest in our children, our families and our neighborhoods to build the Richmond our residents deserve.”

The fully balanced budget proposal presented to Richmond City Council provides an additional $18.5 million to fully fund the Richmond Public Schools (RPS) strategic plan, Dreams4RPS, which includes the local match for recently passed state salary increases for teachers. The city’s Capital Improvement Program budget also fully funds eligible RPS maintenance needs of $19 million.

“There is no investment more important, or worthwhile, than the investment we make in our children,” said Mayor Stoney, addressing the nine members of council in council chambers. “Their future is our future.”

The mayor’s budget also provides an historic investment of $16.2 million toward streets and sidewalks.

“From Church Hill to Westhampton, from Worthington Farms to Providence Park, these investments will allow us to support our neighborhoods in an equitable and sustainable way, not just this year, but every year,” the mayor said.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this budget marks a new beginning,” Mayor Stoney continued. “With this budget, we have an opportunity to invest in our children, our families and our neighborhoods to build the city we all deserve.”

In addition to new investments in schools and streets, the mayor’s budget also includes funding for the following:

• $2.9 million dedicated to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
• An additional $965,000 to the Greater Richmond Transit Corporation for increased service and route frequency to those communities that need it the most
• $485,000 for Richmond’s Eviction Diversion Program, the first of its kind in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Additional staffing for the Department of Citizen Service and Response and RVA311, to reduce wait times and provide a higher level of customer service to residents
• Continuation of planned step pay increases for police and firefighters, a raise in starting salaries for police officers to $43,000 and a cost of living adjustment for general city employees of 3 percent – the first increase of its kind in 15 years

The Capital Improvement Program budget of $96.9 million for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins July 1, makes a number of investments in city infrastructure, including:

• $10 million to restore bridges and thoroughfares and for pedestrian traffic safety initiatives that reduce accidents and save lives through the Vision Zero program
• Renovations to Powhatan and Southside Community Centers, and upgrades to Blackwell Playground and Chimborazo Park to enhance programming for youth and senior citizens 
• Full funding for RPS maintenance needs

Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Considerations:

A projected $12 million increase in revenue growth for the coming fiscal year barely covers the approximate $10 million increase in non-discretionary city expenditures and leaves limited funding to tackle any of the major, longstanding challenges faced by the city to make improvements to schools or neighborhoods. These needs, and costs, have only grown larger following years of deferred maintenance and delayed investment at the local and state levels following the recession.

The recession was preceded, in 2006 and 2007, by tax cuts that took the city’s real estate tax rate per $100 of assessed value from $1.29 to $1.20, where it has remained for the last 11 years. As far back as 15 years ago, this tax was $1.38; and 30 years ago, it was $1.53.

To address these core priorities, Mayor Stoney is proposing a restoration of the real estate tax rate to its pre-recession level of $1.29 per $100 of assessed value – the same rate it was in 2006. He is also proposing the City of Richmond impose its first ever tax on cigarettes of 50 cents per pack. These common sense and fiscally-responsible proposals will yield additional revenues of $21.1 and $3 million, respectively.

The resulting major investments in roads and streets will move Richmond out of the recurring cycle of playing “whack-a-mole” with potholes and help restore the city’s infrastructure after years of neglect.

The resulting significant investments in public education will better enable RPS to fund its vision to provide students with the pathways to success they deserve. This needed education investment includes:

• Funding to provide an equitable literacy plan to ensure all third graders read at their grade level
• Restructured English and math curricula
• An increase in the number of school counselors and nurses
• Improved performance of the RPS bus system
• Salary increases for teachers and support staff

Mayor Stoney made it clear he expects results from RPS – and a tangible return on the proposed investment by the city.  

“We will insist on accountability and commitment by the school board to produce an annual RPS scorecard tracking progress and performance, as well as a date certain to deliver their city school rezoning plan,” the mayor said. “No excuses.”

Mayor Stoney said the budget he is proposing is not “the easy thing to do. But it certainly is the right thing to do. It is designed to build on our successes while addressing years of deferred maintenance and delayed investment in our city.

In his speech, the mayor referenced the great American poet Langston Hughes, who wrote that a dream deferred is a dream denied.
“Whether it’s the dream of strong and thriving neighborhoods – or the Dreams 4 RPS strategic plan – we cannot allow these dreams to be deferred OR denied any longer.”

------

NOTE: Following the budget presentation, Richmond City Council will commence its review process, which will include a series of public hearings and presentations by city department heads. Council is required to pass a balanced budget by the end of May. For more information and a schedule of council hearings, please visit the Richmond City Council  webpage.

The City of Richmond FY 2020 budget can be found here.
Read Mayor Stoney’s budget remarks here.
Watch here.
Follow the City of Richmond on  Facebook and  Twitter.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced the appointment of three highly skilled professionals to fill three executive positions currently being held by interim appointees.

Sharon Ebert has been selected to serve as the new Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Economic and Community Development Portfolio. Douglas Dunlap has been named as the Director of Housing and Community Development. Valaryee Mitchell, interim Director of the Office of Community Wealth Building, has been appointed to lead the office on a permanent basis.

“Our city is blessed to have top-tier talent assuming these key leadership roles,” said Mayor Stoney. “Sharon, Doug and Valaryee have the expertise and dedication to lead these departments and I look forward to all we will accomplish together working for the residents of the City of Richmond.”

Sharon Ebert has more than 25 years of experience working in state and local government. Her work experience has resulted in over a billion dollars in investments in areas of economic and retail development, tax credit financing, historic preservation, mixed-income and mixed-use redevelopment.

Ebert previously held positions in New York City, Yonkers, NY, Philadelphia, PA, and Bridgeport, CT. As the Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Development in Yonkers, NY, She was responsible for all economic, community and real estate development activities undertaken by the city, as well as all planning activities including master and urban renewal plans, neighborhood and downtown revitalization and affordable housing.

Most recently, Ebert served as Director of Community Development in the City of Johns Creek, GA where she oversaw planning, zoning, land development, building, permitting, and code enforcement activities. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and previously held the credential of a registered and licensed architect while working in New York.

Douglas Dunlap has been employed with the city for 19 years, during which time he has served in several capacities across multiple departments. Previously serving as Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Development Review and most recently Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer.

Dunlap has more than 25 years of experience in public administration in areas of planning, housing and community development. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Hampton University as well as a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Prior to joining the city, Dunlap was employed with the Better Housing Coalition where he managed its homeownership program overseeing Cary 2000 and Jefferson Mews homeownership phases.

Valaryee Mitchell has more than 18 years of progressive experience with workforce programs including those serving youth, adults, people living in poverty, dislocated workers, re-entry and business.

In her previous role as Workforce Administrator she provided leadership and oversight for the City of Richmond’s workforce development initiatives including the Career Stations, BLISS Program, Business Services, and Mayor’s Youth Academy. Valaryee received her bachelor’s degree from Hampton University in Political Science and her Master of Public Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Prior to coming to the Office of Community Wealth Building Mitchell was the Statewide One-Stop Coordinator for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). During her tenure with the VCCS she established a One-Stop Certification process that reviewed continuous quality improvement in 18 American Job Centers across Virginia.
 

The school board faced a number of tough decisions in crafting this budget, and I appreciate it choosing to pass a plan that prioritizes students and teachers. I am committed to identifying the resources needed to provide our students with the learning opportunities they deserve. Fully funding Richmond Public Schools would be easier if the Commonwealth of Virginia would step up and fulfill its constitutional obligation to adequately support K-12 education. Virginia’s current approach to funding public education is not only inadequate and inequitable, it is unjust and immoral. The Commonwealth needs to do more for Virginia’s children, especially those growing up in poverty. The RPS adopted budget demands a lot from the City of Richmond. We have our own tough decisions ahead, but our kids deserve nothing less than our bold leadership.