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December 4, 2025 ·12:00 PM Final ·FY 2027 Budget Priority Joint Meeting

Hilton Richmond Downtown, 501 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219

Agenda PDF Official record ↗

Agenda — 44 items

  1. 1 Council Members Present:
  2. 2 • Infrastructure • Economic development and affordability • People, families, community
  3. 2 The Honorable Cynthia Newbille, President The Honorable Katherine Jordan, Vice President The Honorable Andrew Breton The Honorable Kenya Gibson The Honorable Nicole Jones The Honorable Ellen Robertson The Honorable Stephanie Lynch (late arrival)
  4. 3 Agenda
  5. 3 Absent:
  6. 4 The Honorable Sarah Abubaker The Honorable Reva Trammell
  7. 5 Others in Attendance:
  8. 6 The Honorable Danny Avula, Mayor Odie Donald, II, Chief Administrative Officer Blair Blanchette, Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute Program Manager, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Sarah Campbell, Administrative Operations Coordinator, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Michelle Gowdy, Executive Director, Virginia Municipal League Eric Scorsone, Executive Director, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Kristina Weaver, Facilitator, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Kiley Kesecker, Deputy City Clerk Candice Reid, City Clerk RJ Warren, Council Chief of Staff
  9. IV. Budget Priority Facilitation
  10. 7 Call to Order
  11. V. Review of Prioritization Outcome
  12. 8 The meeting was called to order at 12:10 p.m.
  13. VI. Feedback and Comments
  14. 9 Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald, II welcomed everyone and thanked members of City Council for their participation, as well as the representatives from the Virginia Municipal League and the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service for facilitating the meeting.
  15. VII. Closing
  16. 10 A brief discussion took place regarding the purpose of the meeting, including the ground rules according to which it would be conducted and where it fits into the overall vision for the budget process.
  17. 11 Budget Priority Identification
  18. 12 December 4, 2025 Budget Priority Joint Meeting Documents CD.2026.045
  19. 13 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  20. 14 Mayor Avula outlined the following budget priorities as defined through the lens of the pillars for a thriving Richmond:
  21. 15 • City hall and government service delivery • Housing needs and affordable housing • Family needs, Richmond Public Schools and out of school time • Economic development
  22. 16 A discussion took place regarding gaps in the city budget, during which three themes were identified:
  23. 18 Priority Development and Expansion
  24. 19 Key priority areas were further identified and specified as follows:
  25. 20 Economic Development
  26. 21 Support for small businesses, equitable incentives, downtown revitalization and redevelopment, commercial corridors, transparency in project outcomes, and evaluating the impact of large developments.
  27. 22 Infrastructure
  28. 23 Investment in water treatment facilities, multimodal and fare-free public transit, sidewalk and pedestrian safety, open space and parks, utility affordability, climate resilience, and digital "smart city" infrastructure.
  29. 24 Housing
  30. 25 Dedicated, consistent funding for affordable housing, rental inspection programs, support for public housing transformation, transitional and supportive housing, crisis funds, and housing for public employees.
  31. 26 Education
  32. 27 Stable funding formulas for public schools, support for after-school programs, investment in new school construction, maintenance, and growth, and universal early childhood pathways.
  33. 28 Government Services
  34. 29 Efficiency assessments and analyses, addressing staff vacancies, improving customer service, and investing in finance and planning departments.
  35. 30 Health
  36. 31 Addressing geography-based healthcare disparities, planning for federal funding cuts, retirement benefits, mental health and addiction services, and food access.
  37. 32 Public Safety
  38. 33 Gun violence prevention, traffic enforcement (with equity considerations), fully staffed departments, and Vision Zero initiatives.
  39. 34 Environment and Culture
  40. 35 Preserving affordability, supporting small businesses, celebrating and restoring cultural history, supporting youth recreation, and leveraging assets like the James River.
  41. 36 Closing Remarks
  42. 37 Council Members, Mayor Avula, and CAO Donald expressed optimism about the collaborative approach to budget development, acknowledged the complexity of city budgeting in a congenial but political environment, and committed to ongoing improvement in both process and substance.
  43. 38 Adjournment
  44. 39 The meeting adjourned at 3:02 p.m.