City Council
Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall
Agenda — 39 items
- 1 Councilmembers Present
- 2 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan and Spanish Interpretation Announcement
- 2 The Honorable Cynthia Newbille, President The Honorable Katherine Jordan, Vice President The Honorable Sarah Abubaker The Honorable Andrew Breton (late arrival) The Honorable Kenya Gibson The Honorable Ellen Robertson The Honorable Reva Trammell (late arrival) The Honorable Nicole Jones
- 3 Formal Budget Presentation
- 3 Absent
- 4 Introduction of Legislation
- 4 The Honorable Stephanie Lynch
- 5 March 27, 2025 Introduction Papers List
- 5 Call to Order
- 6 Council Budget Schedule and Priorities Review
- 6 Council President Cynthia Newbille called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m., and presided.
- 7 March 27, 2025 Budget Work Session Documents
- 8 Adjournment
- 8 Upon the President’s request, Deputy City Clerk RJ Warren provided information on the appropriate manner in which the Council Chamber is to be evacuated in the event of an emergency. Deputy City Clerk Warren stated that Spanish interpretation service was available in the Council Chamber and that attendees should speak with a representative to receive the appropriate equipment. Deputy City Clerk Warren also stated that Spanish interpretation service was available virtually through Microsoft Teams.
- 9 Roxana Talavera-Denson, Language Access Coordinator, Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement, then provided Spanish interpretation of Deputy City Clerk RJ Warren’s announcements.
- 10 Councilors Andrew Breton and Reva Trammell arrived at 3:02 p.m., and were seated.
- 11 page break
- 13 Mayor Danny Avula presented the proposed Fiscal Plan for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), and the city’s Capital Improvement Plan for 2026-2030, which included, but were not limited to, the following highlights:
- 14 • Total General Fund revenues projected at $1,056,511,879 for FY26
- 15 • A local contribution increase of $9.6 million in funding for Richmond Public Schools’ FY26 budget
- 16 • An investment of $50 million in housing to include $10 million to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
- 17 • A 3.25% salary increase for all eligible general employees
- 18 • A 10.3% salary increase for sworn police and fire personnel
- 19 • The creation of a new position titled Chief Transformation Officer
- 20 • A monthly increase in the water rate of $2.36, wastewater rate of $4.55, stormwater rates of $1.04 and natural gas rate of $4.88 for all single family residential customers
- 23 City Council will hold a public hearing on the following ordinances on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.:
- 1. To adopt the annual budget, which includes all of the separate current expense budgets for the general operation of the City government and Richmond Public Schools and for each utility as defined in ch. 13 of the City Charter and provides for increases to certain fees for the fiscal year commencing Jul.1, 2025, and ending Jun. 30, 2026, and to appropriate the estimated revenues for such fiscal year for the objects and purposes stated in such budget. (As Amended)
- 2. To accept a program of proposed Capital Improvement Projects for the fiscal year beginning Jul. 1, 2025, and for the four fiscal years thereafter; to adopt a Capital Budget for the fiscal year beginning Jul. 1, 2025; and to determine the means of financing the same. (As Amended)
- 3. To adopt a new pay plan for the City for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and to repeal Ord. No. 2024-101, adopted May 13, 2024, and all amendatory ordinances thereto.
- 4. To cancel certain authorized but unissued bonds authorized by the City of Richmond; to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and notes of the City of Richmond in the maximum principal amount of $123,872,811 to finance the cost of school projects and general capital improvement projects of the City for the following purposes and uses: construction, reconstruction, improvements and equipment for public schools; construction, reconstruction, improvement and equipment for various infrastructure needs, including transit facilities, traffic control facilities, streets, sidewalks and other public ways, bridges, storm sewers, drains and culverts, street lights, floodwall and levee system facilities and refuse disposal facilities; construction, reconstruction, improvement and equipment for public safety and other governmental purposes; to make grants or loans to assist in financing capital expenditures for the purposes of promoting the development of housing projects for the benefit of persons with low or moderate incomes; participation in redevelopment, conservation and community development programs, including the construction, reconstruction, improvement and equipment for targeted public facilities included in these programs; construction, reconstruction, improvements and equipment for public institutional, operational, cultural, educational and entertainment buildings and facilities, including but not limited to the theaters, parks, playgrounds, cemeteries, libraries and museums; acquisition of real property therefor as appropriate; and the making of appropriations to the City’s Economic Development Authority and the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority to be used to finance capital expenditures or to make loans or grants to finance capital expenditures or to make loans or grants to finance capital expenditures for the purposes of promoting economic development or promoting the development of housing projects for the benefit of persons with low or moderate incomes; to authorize the Director of Finance, with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City, to sell such bonds for such capital improvement projects, to provide for the form, details and payment of such bonds; to authorize the issuance of notes of the City in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds; and to authorize the issuance of such bonds as either federally tax-exempt bonds or federally taxable bonds, or both.
- 5. To authorize the issuance of general obligation public improvement bonds of the City of Richmond in the maximum principal amount of $193,714,000 to finance the cost of capital improvement projects of the stormwater utility of the City for the following purposes and uses: replacement of and upgrades to the stormwater facilities, including but not limited to, construction, reconstruction, improvements, rehabilitation and upgrades of stormwater sewers and associated facilities; new and replacement infrastructure of the storm sewer system, drainage structures, catch basins, ditches, storm sewer pipes, culverts, green infrastructure; acquisition of real property therefor as appropriate; and equipment for various infrastructure needs; to authorize the Director of Finance, with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City, to sell such bonds for such capital improvement projects, to provide for the form, details and payment of such bonds; to authorize the issuance of notes of the City in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds; and to authorize the issuance of such bonds as either federally tax-exempt bonds or federally taxable bonds, or both.
- 6. To cancel certain authorized but unissued bonds authorized by the City of Richmond; to authorize the issuance of public utility revenue bonds of the City of Richmond in the maximum principal amount of $384,171,453 to finance the cost of capital improvement projects of the gas, water and wastewater utilities and public utility buildings and facilities for the following purposes and uses: enlargement, extension, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of the gas plant, gate stations, transmission, distribution and service lines and associated metering equipment; enlargement, extension, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of the waterworks plant, pump stations, transmission, distribution and service lines and associated metering equipment; enlargement, extension, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of the wastewater plant and intercepting lines; construction, reconstruction, repair, replacement, and improvement of sanitary and storm water sewers, pumping stations, drains and culverts; construction, reconstruction, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of public utility buildings and facilities therefor, including but not limited to the stores division; and acquisition of real property and real property rights (including without limitation easements and rights-of-way) therefor as appropriate; to authorize the Director of Finance, with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City, to sell such bonds for such capital improvement projects; to provide for the form, details and payment of such bonds; to approve the form of supplemental indenture of trust; to authorize the issuance of notes of the City in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds; and to authorize the issuance of such bonds as either federally tax-exempt bonds or federally taxable bonds, or both.
- 7. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to submit a PY 2025 / FY 2026 Annual Action Plan to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as an application for the receipt of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds; to accept funds from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the total amount of $13,903,481.39; and to appropriate $13,903,481.39 for various projects; and to amend Ord. No. 2019-188, adopted Jul. 22, 2019, as last amended by Ord. No. 2024-185 adopted Jul. 22, 2024, which authorized the Chief Administrative Officer to submit original and amended Fiscal Year 2020 Consolidated Annual Action Plans to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an application for the receipt of CDBG funds, HOME funds, ESG funds and HOPWA funds, accepted funds from HUD in the total amount of $15,027,206.00 and appropriated $16,854,300.00 for various projects, to reappropriate $271,135.00 from surplus and reprogrammed CDBG-CV funds, for the purpose of providing funds to The Daily Planet, Inc., CARITAS, and YWCA Richmond, for homeless men and family shelters, to provide funds to the Daily Planet Health Services for mobile medical outreach.
- 31 Motion to Suspend the Rules
- 32 Vice President Katherine Jordan moved to suspend Rule Six of Council’s Rules of Procedure for all budget-related ordinances, introduced that day, so that those ordinances are not referred to or reviewed by a standing committee but are instead reviewed during a budget review process developed by the Council and the Council Chief of Staff and heard during the budget public hearing scheduled for Monday, April 14, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The motion was seconded and approved: Ayes 8, Breton, Gibson, Jones, Robertson, Trammell, Abubaker, Jordan, Newbille. Noes None.
- 33 page break
- 35 Matthew Slaats, Interim Council Chief of Staff, provided Council with an overview of Council's budget review schedule and budget priorities.
- 36 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 39 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:31 p.m. ___________________________________ CITY CLERK