~Virginia is one of nine states selected nationwide to host educational expansion meetings~ Richmond, VA – Mayor Dwight C. Jones and the Virginia Partnership For Out-Of-School Time (VPOST) are proud to announce that the city of Richmond will host a Mayoral Summit to discuss the need for before and after school programs, summer activities and other out-of-school time (OST) learning opportunities for youth. To strengthen ways that city and state leaders collaborate to provide these opportunities, the National League of Cities’ (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education and Families (YEF Institute) has selected nine statewide afterschool networks from across the country to host mayoral summits on expanding access to afterschool programs and building citywide OST systems. The project is generously supported through a partnership between the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and The Wallace Foundation . Planning for a 2012 Richmond Mayoral Summit will begin in the upcoming weeks. “I commend VPOST

~$7.1 million collected is three times higher than the amount collected prior~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones reported on the city’s 2011 Real Estate Tax Amnesty program which took place from February 15 to April 15, 2011. The Jones Administration sought and won the authority to offer the amnesty program during the 2010 General Assembly session and the city of Richmond was the only locality authorized to have such a program. "Our first amnesty program covering past-due real estate taxes waived any penalties to the real estate taxes owed by a property-owner," said Mayor Jones. "Through this program we were able to provide some relief for those taxpayers who may still have been adjusting to the new twice-yearly real estate collections, as well as just general relief in light of the tough economy we’ve been facing." Taxpayers had until April 15 to pay without penalty. The program covered past-due real estate taxes, and taxpayers were able to make payments directly to the c

~Ordinance introduced to transfer funds back to City~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones introduced an ordinance today to transfer $2.1 million in funding being held by the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) to the City's general fund. The funds represent remaining project monies from the redevelopment of the former Miller & Rhodes department store and related parcels, which was managed by RRHA for the City of Richmond. The Jones administration had initially called for the remaining project funds to remain with RRHA in preparation for the planned purchase, on behalf of the City, of the Fan-area GRTC property. Mayor Jones wanted the city to have an active role in the future of the site because of the significant development potential. "Initial plans for directing these funds to the purchase of that site have shifted as we've acquired better and additional information with respect to the needs of that particular site," said Mayor Jones. "Additional co