The following are the remarks as prepared for Mayor Levar M. Stoney regarding the City of Richmond FY 2018 Budget: Thank you all for being here. First, I want to thank everyone involved in organizing and supporting my budget this year. I proposed the largest ever single year funding increase for education, and now $170 million will be allocated for Richmond Public Schools — providing needed cost of living increases for school personnel and long overdue increases in teacher salaries. My budget increased funding for the Richmond Police and Fire Departments, and an additional $5.5 million is finally being invested in our public safety personnel. My budget made needed improvements to core services, including our enhanced bulk and brush pickup and we reformed leaf collection. And my budget invested an additional $500,000 for the Office of Community Wealth Building, to help move more people into the workforce and lift more families out of poverty.  All four of my major budget priorities: pub