Mayor's Order #2011-3 WHEREAS by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Richmond I do hereby create the Anti-Poverty Commission; and WHEREAS under this authority, the Anti-Poverty Commission is hereby established to develop strategies to address poverty that have demonstrable results for increasing employment and educational attainment, improving transportation, and enhancing healthy communities for Richmond residents; and WHEREAS the City of Richmond seeks to identify the root causes of poverty in the City and develop policies designed to address these causes; and WHEREAS according to the US Census 2009 American Community Survey, 22.1% of Richmond residents are below the poverty threshold set by the Federal government, compared to 7.2% average for the Commonwealth of Virginia; and WHEREAS the US Census 2009 American Community Survey reports the median household income for residents of the City of Richmond as $37,735, while the median household income for the Comm...

Mayor's Order #2011-2 WHEREAS by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Richmond I do hereby create a Commission on Pension Liability Assessment; and WHEREAS there is currently a great deal of focus nationally, and within Virginia, on the pension liabilities of major public pension funds; and WHEREAS it is paramount that the City of Richmond keep its promises to its employees in regard to their pension benefits; and WHEREAS pension liabilities represent a significant potential liability to the City and its taxpayers, with the City contributing over $40 million per year into our retirement system – a number that will exceed $45 million by FY 2012-13; and WHEREAS the Commission is hereby established to give my Administration and City Council advice on ways to improve and capitalize on our retirement system’s assets and challenges; and I, Dwight C. Jones, Mayor of the City of Richmond, do hereby set forth to develop a Commission on Pension Liability Assessment, and d...

This morning Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced that Luck Stone Corporation has signed on as the presenting sponsor for this year’s XTERRA East Championship June 11-12 in Richmond, VA. Amid concerns that the XTERRA East Championship might not take place in Richmond this year without a local sponsor, Luck Stone saw an opportunity to partner with the City of Richmond to bring world-class athletes to Richmond and bring world-class athletes out of Richmonders. Luck Stone’s sponsorship of XTERRA is just the beginning of a long-term partnership with the City of Richmond and support for the local community. Mayor Jones stated, “We are pleased that the XTERRA East Championship will again take place in Richmond, Virginia, and we are grateful to Luck Stone for making this possible. The City has shown great support for this event with the maintenance of our trails and logistical support. Now that we have a sponsor to provide XTERRA with the financial support, we finally have all the element...

Mayor's Order #2011-1 WHEREAS by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Richmond I do hereby create the Tourism Commission ; and WHEREAS under this authority, the Tourism Commission is hereby established to give my Administration advice on ways to improve and capitalize on the varied tourist opportunities that abound in the City of Richmond; and WHEREAS the City has a wealth of tourist destinations, including our many unique cultural and historic attractions, indoor and outdoor activities, professional sports venues and events, and world-class museums and art galleries; and WHEREAS the City of Richmond seeks to support the businesses that support the tourism market, including hospitality services, restaurants, hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts; and WHEREAS there is much that the City could do to enhance Richmond as a tourist destination through targeted marketing and other efforts; and WHEREAS the Richmond region attracts 5.75 million visitors every year, r...

Chief Administrative Officer Byron C. Marshall announced that Robert Steidel has been selected to serve as director of Public Utilities, effective Monday, March 07, 2011. Steidel had served as interim director for the department since Saturday, July 31, 2010, replacing Chris Beschler who had served as director of Public Utilities while serving as deputy chief administrative officer of Operations. Steidel previously served as the deputy director for the Department of Public Utilities for more than seven years. Prior to beginning city service, he served as the environmental manager for the city of Hopewell’s Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility; industrial surveillance supervisor for the Rock River Water Reclamation District in Rockford, IL; environmental health sanitarian for Winnebago County Department of Public Health in Rockford, IL; and biologist for Winona State University, MN. “Bob Stiedel has proven to be a valuable asset to the Department of Public Utilities and has provided...

Chief Administrative Officer Byron C. Marshall today announced the appointment of James A. Jackson to the position of Director of Public Works. Jackson will begin city service on Monday, February 28, 2011. Jackson has more than 17 years of experience in the public works field, with 10 of those years serving as director for the cities of Grand Rapids and Detroit, Michigan as well as Wayne County, Michigan. In 2009, ICMA-PM Magazine published his achievement of successfully bringing a public works department from a $3.5 million deficit to a $9.8 million surplus through successful process improvement initiatives. “James Jackson has a wealth of knowledge and experience as indicated in his many accomplishments, including the receipt of two awards in 2009 from the National Association of Counties,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “The City of Richmond is delighted to have Jackson as part of our team.” Jackson holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Knoxville College, TN and received a Master’s Degree i...