Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement today following passage of the FY2017 Richmond Government Budget: “I again want to thank Richmond City Council for the hard work undertaken through a very difficult budget deliberations process.  A great deal of work was done and hard decisions made to identify the additional $9.5 million in capital and operating funds for Richmond Public Schools.  These additional funds build on the more than $145 million in operating funds submitted as part of my budget. With this increased funding, that brings the total operating funding for Richmond Public Schools to $151.5 million; again the largest single share of the city’s entire budget. I’m also pleased that additional funding was provided in other much needed areas like public works, police, fire, and finance. "The fact that budget discussions are always difficult discussions is not new.  Budget deliberations have even intensified as the country entered into a major rec...

The City’s Office of Minority Business Development (MBD) hosted more than 200 program graduates at the Empowerment 2016 forum for small and minority owned businesses at the Carillon at Dogwood Dell on May 12. The event acknowledged the individuals who have completed courses offered through the MBD Technical Assistance Program including - Money Smart, Construction Series, Emerging Small Business 101, Intermediate Small Business 201, and a host of other elective courses over the past year. Many of the program participants completed business plans during the program and are now implementing strategies to meet their goals. In speaking of the Empowerment 2016 forum, Mayor Dwight C. Jones noted, “We recognize the importance of providing the necessary assistance to help entrepreneurs build better, stronger businesses, as a sturdy, diverse business base of successful small and minority businesses expands economic opportunities for all Richmonders.” During the event Penny Gregory, Owner of...

           The City of Richmond (“City”) has reached a settlement in the federal lawsuit filed by the Legal Aid Justice Center and the law firm of Crowell & Moring LLP regarding the City’s code enforcement efforts in mobile home parks.  The suit alleged that the City discriminated against mostly Latino residents in two of those mobile home parks where some of the most numerous and serious maintenance code violations were found.             Through the course of the case, the City maintained that it took many steps to assist mobile home residents in repairing health and safety code violations. This included reaching out to mobile home manufacturers, local non-profits, and others to obtain free or inexpensive help for those residents. The City also maintained that it took great steps to be flexible with mobile home residents in the two mobile home parks where the plaintiffs...

In April, Mayor Dwight C. Jones convened a Multi-Year School Capital Investment Funding Plan Work Group to work collaboratively to develop a long-term, sustainable funding program. This program will identify resources that will provide Richmond Public Schools needed funds for facilities and operations, while preserving the city’s financial integrity. Please click here for more work group information and compiled data.

Mayor Dwight Jones, the Richmond Flying Squirrels, and Virginia Commonwealth University said today they are working together to explore identifying a location for a new RVA ballpark, near the Diamond, but off the city-owned 60 acres bounded by the Boulevard and Hermitage Road. The announcement follows yesterday’s issuance of a report which recommends full development of the city’s 60 acres and inclusion of sports and entertainment in the larger area. The partners said extensive stakeholder engagement had brought them together in recent months, fueled by numerous public meetings and survey participation of more than 5,000 residents of the Richmond region. “This new initiative may very well serve everyone’s interests, particularly the community’s, while allowing the Squirrels to stay in our hometown,” said Lou DiBella, President and Managing General Partner of the Richmond Flying Squirrels. “It feels like we’re closer to a solution than ever before.” “It’s vitally important that we find...

For a quarter century Richmond has been recognized annually with the designation of “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation. Richmond is one of 54 cities and counties in the Commonwealth being honored for the 2015 calendar year. The designation comes just as Arbor Day celebrations are approaching on April 29.  During each of the past 25 years the City has met the requirements for the designation, which include: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. According to the Arbor Day Foundation website, “The Tree City USA program provides direction, assistance and national recognition for your community. It’s the framework for a healthy, sustainable urban forestry program in your town. And the benefits are substantial.” There are approximately 80,000 public trees on City-owned properties. They are maintained by certified arborists in the Urban Forestry Division (UFD). M...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones and City of Richmond Public Safety agencies have joined with the PulsePoint Foundation to bring life-saving technology to the city through PulsePoint, a mobile app designed to increase public awareness of cardiac events beyond a traditional “witnessed” area and engage them in potentially life-saving CPR. With the launch of a new smartphone application, saving lives and preventing catastrophic injuries is now just a click away. The PulsePoint Respond smartphone application, or app, is currently active throughout the City of Richmond. This free app, available on Android and Apple platforms, notifies residents and off-duty professionals who are trained in CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and are willing to assist in the event of an emergency. With location-aware software linked to the 911 system, PulsePoint Respond notifies registered users when someone may be in need of CPR in a nearby public place. If the app user responds to the alert, they are given further i...