~RMA could return funds to the city before year end~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones today announced the impending repayment of monies to the city in the amount of $60.3 million from the Richmond Metropolitan Authority (RMA). The RMA is an independent authority and political subdivision that was created in 1966. It was formed originally to build and maintain a toll expressway system to serve the Richmond metropolitan area. Its members include Richmond as well as Chesterfield and Henrico counties. In its formative years, the city of Richmond was the only member of the partnership to contribute land and provide financial support to RMA. “There are many things this administration has been working to set right for the city of Richmond. Where our financial picture is concerned, the city’s financial operation has been structurally unbalanced in many ways and we've been working to correct things like moving to twice a year tax collections and eliminating the need for revenue anticipation ...

~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...

Today, Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced the selection of Tompkins/Ballard Joint Venture as the recommended vendor for the design and construction of the new city jail. The firm was selected for the $135 million project having received the highest overall ratings of four firms competing for the work. "Technical design, value-added enhancements, life cycle cost, price and minority business involvement were areas where the Tompkins/Ballard Joint Venture scored highly," Mayor Jones said. Citing extensive experience building correctional facilities in urban areas, Mayor Jones noted that the joint venture also proposed the most creative and flexible design. “Tompkins/Ballard had the only proposal that did not have a phased approach which would have required relocation of jail inmates,” said Mayor Jones. Richmond Sheriff C.T. Woody noted, "The proposed design meets the core needs of the Sheriff’s Department, especially in that they propose a single-phase construction which would...

Richmond City Council passed the city’s 2012-2013 Biennial Fiscal Plan and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) during its formal meeting tonight. Mayor Dwight C. Jones has provided the following comments on the budget’s passage: "I thank Richmond City Council for working with my team in reviewing and passing the city’s 2012-2013 biennial budget. Richmond City Council has kept changes to my proposed budget to about 1/10 of one percent for the third year in a row; representative of how we are working together to benefit City residents. This budget is sustainable and is structurally balanced. The enormous costs of the country's financial crisis and lagging economy have continued to force hard choices, but for the third consecutive year, we have not raised taxes, there have been no furloughs or layoffs, and we have not interrupted core services. “This budget continues our commitment to education as $124 million is included for schools, plus an agreement that the School System will keep...

~ Launches city's master planning process for sustainability ~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones today issued a Green Government Order calling for City agencies and employees to take actions to create more efficiency and less waste in city government and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from government operations. The Mayor also announced the launch of the City's comprehensive sustainability planning process and shared that a Community Forum is scheduled for Thursday, June 9 at the Carillon in Byrd Park. "We've made great strides as a city since I announced the Green Richmond Initiative last year," said Mayor Jones. "But there is more that we can do." Since the Green Richmond Initiative was announced, the City built its first green roof on a City facility, launched a community garden program, became the first city in Virginia to build a new compressed natural gas fueling station to service an all new fleet of compressed natural gas refuse trucks, and established t...