Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced today that the Mayor’s Schools Accountability and Efficiency Review Task Force will receive funding from the Greater Richmond Chamber Foundation in the amount of $35,000. The funds will be used to procure the services of the Robert Bobb Group and Alvarez and Marsal, two firms specializing in public sector turnarounds. In thanking the Greater Richmond Chamber, the Mayor said, “The Greater Richmond Chamber has a long history of commitment to education in the City, including its focus on early childhood education. I appreciate the Chamber’s willingness to step forward to help us with this important effort, through both the short term and long term. This assistance will help the Task Force meet the quick deadline for addressing the short-term budget issue.” Greater Richmond Chamber President & CEO Kim Scheeler said that the grant from the Foundation, “reflects the importance that business leaders place on education in the city of Richmond. The syst...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced the appointment today of Sharon Judkins to the position of Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) of Finance and Administration. Judkins has more than 25 years of strategic leadership and executive management experience, and is noted for her expertise in financial planning, organizational development and performance-based management. She previously served for more than 19 years in various leadership capacities for the City of Richmond and was recognized as a knowledgeable and results-driven leader. Her first day of City service is March 26. Mayor Jones stated, “Sharon Judkins’ accomplishments and comprehension of government finance and management reforms will prove to be a tremendous resource as we continue to position ourselves to become a Tier One City.” Prior to returning to the City of Richmond to accept the DCAO position, she served as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose, CA. As a key execu...

The City’s East End Vision Charrette was presented the 2012 Community Economic Development Award, in the Community Involvement category, from the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) during an awards presentation in Williamsburg today. The East End Vision Charrette was formed by a unique public/private partnership of the City of Richmond, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital in the spring of 2010 to engage the community in a dynamic planning process. The CEDA award program is designed to recognize outstanding communities in the Commonwealth for their efforts in advancing the economic viability of their community through economic and community development programs. “This award recognizes the community, private sector and government partnership that brought forth the planning effort and continued its commitment to ensure a transformational change in our city’s East End,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “I again thank all o...

The Department of Public Works Transportation Engineering Division is set to begin the first phase of an approximately $21 million federally funded project to upgrade the City’s outdated traffic signal system. The new state-of-the-art system will connect the City’s approximately 500 signalized intersections and flashers to the Traffic Operations Center in City Hall. Richmond Signal System Upgrade funding was provided through the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) using Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program funds. The upgraded system will be installed over the next five years and will involve development of a new traffic management computerized central control (located at City Hall), system wide communications consisting of fiber optic and copper cable, and closed circuit TV (CCTV) surveillance cameras. When the system is complete, motorists will experience a reduction in vehicle stops and delays, resulting in le...

The Board of Commissioners of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) has concluded its nation-wide search for a Chief Executive Officer and is pleased to announce that Adrienne E. Goolsby has been named the new CEO of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Goolsby was selected from a field of more than 130 potential candidates. “Adrienne is a proven leader in effective public housing transformation and has a remarkable track record in key areas of strategic planning and partnerships, policy formation, redevelopment, relationship-building, financial growth and development, and organizational management and leadership ­­--- everything we were searching for in a new CEO,” says James Carleton, Chair of the RRHA Board of Commissioners and the CEO Search Committee. “After a very intense and thorough CEO search process, the Search Committee concluded that Adrienne’s impressive track record, the critical role she played in the positive turnaround of Chicago publi...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones presented his fourth budget to Richmond City Council in City Council Chambers on Tuesday, March 6. During his presentation of the Proposed Amendments to the Biennial Fiscal Plan for FY 2013, Mayor Jones stated, "the General Fund Budget and Capital Improvements Program I am proposing protect basic services; do not raise taxes; preserve the workforce while paring it down through attrition and efficiencies; expand services to youth and our most vulnerable populations; and invest in transformational projects that through partnerships will yield positive returns on investment in terms of both financial and human capital." Click here to view the Mayor budget proposal speech to City Council. Click here to view the proposed Amendments to the Biennial Fiscal Plan for FY 2013. Click here to view the proposed Capital Improvements Program for FY 2013-2017.

Mayor Dwight C. Jones today announced the formation of a Task Force to review the Richmond Public Schools budget request to the city. The money the city provides to the Schools operating budget is already the largest on-going appropriation for a single agency in the city’s budget. The request sent to the Mayor this year is asking for an additional $24 million. “Too often in the City budget process, we focus our time and attention on ‘city’ services,” said Mayor Jones. “We tend to treat the school system as a ‘grantee,’ funding them with little review. I’m committed to spend what we need to get excellent results with education for our children, but first we need a comfort level on RPS spending.” The Schools Accountability and Efficiency Review Task Force will be co-chaired by James W. Dyke, Jr. and Eva Teig Hardy. Jim Dyke is a former Virginia Secretary of Education under Governor Douglas Wilder, and currently a partner with McGuire Woods. Eva Hardy is a former Virginia Secretary...