Mayor Dwight C. Jones today issued the following statement regarding the City’s proposed Capital Improvement Program for FY2015-2019 and Riverfront Development: “It is clear to me after hearing from some very good friends who are aware of my ongoing commitment to riverfront development, that the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget put forth sends the wrong signal about the city’s intentions concerning riverfront development and specifically the Brown’s Island Dam Walk. I want to be clear: we are moving forward and it is my understanding that we are well on track to complete the Dam Walk before the World Road Cycling Championships come to Richmond in 2015.   “The city has approximately $4 million in unspent funds for this project, because of the initial funding that I included in my CIP for FY2013-2017. We are also anticipating grant funding in the amount of $2.5 million; meaning we may have as much as $6.5 million on hand. The Brown’s Island Dam Walk is a key project in this f...

~City Reorganizes Positions as Interim DCAO Departs~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced today that the service of Stephen Harms as Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services is concluding. Harms, who was appointed to the position in January of 2013, has chosen to pursue other opportunities. “We are grateful to Steve for the time that he has dedicated to the City in this capacity,” said Mayor Jones. “This interim appointment has extended out beyond one year; much longer than we anticipated we would have the benefit of his expertise and we are grateful that he was able to dedicate this much time.” “I was honored to have been asked to serve with the Mayor and his team,” said Steve Harms. “I’m grateful for his and City Council’s support in our efforts to improve city services. The experience has been meaningful and I appreciate the dedicated city employees that I had the privilege of working with.” The DCAO for Human Services has oversight of the Department of Soci...

Click here to view t he FY15 P roposed Budget on line. Mayor Dwight C. Jones today presented his administration’s FY2015 Budget Amendments and the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY 2015 – 2019. The budget was crafted based on current revenue projections, which include revenues from the real estate tax rate, which is proposed to remain the same at $1.20 per $100 of valuation. The total proposed spending plans for the General Fund are $777,340,828 for FY2015 and $237,240,841 for the Capital Improvement Plan. “This is a solid and fiscally conservative budget,” said Mayor Jones. “Consistent with our debt policies, the City’s Rainy Day/Unassigned Fund Balance has grown to 10% of our general fund and Richmond Public Schools state-supported expenditures.” The Mayor also spoke about the city’s intention to absorb increased health insurance costs for City employees who are facing an 8.4% rate increase this year. “This will be the second year in a row the City will absorb all premi...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Sports Backers Executive Director Jon Lugbill were joined by City Council President Charles Samuels and Richmond City Health District Director Dr. Donald Stern today in announcing a new course for the second annual RVA Streets Alive! festival on Saturday, June 21. The event will close Brook Rd. from Abner Clay Park to Broad St. and both northbound and southbound lanes of Broad St. from Adams St. to 6th St. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow residents and visitors to use these streets to be active through running, walking, biking, and many other physical activities. Vendors will be on-site offering health and fitness information and interactive demonstrations. “This year we are keeping the momentum going and adding to the excitement and growth of the Downtown area while also highlighting our City’s Arts and Cultural District,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “RVA Streets Alive! is one of the many ongoing initiatives that keep our city active and vibrant.” The Mayor’s...

The Richmond City Health in all Policies Team (HiAP) has been selected to participate in the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH), which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NLAPH is a national program focused on improving population health by working with multi-sector leadership teams and training the teams through an applied, team-based collaborative leadership development model.  The program is implemented by the Center for Health Leadership and Practice (CHLP), a center of the Public Health Institute, and will provide training and support for a period of one year. “This program will impart population health teams with the skills to lead across sectors and collaboratively solve complex population health problems in innovative ways,” said Carmen Rita Nevarez MD, MPH, Vice President for External Relations and CHLP's Director. “These are the types of leaders who will ultimately be able to drive critical efforts, such as the adoption o...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement following the vote by Richmond City Council on Resolution No. 2014-R29, to express the City Council’s support for further negotiations with respect to “Revitalize RVA.”  “I want to thank the City Council for saying yes to the future of our city. Tonight’s vote was a vote to support our efforts to find ways to generate new tax revenue for our city, to create jobs and opportunity, and to honor our heritage. This was an important and difficult vote tonight, and I’m pleased that Council is willing to allow discussions to move forward.  “I also want to thank Council members for their service to the city’s residents in working extremely hard over the last few months on this proposal and for their insistence on getting the best deal for our taxpayers.  I look forward to the continued review of this proposal and the continued scrutiny of a plan that I believe can be transformative for our city. Ultimately, I’m hoping that we ca...

~Agency manages child protective services and multiple public assistance programs~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ administration today announced that they have asked the City Auditor to conduct a comprehensive audit of the Richmond Department of Social Services (RDSS). RDSS is the agency responsible for Child Protective Services, Adoption Services, Aging, Emergency Food and Shelter, Fuel Assistance, Food Stamps and Food Vouchers for WIC (Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition). In a letter to City Auditor Umesh Dalal, David Hicks, interim director of RDSS, has called for an audit of specific programs within the Department including Administration and Finance, Economic Support and Independence and the Comprehensive Services Act. “I specifically want a financial audit of the last three years of operations,” stated Mr. Hicks. “This will give me a baseline from which to work, much like when I had a similar audit done for the Department of Justice Services. I also want the auditor to he...