Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced former Public Works Deputy Director of Operations, Bobby Vincent, Jr., will now serve as the Director of Public Works. Vincent began his career at the Department of Public Utilities in 1992 as an engineer. For 14 years he served in that role, managing and planning the preventive maintenance and capital improvement projects concerning water and wastewater treatment plants, as well as the combined sewer system. “It is an honor to be named Director of Public Works by Mayor Stoney,” said Mr. Vincent. “I am looking forward to taking on the key areas of improvement needed within DPW, as recently outlined in the VCU performance review of City Hall.” Vincent has served in numerous leadership roles, including as Operations Manager of the Roadway Maintenance Division, Interim Director of General Services, and Chief of Construction and Inspections. Most recently, Vincent served the Department of Public Works as the Deputy Director of Operations. In this role...

Richmond residents want a City in which RPS students are achieving at high levels, and in which fewer and fewer children live in poverty.  As part of his commitment to achieving that goal, Mayor Levar M. Stoney is pleased to provide the following update on the Education Compact process: Back in January, both the City Council and School Board unanimously adopted a resolution to work with Mayor Stoney to develop a more collaborative approach to public education, known as the Education Compact. Draft Education Compact documents were released in February. A total of 12 public meetings, in all nine Council districts, were held between March 27 and May 17. On the basis of public input received on the Compact documents, a final resolution is now being drafted for introduction to Richmond City Council and the School Board. The final Education Compact resolution will recommend three key collaborative actions: Regular, quarterly joint meetings of City Council and the School Board, along w...

Mayor Levar M. Stoney is pleased to announce that former Deputy Fire Chief Melvin D. Carter will serve as the City of Richmond’s 21st Chief of Fire and Emergency Services. A native Richmonder, Carter joined the Richmond Department of Fire in 1987 and rose through the ranks, serving as a company lieutenant, captain, deputy fire marshal, and battalion chief. In 2009, he was appointed deputy fire chief. He began his career as a volunteer firefighter for the Henrico County Division of Fire starting in 1983. In 1986, he worked as a professional firefighter with the City of Petersburg Fire Department. Carter is a member of Virginia’s National Guard leads educational sessions for local Boy Scout troops in his spare time. “Chief Carter’s work ethic, commitment to excellence and decades of experience in our City’s fire service make him the right choice for this important position,” said Mayor Stoney. “I am confident he will serve Richmond’s residents well.” “It is a privilege and an honor to h...

Mayor Levar M. Stoney this morning announced the release of a comprehensive performance review of City Hall. Making good on his campaign promise, the Mayor commissioned the review shortly after taking office to provide him with an idea of what works and doesn’t work in the Richmond city government he inherited when he was sworn in Jan. 1, 2017. The review, conducted over 100 days by the Performance Management Group (PMG) of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, examines the internal and external challenges facing City agencies, departments and their employees in the performance of their duties.  A copy of the review can be found here . The review underscores the commitment of “many employees who are actively engaged in ways to make the city a superior place,” and “a workforce ready to step up and help the city move forward in a positive direction.” But it also paints a sobering picture of the state of city government in ...

The following are the remarks as prepared for Mayor Levar M. Stoney regarding the City of Richmond FY 2018 Budget: Thank you all for being here. First, I want to thank everyone involved in organizing and supporting my budget this year. I proposed the largest ever single year funding increase for education, and now $170 million will be allocated for Richmond Public Schools — providing needed cost of living increases for school personnel and long overdue increases in teacher salaries. My budget increased funding for the Richmond Police and Fire Departments, and an additional $5.5 million is finally being invested in our public safety personnel. My budget made needed improvements to core services, including our enhanced bulk and brush pickup and we reformed leaf collection. And my budget invested an additional $500,000 for the Office of Community Wealth Building, to help move more people into the workforce and lift more families out of poverty.  All four of my major budget priorities:...

~ Audit Scope Includes Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Terms to Protect Business and Taxpayer Records ~ Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced the city’s auditor and finance department have agreed to terms providing for an audit of the Assessments Unit within the Department of Finance, which will be initiated immediately. This establishes a cooperative effort to ensure the city has the proper process in place to collect outstanding tax revenues due to the city, while ensuring any special access to proprietary information relating to city businesses or taxpayers will be kept confidential. “I commend our Director of Finance, John Wack, and our Auditor, Umesh Dalal, for their work in reaching this agreement,” said Mayor Stoney. “Working together to collect revenues owed to the city will benefit every city department and every city taxpayer.” “I appreciate Mayor Stoney facilitating the performance of an audit with the Finance Department that will ensure accountability and transpar...

Richmond now ranks within the twenty most vibrant arts communities among large cities in the United States. The ranking comes from Southern Methodist University’s National Center for Arts Research and the publication of their third annual Arts Vibrancy Index, which studies and calculates the measure of arts vibrancy for over 900 communities throughout the nation. The index measures the number of arts providers and artists, economic impact, government support and other cultural indicators. More information and the full report can be found here. Mayor Levar M. Stoney, a strong supporter of Richmond’s arts community and advocate for the city’s cultural assets, said he is thrilled to see Richmond once again affirmed as a major creative hub in the United States. “Our arts and cultural assets define Richmond,” said Mayor Stoney, “They enrich not only our lives, but also the city’s pocketbook — all while helping to attract new employers, visitors and interest in Richmond.“