Richmond
City Council – Richmond City Hall - 900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305 - Richmond,
Virginia 23219 U.S.A. - www.council.richmondva.gov
COUNCIL PUBLIC
INFORMATION NEWS RELEASE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO BE FORWARDED AND SHARED
Friday,
5 June 2015
The
Honorable Charles
R. Samuels
Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond North
Central 2nd Voter District
Regarding: Not Seeking Re-Election in 2016
(Richmond, Virginia
U.S.A.) – "It is bittersweet for me to announce that I will not
seek re-election as a Richmond City Council Member for the Richmond North
Central 2nd Voter District in 2016. This is a decision I have made after
much careful deliberation.
When I first ran for Richmond
City Council in 2008 I wanted to show that an "ordinary citizen"
could make a difference in City government. Together, I believe we have. When
you placed your trust in me in 2008 I was 32 years old. At the end
of this term I'll be 40 and will have served eight years. In looking
back over the past near-decade I am incredibly grateful for your support over
and over again.
During my time in
office we have worked together to protect our quality of life, demand
government accountability, and promote neighborhood revitalization.
More specifically,
we preserved and expanded neighborhood policing to reduce the City's crime
rate, reinstating the career development plan and making our police and fire
department wages more competitive with neighboring jurisdictions.
We permanently protected
the James River Park System from development with a conservation easement. We
worked with community leaders to enact a sound control law. We successfully
advocated for workplace anti-discrimination laws.
I drafted the initial
Arts District ordinance and wrote the new law to remove graffiti on unoccupied
property. I wrote the new law to increase safety and security presence
around night clubs to halt a series of violent deaths.
I have taken a fiscally
responsible approach to budget matters, opposing tax increases in a time of
recession. We eliminated certain taxes for the first two years a business is in
Richmond to encourage the creation of more jobs.
I have fought to reduce
government expenses without cutting core services - culminating this year by
joining my Council colleagues to significantly improve the proposed budget by
providing additional funding to schools while ensuring accountability.
Neighborhood
revitalization remains a priority of mine. We were able to obtain funding to
renovate Monroe and Abner Clay Parks and create dedicated funding for
neighborhood improvements by reallocating parking ticket fines.
Being a City Councilman
has and will be a full-time job for me until the end of my second term. I want
to use the experience I have gained and the relationships I have formed as your
Councilman to represent you effectively until January 1, 2017.
I will miss attending all
the meetings and events organized by the nearly 30 different neighborhood
associations in our district and all the opportunities this position affords to
interact with so many wonderful folks.
Richmond has changed a
lot in the past near-decade. We are now known to many people as RVA. Among a
host of accolades, we are routinely ranked among the best places to live, work
and play in the U.S.
Over and above all of
the Top Ten lists, the two most important accomplishments I take pride in are
that Richmond is a safer city than when I took office and that our
schools are headed in the right direction.
I believe that eight
years is an appropriate length of time to serve on City Council. No elected official has a monopoly on wisdom
or good judgment. The reason I announced my decision now is to be sure that the
citizens of our district have as much time as possible to think about the kind
of person they want to represent them next.
Public service is a
noble cause and remains my passion. I look forward to starting a new chapter in
my life with new opportunities to serve my neighbors. I will continue to be engaged in our City’s
public life and the discussions about our priorities for the future.
I cannot thank you
enough for the support you've shown me over the past seven years. I will always
cherish the friendships we've made and the shared accomplishments. You
have helped make my 30s a wonderful time in my life.
Finally, I must thank
my wife. Some days it seems that Krista (and our son, Henry) have seen less of
me than some of you! She has dealt with all that comes with public
service with a grace and a strength that astounds me daily. I never really
believed elected officials when they said they were not running again to spend
more time with family, but now that I have lived it I totally understand!
Thanks again for all
your help and support!"
CONTACT For more
information, please contact The Honorable Charles R. Samuels, Councilman, Richmond City
Council, Richmond North
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