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,
13 May 2016
Richmond City Council establishes a balanced FY 2017 Richmond
General Fund Operating Budget of $717.1 million for Richmond Government: Includes $151.5 million for City's local
contribution to Richmond Public Schools, an increase of $5.5 million
(Richmond, Virginia U.S.A.) – Richmond City Council today established the final parts of the Fiscal
Year 2017 Richmond Government Budget (which runs from July 1, 2016 to June 30,
2017) on behalf of Richmond residents.
Council’s annual budget represents the cornerstone and ultimate act of its policymaking
stewardship and is the single most important local government document
affecting all Richmond residents.
Council is
confident that this is a balanced budget that the current and a new Mayor of
Richmond can manage effectively and efficiently and looks forward to working
collaboratively with them to insure significant services are not jeopardized.
Council is also
confident that the important and appropriate budgetary decisions were made
based on the needs and wishes of Richmond residents.
In
its deliberations, Council used the following community priorities: Education;
Community Development and Poverty Reduction; Human Resources; Economic
Development; and, Infrastructure, such as roads, alleys and sidewalks.
The Richmond City Council FY 2017 Richmond Government
Budget established today includes the following important highlights:
- Richmond City Council establishing a balanced
FY 2017 General Fund operating budget of $717.1 million for Richmond
Government. This Includes $151.5 million for the City's local contribution
to Richmond Public Schools funding, an increase of $5.5 million.
·
Adoption of a $68.7 million Capital
Improvements Program for FY 2017 that includes $9.0 million for school
maintenance, $4.0 million more than originally proposed.
·
Richmond City Council increasing the General Fund contribution to
the Richmond Public Schools Operating Budget by $5.5 million over what was
proposed and reallocating an additional $4 million over what was proposed in
Capital Funds to pay for school building maintenance. Of the monies, Richmond
City Council budgeted $4,974,906 toward Richmond Public Schools Teacher Pay
Decompression; $200,000 to re-open Richmond Public Schools Summer Hill/Ruffin
Road Elementary School operations; and, an additional $347,346 for general
Richmond Public Schools. Proposed Richmond General Fund contribution represent an
estimated 54 percent of the proposed Fiscal Year 2017 Richmond Public Schools
total General Fund budget.
- Richmond City Council investment in the Richmond Department of
Finance for additional staff to help collect delinquent tax revenue.
·
Richmond
City Council keeping the Richmond Real Estate Tax at its lowest tax rate in 35
years, at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value and not increasing Richmond Meals
Tax Rates.
·
Richmond City Council restored vacancy
funding for the Richmond Police Department, Richmond Department of Fire and
Emergency Services, and the Richmond Department of Social Services.
- Richmond City Council helping to fix $750,000
in lost annual revenue by updating the Real Estate Tax collection process
to include pro-rating the assessments of new construction so that, rather
than at the end of the construction, projects would be assessed mid-year.
- Richmond City Council preventing
a proposed increase in the fee for business licenses for Richmond
businesses making less than $100,000 a year in gross revenue.
- Richmond City Council providing funding for needed flood mitigation
efforts in Battery Park, overdue streetscape and sidewalk beautification
efforts for a business park on Jefferson Davis Highway, and added $300,000
for completion of the new T. Tyler
Potterfield Memorial Pedestrian Bridge.
Richmond City Council
appreciates the cooperation of the Mayor and Administrative Staff for a
successful budget review process and looks forward to this spirit of
cooperation continuing.
Richmond
City Council appreciates the support of
Council Staff, which includes the Office of the City Attorney, Office of the
City Clerk, Office of the City Auditor, Office of the Assessor of Real Estate
and Council Chief of Staff Office, for their
outstanding dedication and hard work throughout this demanding and complex
months-long review process.
CONTACT For more information, please contact: Steve Skinner, Council Public Information Manager,
at 804.646.6052 (office); 804.937.1386 (mobile); or steven.skinner@richmondgov.com (email)
Richmond Residents are also invited and encouraged to contact the Richmond
City Councilmember representing their Richmond Voter District, using the
following contact information:
2016 Richmond City Council Councilmember/ Liaison Contact Information
Richmond
West End 1st Voter District _______________________________
The Honorable
Jonathan T. Baliles
Councilman, Richmond City Council
Richmond West End 1st Voter District
804.646.5349
(tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
jonathan.baliles@richmondgov.com (email)
Mr. Yueh Hai "Eli" Wong,
Liaison for The Honorable Jonathan T. Baliles
Richmond City
Council, Richmond West End 1st Voter District
804.646.5935
(tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
eli.wong@richmondgov.com (email)
Richmond North Central 2nd
Voter District __________________________
The Honorable Charles R. Samuels
Councilman, Richmond City Council
Richmond North Central 2nd
Voter District
804.646.6531
(office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
charles.samuels@richmondgov.com (email)
Mr.
Craig Bieber, Liaison for The Honorable Charles R. Samuels
Richmond
City Council, Richmond North Central 2nd
Voter District
804.646.6532
(office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
craig.bieber@richmondgov.com
(email)
Richmond Northside 3rd
Voter District ______________________________
The Honorable Chris A. Hilbert
Councilman, Richmond City Council
Richmond Northside 3rd
Voter District
(Vice President of Richmond City
Council)
804.646.0070
(office tel)
chris.hilbert@richmondgov.com
(email)
Ms.
Lisa F. Townes, Liaison for The Honorable Chris A. Hilbert
Richmond City Council, Richmond
Northside 3rd Voter District Liaison
804.646.6055
(office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
lisa.townes@richmondgov.com
(email)
Richmond Southwest 4th
Voter District ______________________________
The Honorable Kathy Graziano
Councilwoman, Richmond City Council
Richmond Southwest 4th
Voter District
804.320.2454 (office tel)
804.320.6030
(fax)
kathy.graziano@richmondgov.com
(email)
Mr. Tim Grimes, Liaison for The Honorable
Kathy Graziano
Richmond City
Council, Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District
804.320.2454
(tel)
804.320.6030
(fax)
timothy.grimes@richmondgov.com (email)
Richmond Central 5th Voter
District ________________________________
The Honorable
Parker C. Agelasto
Councilman, Richmond City Council
Richmond Central 5th Voter District
804.646.6050
(tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
parker.agelasto@richmondgov.com (email)
Ms. Amy Robins, Liaison for The
Honorable Parker C. Agelasto
Richmond City
Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District
804.646.5724
(tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
Richmond Gateway 6th Voter
District ______________________________
The Honorable Ellen F. Robertson
Councilwoman, Richmond City Council
Richmond Gateway 6th Voter
District
804.646.5348 (office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
ellen.robertson@richmondgov.com
(email)
Mr.
Kiya Stokes, Liaison for The Honorable Ellen F. Robertson
Richmond City Council, Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District
804.646.7964 (office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
kiya.stokes@richmondgov.com
(email)
Richmond East End 7th
Voter District _______________________________
The Honorable Cynthia I. Newbille
Councilwoman, Richmond City Council
Richmond East End 7th
Voter District
804.646.5429 (office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
cynthia.newbille@richmondgov.com
(email)
Mr.
Sam Patterson, Liaison for The Honorable Cynthia I. Newbille
Richmond
City Council, Richmond East End 7th Voter District
804.646.3012 (office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
sam.patterson@richmondgov.com
(email)
Richmond Southside 8th
Voter District ______________________________
The Honorable Reva M. Trammell
Councilwoman, Richmond City
Council
Richmond Southside 8th Voter District
804.646.6592
(office tel)
804.240.5050
(mobile tel)
804.233.7382
(home)
804.516.8067
(mobile tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
reva.trammell@richmondgov.com
(email)
Mr.
Rick Bishop, Liaison for The Honorable Reva M. Trammell
Richmond City Council, Richmond
Southside 8th Voter District
804.646.6591
(office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
richard.bishop@richmondgov.com
(email)
Richmond South Central 9th
Voter District __________________________
The Honorable Michelle R. Mosby
Councilwoman, Richmond City Council
Richmond South Central 9th
Voter District
(President of Richmond City Council)
804.646.5497 (office tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
michelle.mosby@richmondgov.com
(email)
District Office
Location: 4805 Forrest Hill Avenue; Richmond, Virginia
Mr. Uzziah Anthony Harris, Liaison for The Honorable
Michelle R. Mosby
Richmond City
Council, Richmond South Central 9th Voter District
804.646.2779
(tel)
804.646.5468
(fax)
uzziah.harris@richmondgov.com (email)
Mailing
Address
The Honorable _________
Councilwoman/Councilman
Richmond City Council
Full name of Richmond Voter District
Richmond City Hall
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219
U.S.A.
Background - Richmond
Government Budget
As Richmond Residents,
we pool our resources in order to own and operate our local government and
decide what public services we want to invest in;
the priority (investment levels) for these services; and, how we pay for them.
Examples of our services include the management, oversight and delivery of such
things as clean/safe water; streets/parks; laws; law
enforcement/firefighting/rescue; trash/sewage removal; public transportation;
and, our children’s education. Together, we own, operate, use and benefit from
these services on a daily basis.
Funding for our services and enforcement of
laws comes from state, local and federal sources, including fees and
taxes.
In order to set the investments levels we
want for these services, Richmond City Council establishes an official annual
Richmond Government Budget in May of each year for the upcoming Fiscal Year.
The Richmond Government Budget is based on
a Fiscal Year that runs July 1 to June 30 annually and the City operates on a
two-year fiscal plan (Budget) that includes the Richmond General
Fund, Richmond Capital Improvement Plan, Richmond Special Funds, Richmond
Enterprise Funds, Richmond Internal Service Funds, the City Government
contribution to Richmond Public Schools; and, additional state, federal, and other funds provided to Richmond Public
Schools.
The Richmond Government Budget is
typically amended annually. Thus, every year a proposed (draft) Richmond
Government Budget (Fiscal Plan) is submitted to Richmond City Council by the
Mayor, who is responsible for administering local government services. Council
then reviews, analyzes, amends and establishes an official Richmond Government
Budget based on the priorities of Richmond Residents.
Richmond City Council budget deliberations
begin each August and intensify the following year. They include more than two
dozen public meetings, hearings and work sessions from
August through May.
The Richmond Government Budget takes the
form of Ordinances that are approved by Richmond City Council each May for an
upcoming Fiscal Year.
Richmond City Council
Mission
The mission of Richmond City Council is to
represent citizens in creating and amending local laws, providing government
policy and oversight, and approving the city budget.
Vision
Richmond City Council is committed to creating a
vibrant community that is a great place to live, work, learn, play, visit and
raise a family.
- E N D -
Steve Skinner
Council Public Information Manager
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL CHIEF OF STAFF
Richmond City Hall
900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A.
804.646.6052 (office)
804.335.4054 (mobile)
804.937.1386 (home/mobile)
804.646.5468 (fax)
steven.skinner@richmondgov.com (email)
www.council.richmondva.gov(website)
____________________________________________________
MISSION The mission of Richmond City Council is to
represent citizens in creating and amending local laws,
providing government
policy and oversight, and
approving the city budget.
VISION Richmond City Council is committed to
creating a vibrant community that is a great place
to live, work, learn, play, visit and raise a family.
