Richmond City Council announces Joseph Lowery as first Manager of new Richmond Civilian Review Board

 Richmond City Council / News Release

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Monday, 26 February 2024

 

Joseph Lowery

 

Richmond City Council announces Joseph Lowery as first Manager of new Richmond Civilian Review Board

 

Next steps include establishing Board Policies and Procedures

 

(Richmond, Virginia) - Richmond City Council is pleased to announce the appointment - during its Informal Meeting tonight, of Joseph Lowery as the first Manager of the new Richmond Civilian Review Board.

     Mr. Lowery’s duties include oversight and management of the administrative and operational functions of the Richmond Civilian Review Board.

     A native Virginian, Mr. Lowery earned his Bachelor of Science in Justice and Risk Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, Virginia.

     Prior to this appointment, Mr. Lowery served as a Supervisory Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), leading teams of special agents through various forms, stages, and phases of investigations.

     During his more than 20 years of distinguished service with the FBI, Mr. Lowery earned numerous recognitions, awards, and letters of commendation reflecting his work, commitment, dedication, and integrity. Prior to that, Mr. Lowery served five years with the Chesterfield County Police Department.

     “I am committed to justice for all people and am grateful for being chosen to help guide the Richmond Civilian Review Board in this new and critically important role for our community,” says Joseph Lowery Manager Richmond Civilian Review Board Manager. “I look forward to dedicating my knowledge, experience, and love for people to create and foster honest and effective collaboration, coordination, and communication between the Richmond Civilian Review Board and the Richmond Police Department. Working together, we will help ensure a comprehensive approach to accountability and transparency that benefits all Richmond residents and the work of the Richmond Police Department.”

     Mr. Lowery’s first order of business in office will be to draft Board Policies and Procedures, as required, per Richmond Code of Laws/Ordinances; Chapter 2, Article V.; Division 20; Section 2-1202.1., et seq. https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH2AD_ARTVBOCOCOOTAG_DIV20CIREBO

Richmond City Council and the Mayor’s Administration established the Richmond Civilian Review Board to review, investigate, and make recommendations to Council, the Mayor, and the Chief of Police concerning internal investigations conducted by the Richmond Police Department regarding police officer-involved shootings; deaths or serious injuries of persons while held in custody; accusations of physical or verbal abuse by officers; appeals by citizens of a finding or decision; and, providing recommendations on law enforcement practices, policies, and procedures.

Richmond City Council is excited to have Mr. Lowery’s solid reputation and his more than 25 years of experience and understanding of federal, state, and local laws regarding law enforcement and investigations in serving this role with integrity diligence, and fairness on behalf of Richmond residents.

CONTACT   

For more information, please contact: Steve Skinner, Council Public Information Manager, at 804.646.6052 (tel), or steven.skinner@rva.gov (email)

 

 

 

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Richmond City Council - Richmond City Hall - 900 East Broad Street, Suite 300 - Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A. - rva.gov/richmond-city-council (web)

 

A statement by the Richmond City Council Education and Human Services Standing Committee

Richmond City Council / News Release

Education and Human Services Standing Committee

 

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Tuesday, 20 February 2024

 

A statement by the

Richmond City Council Education and Human Services Standing Committee regarding

“We echo the sentiments of our colleague, School Board Chair Rizzi and agree that the issues that ail Richmond Public Schools do not lay on any one person’s feet. We recognize the tremendous challenges that public education systems face everyday, particularly in a post-pandemic era. In a city that has seen an increase in families experiencing homelessness, continued gaps in our mental health system and an ever-widening wealth disparity. These challenges are intertwined with classroom management issues, teacher retention rates, academic, and absenteeism outcomes.

These are not easy problems to solve, and it is often our most vulnerable community members, our children, who pay the highest price for what adults, on every level of policy making, fail to fix. This is why we remain committed to advocating for increased funding and better policies at the state and federal level. Further, we remain steadfast in our mission to collaborate with our School Board Colleagues, the Superintendent, city administration and our stakeholders to make continuous strides towards improving our school district and the lives of RPS families and students across the city.”

 

Richmond City Council Education and Human Services Standing Committee Councilmember Stephanie A. Lynch, Chair

Councilmember Cynthia I. Newbille, Vice Chair

Councilmember Nicole Jones, Member

Richmond City Council Education and Human Services Standing Committee

The Richmond City Council Education and Human Services Standing Committee monitors and recommends to Council official policy in the areas of recreation, social services, public health, mental health, substance abuse, advocacy, and public education. The Committee also balances the primary role of the School Board in crafting policy for Richmond Public Schools against the responsibility of Council of Council for oversight imposed by the appropriation of public funds.

 

 

 

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Richmond City Council - Richmond City Hall - 900 East Broad Street, Suite 300 - Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A. - rva.gov/richmond-city-council (web)

Repairing Richmond’s Tax Collection Process

Richmond City Council / News Release

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Thursday, 15 February 2024

A statement by Richmond City Council regarding

Repairing Richmond’s Tax Collection Process

    “On Monday night, Richmond restaurant owners came before Richmond City Council to share their experiences and the impact that recent meals tax collections have made not only on their businesses, but on their lives. Richmond City Council listened deeply and intently to their valid concerns. In direct response to these issues, Richmond City Council established Ordinance #2024-024 which clarifies the application of tax payments. https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6492625&GUID=342ED836-B877-4A22-93F9-9C4E926CBCD5&Options=ID|Text|&Search=tax

    Richmond City Council believes that Richmond deserves an effective, efficient, and responsive finance system. Council is committed to identifying and enacting substantive laws and policies that create tangible solutions to make this a reality.

    To begin, we need to lower the barriers for honest responsive dialogue and trust between affected businesses and the City of Richmond. To do this, Richmond needs a culture change that establishes, engenders, and supports ongoing real and direct lines of communication to resolve real issues.

    In addition, Richmond City Council wishes to rebuild and strengthen trust by resolving past issues in order to set a new course for the future.

    Councilmembers in each District are very thankful of businesses and individuals who have come to them during the past number of months to share their justified frustrations, concerns, and for pushing their struggles into the spotlight and offering solutions. We have listened, heard, and taken action. The next step is for the City to clearly and openly define the processes and practices that work seamlessly for all involved.

    Council recognizes that the City Administration is taking initial steps to remedy these harms, and this will take time. This includes a concrete list of measures establishing better policies, significantly improving processes, creating new laws, and investing in new systems.

    As a legislative body, focusing on policy and budget, Richmond City Council also seeks clear, actionable solutions. We believe a realistic timeline must be set, and continuous two-way public communication is needed for transparency and accountability in completing these efforts.

    Richmond City Council wishes to include the following:

·     Create plans for all accounts to come into compliance, with detailed policies for an appeals process, forgiveness, refunds, and payment plans.

·     Work directly with affected communities to create solutions that work for them.

·     Create online visual/text materials informing businesses on best way to pay taxes. 

·     Providing ongoing updates to Council and the public.

    Richmond City Council invites the City Administration to provide updates and timelines for the above items at its March 4^th Organizational Development Standing Committee Meeting.

    When problems like these arise, Richmond City Council is here to repair the harm through its oversight role. We look forward to working directly with impacted restaurant owners and the City Administration to find collaborative solutions.”

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Richmond City Council - Richmond City Hall - 900 East Broad Street, Suite 300 - Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A. - rva.gov/richmond-city-council (web)

New Richmond People’s Budget ramping up: Richmond residents to propose, vote on, and approve $3 million in neighborhood capital projects across city

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Thursday, 8 February 2024

New Richmond People’s Budget ramping up

Richmond residents to propose, vote on, and approve $3 million in neighborhood capital projects across city

(Richmond, Virginia) – The Richmond Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission is ramping up efforts to start its new Richmond People’s Budget process.

    Established by Richmond City Council in 2020, the Richmond Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission is leading a public process in which residents from across each district directly propose new projects and decide how to spend $3 million in public budget funding that had been established and set-aside for this purpose.https://richmondva.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4734598&GUID=5C1B5D7E-0255-4EFE-877C-A958602CB8BB&Options=ID|Text|&Search=participatory+budgeting

Since its creation, the Richmond Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission has worked diligently with the community over the last three years. Overcoming challenges COVID brought during that time, it has been deeply engaged in asking questions and learning from community groups, individuals, and experiences to create an inclusive, engaging, transparent, equitable, and capacity-building process on behalf of all Richmond residents. This work includes the tremendous partnership, insight, and expertise of Storefront for Community Design, a Richmond nonprofit, that has been instrumental in this effort.

    As a critical first-step, the Commission created a Richmond People’s Budget Rulebook that provides a framework for collecting ideas and developing proposals, and then voting on which ones are most important to them.https://rvapb.org/rvapb-rulebook/

Timeline of key waypoints:

·       Fall 2024: Community Brainstorming

·       Winter 2024: Community Develops Proposals

·       Spring 2025: Community Vote

·       Summer 2025: Winning Projects are funded

Richmond Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission: Current Members:

• Jerome Legions - 2nd District
• Aaron Linas - 6th District
• Erin Kelley - 4th District
• Abigail Delaney - 5th District
• Oludare Ogunde - 7th District
• Quawneisha Peoples - 8th District
• Shannon Wilson-Gonzalez - 8th District
• Mary Gresham - 9th District

Former Members

-   Scott Castro - 1st District (former member)

-   Jeff Walker - 4th District (former member)

-   Erica Sklar - 5th District (former member)

“Participatory Budgeting is a win-win for Richmond residents by empowering public involvement, learning, listening, and significantly increasing the representation and power of residents,” says Council President Kristen Nye, Councilmember, Richmond City Council, Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District. “The Richmond People’s Budget process actively and purposely puts city residents in the decision-making driver’s seat to influence the change they want to see in our city.”

“Participatory budgeting process is a new way for residents to really connect to their tax dollars and to talk about and help prioritize projects in our communities,” says Nye. “There are so many benefits to helping further democratize how we put money to work in our neighborhoods.”

“Establishing a Richmond People’s Budget is critical for our residents, to build and restore trust in local government. This is a great way to engage residents from every neighborhood to be empowered to make a difference where they live. Together, we can address and overcome decades of under-investment in our sidewalks, parks, and other infrastructure,” says Councilmember Andreas Addison, Richmond City Council, Richmond West End 1st Voter District. “I think it’s important that we elevate the challenge that in one part of the city, people are requesting sidewalk repairs, while in another neighborhood, folks want to have a sidewalk for the first time.”

You are invited

Richmond residents are invited and encouraged to learn more about and participate in the new Richmond People’s Budget process.

INFO and INVOLVEMENT

For more information and/or to get involved, volunteer, make suggestions, have questions answered, please: 

• Visit the Richmond Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission website

https://rvapb.org/

 

·       Contact Matthew Slaats, PhD, Richmond Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission Senior Lead Staff Support/Senior Civic Innovation Manager, Richmond City Council Office of Council Chief of Staff: 804.646.6447 (desk); 804.396.1313 (mobile); matthew.slaats@rva.gov (email)

 

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Richmond City Council - Richmond City Hall - 900 East Broad Street, Suite 300 - Richmond, Virginia  23219 U.S.A. - https://rvapb.org/ (web)