CITY OF RICHMOND

Richmond mayor says giving more money to schools could cripple other city services

Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued a stern warning Friday that Richmond City Council efforts to find more money in his budget proposal for public schools could come at the expense of basic city services. During a news conference, Jones called for increased transparency from council members following comments earlier in the week that some made about proposed amendments to his draft budget.

Jones investigation extends beyond Richmond City Hall

A grand jury that last month authorized Virginia State Police to investigate Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones has expanded its probe of connections between local government and Jones’ church beyond City Hall. The investigation initiated by Jones’ own invitation in January as a limited-scope review involving the city’s director of public works now extends to the Richmond Ambulance Authority, according to a subpoena for agency records that the Richmond Times-Dispatch obtained through an open-records request.

Richmond City Council releases proposed budget amendments

Richmond Public Schools appear to be in line for a cash infusion under a slew of proposed changes to Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ spending plan that City Council released Monday. What remains unclear is whether the influx will fulfill a scenario Jones envisioned in his 2016 State of the City address — where an image of mostly city teachers holding aloft signs that said “SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS” had been modified to read “CUT OUR SERVICES” and “RAISE OUR TAXES.” Jones on Friday pressed council members to release their proposals for school funding so his administration could begin assessing the potential impact of resultant cuts to city services such as trash pickup and public safety.

State board endorses contract to build Richmond’s bus rapid transit

The Commonwealth Transportation Board signed off Wednesday on a $47.3 million design-build contract for Richmond’s bus rapid transit project despite a winning bid that was about $11.5 million higher than estimates. Transportation Secretary Aubrey L. Layne Jr. asked the board at its meeting in Lynchburg to ratify the award to Lane Construction Corp. He had directed his staff to execute the contract last week on what he acknowledged was ambiguous authority as board chairman. Layne noted that a resolution from the board’s March meeting, before the March 25 issuance of a notice of intent to award the contract to Lane Construction, authorized “delegation of authority to the commissioner of highways for approval of award and execution of design-build contract” for the project, which will be called the Pulse.

CHESTERFIELD

Over budget, schools nix bids, rethink Providence

A little more than a year has passed since local school officials first shared with the community their vision for the revitalization of Providence Middle School, but it remains to be seen how much of that plan they’ll be able to deliver. Chesterfield County Public Schools staff cancelled an invitation for bids earlier this month when the lower of two construction bids for the Providence Middle renovation came in 35 percent, or more than $6 million, over budget. Providence Middle is just the second project among the 10 schools targeted for renovation, or rebuilding, as part of the $304 million bond referendum approved by voters in 2013. It’s also the second school stymied by inaccurate cost estimates. A $3.3 million cost overrun at Monacan High, the first on the renovation list, sparked considerable hand-wringing last May.

County approves $810 million budget, ignores schools’ deficit

With no fanfare and little public discourse, the Board of Supervisors last week unanimously approved the county’s $809.9 million budget for fiscal year 2017. By opting not to acknowledge a nearly $900,000 deficit in the school system’s operating budget, even as information began to trickle out about potentially serious issues with the funding for a local middle school renovation, the board drew the ire of a county government watchdog.

HANOVER

Hanover approve $428.3 million budget with new fire and police positions, raises for schools employees

A $428.3 million budget approved by the Hanover County Board of Supervisors keeps property tax rates stable while adding a dozen fire and police positions. The budget, which was adopted by the board at its meeting Wednesday, closely resembled the version proposed to the panel in February but included an additional $560,750 from the state and federal government.

Budget approved, real estate tax rates unchanged

The Hanover County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $428.3 million Fiscal Year 2017 budget at a regularly scheduled meeting last week. The approved budget includes pay raises for county employees and teachers, additional sheriff’s deputies and EMS personnel positions and funds for improved technology in Hanover schools. The final funding figures did not include additional Fire/EMS positions other than the five originally proposed, but did allot $50,000 from amended state revenues for the Fire and Rescue overtime budget.

REGIONAL

Deep Run, Community, Open top Richmond-area high schools in US News rankings

Henrico’s Deep Run High School was the top-ranking Richmond-area school in the latest rankings of best U.S. high schools published by U.S. News and World Report. Deep Run ranked eighth in Virginia and 278th nationally, earning a gold medal from the publication.

Deep Run was followed in the Virginia rankings by Richmond Community High (292 nationally, gold medal) and Open High (326 nationally, gold medal).

Richmond’s Grocery Boom

Richmond is stuffed with grocery stores — and more are on the way. Two German chains, Lidl and Aldi, will soon have a total of 18 locations in the metro area. Wegmans Food Markets Inc., the high-end grocer with a fanatical following, enters the market this month with the scheduled May 22 opening of its Chesterfield County store. Its second location, in the West Broad Marketplace just west of Short Pump, is set to open in August. Meanwhile, the big fish try to eat the little fish. Apollo Global Management, part-owners of Hostess snack foods, bought Fresh Market in March. And stockholders have approved the merger of the parent companies of Food Lion and Martin’s Food Market. A merger could mean the sell-off of Martin’s stores in Richmond to another grocer, a company spokesman says. Finally, Publix Super Markets, Inc., a Florida franchise, is arriving in Glen Allen in 2018. The head spins.

ELECTIONS

Richmond School Board member Kristen Larson launches council bid

Richmond School Board member Kristen N. Larson launched a bid on Monday to fill the seat of outgoing fourth District City Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano, who has said she does not plan to seek another term in office. Larson, 42, is the second member of the city’s School Board to seek a council post in an election cycle in which all council and School Board positions are up for grabs. Board member Kimberly B. Gray, 2nd District, is vying with Charlie Diradour and Rebecca Keel for the 2nd District council seat.

McEachin, Wittman, Brat hold financial edge in local congressional contests

Every year is an election year in Virginia — which means, of course, that every year somebody, who wants some office, is asking you for some money. This year, Virginia will elect its 11 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, in addition to casting votes for president. The campaign finance reports for candidates and political action committees through the first quarter of 2016 show that some aspirants are in better fiscal shape than others.

Stoney launches mayoral bid, promising ‘new energy’ at City Hall

Levar Stoney, a former aide to Gov. Terry McAuliffe, formally announced his campaign for Richmond mayor Thursday, saying City Hall needs “new energy, new ideas and a new approach. I’m running for mayor because Richmond is on the rise. But we are at a crossroads,” Stoney, 35, said during a news conference near Battery Park in the city’s North Side. “And frankly, I think we just can’t accept more of the same in City Hall.” Stoney, who became Virginia’s first African-American secretary of the commonwealth in 2014 after McAuliffe took office, is expected to be a strong competitor in a crowded mayoral field. His ties to McAuliffe, the state’s top Democrat and a close ally of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, could put Stoney in the top tier in November.

Hilbert drops bid for Richmond mayor, will seek re-election to City Council

Richmond City Councilman Chris A. Hilbert says he will seek re-election to the North Side’s 3rd District seat this year rather than pursuing a run for mayor. Hilbert, who has represented the district for more than a decade and currently serves as the body’s vice president, said in a Facebook post late Wednesday that with at least four new members joining the council after November’s elections, “it is critical that we have someone with proven leadership experience on the next council.”