CITY OF RICHMOND
EDU FAQ #006: What would school closings really have meant?
The city battle to close the RPS budget gap rages on. Just like with our own bank accounts, when the money isn’t there, we have to limit or cut spending. Proposals have been put forth and the public outcry over the potential closing of several schools was heard across the city, with packed School Board and City Council meetings, as well as yard signage all over the city and billboards popping up along the interstate proclaiming, “Support Our Schools.” Now that City Council has passed the amendments to partially fund schools and the School Board has tabled discussions of school closures this budget cycle, Superintendent Dana Bedden, with the help of retired Assistant Superintendent of Financial Services Ralph Westbay and Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Thomas Kranz, analyzed the budget to determine where cuts will have to be made and presented them to the School Board on May 16th. According to Westbay, “the School Board has the unenviable task of trying to squeeze $4.9 million of teacher salary decompression, $6.2 million of structural deficiencies, $2.3 million for year two of the AIP, and $2.8 million of other initiatives into $5.5 million.”
Richmond’s financial adviser presents bleak outlook for future school funding
Unless the city of Richmond stretches its fiscal policies — possibly risking a downgrade to its credit rating — it won’t be able to come close to funding the school system’s multi-million dollar plan to overhaul its decrepit facilities, according to the city’s financial advisers. At present, the city’s debt capacity is virtually maxed out: The city can only borrow about $8 million over the next five years, according to an analysis by Davenport and Company. The study, which was presented to the City Council on Monday, was conducted at the request of Mayor Dwight C. Jones, who has said he wants to put in place a multi-year funding plan for schools before he leaves office at the end of the year.
Richmond School board approves $280 million operating budget
The Richmond School Board approved a $280.3 million operating budget Monday evening that cuts $4.5 million in previously approved programs and services. The budget does, however, include the implementation of a salary decompression plan aimed at attracting and retaining teachers that will be phased in over two years. The School Board also approved a $9 million capital improvement plan.
Richmond grows beyond its 1980 population
Richmond became a new home to 5,580 people between 2014 and 2015. Most of them are babies. Those 2,902 little beings can call themselves Richmond natives when they gain the use of language. The rest of us will continue to say we’re from “the area.” The remaining 48% of new residents are from elsewhere in the state, country, or world. The net number of people who migrated to Richmond–2,678–is the second largest total in Virginia. In the same year, the number of housing units in Richmond increased by a more modest 0.32%–325 units. Housing supply has shown slow progress, with a 2.06% increase in the number of units from 2010 to 2015. Richmond’s population has increased by 7.9% over the same period.
CHESTERFIELD
Chesterfield planners solicit feedback on Midlothian plan
Midlothian has seen a lot of changes in the last quarter century. But it has managed to maintain its village feel, said Steve Harris, who has lived there since 1979. Harris was one of more than 150 people who attended Monday’s community workshop at Midlothian High School, hosted by Chesterfield County. County planners were seeking input from residents for the new special area plan to be developed within an 18-month period.
Chesterfield turns to Henrico official as next county administrator
Henrico County official Joseph P. Casey will be taking a short trip across the James River to serve as Chesterfield County’s new county administrator. The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors announced Thursday that Casey, Henrico’s deputy county manager for administration, will succeed County Administrator James J.L. “Jay” Stegmaier. Stegmaier, 62, announced in January that he would retire June 30 after a 37-year career in Chesterfield. He rose to county administrator in 2007 and oversees an operation with 4,500 employees and an annual budget of more than $800 million.
HENRICO
Henrico residents likely to vote on $419.8 million in bonds in November
Along with picks for president and other officials and voting on state constitutional questions, Henrico County residents likely will decide in November on $419.8 million in projects. County Manager John A. Vithoulkas on Tuesday gave Board of Supervisors members an overview of items that could be funded through a general obligation bond. More than $270 million would go toward school projects, and the remainder toward county capital projects. Henrico has not put forth a bond referendum since 2005, officials said.
STATE
FBI investigating contributions to McAuliffe’s 2013 campaign
The FBI is investigating Gov. Terry McAuliffe over donations to his 2013 gubernatorial campaign. According to CNN, the governor is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the FBI and prosecutors from the public integrity unit of the Justice Department. The report of the investigation comes less than six months before the presidential election in which McAuliffe hopes to help his friend, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, carry Virginia, a key swing state.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual report, Out of Reach, documents the gap between wages and the price of housing across the United States. The report’s Housing Wage is an estimate of the hourly wage that a full-time worker must earn to afford a modest and safe rental home without spending more than 30% of his or her income on rent and utility costs. In Virginia, the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,167. In order to afford this level of rent and utilities — without paying more than 30% of income on housing — a household must earn $3,890 monthly or $46,675 annually. Assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks per year, this level of income translates into an hourly Housing Wage of $22.44.
NATIONAL
A decade ago, travelers arriving at Denver’s sprawling new airport would look out over a vast expanse of flat, prairie dog-infested grassland and wonder if their plane had somehow fallen short of its destination. The $4.9 billion airport—at 53 square miles, larger than Manhattan—was derided as being “halfway to Kansas,” and given the emptiness of the 23-mile drive to the city, it felt that way. Last month, arriving visitors boarded the first trains headed for downtown, a journey that zips past a new Japanese-style “smart city” emerging from the prairie before depositing passengers 37 minutes later in a bustling urban hive of restaurants, shops and residential towers that only six years ago was a gravelly no man’s land—an entire $2 billion downtown neighborhood that’s mushroomed up around the hub of Denver’s rapidly expanding light rail system.
ELECTIONS
Tatnall drops Richmond mayoral bid to run for School Board
Rick Tatnall, a community activist in the East End, announced Friday that he would end his bid for Richmond mayor and run for the city’s School Board instead. “It was always a long shot to run for mayor, and this election is going to be a circus. But my candidacy was about what I have been doing and the specifics of the future of Richmond’s government. And I just didn’t see that being discussed anywhere,” Tatnall said in a phone interview. Tatnall called his decision to run for the School Board a “tactical change” in how he “supports and intersects” with the community of Richmond. Tatnall is seeking the 7th District School Board seat being vacated by Donald Coleman. So far Tatnall is the only one running for the seat, but the filing deadline isn’t until June.
Schapiro: Mayoral elections is about new Richmond’s old problems
The collective groan that went up when Chuck Richardson declared for Richmond mayor has been subdued. That’s not because residents probably dismiss it as more antics from one of the city’s most controversial political figures. That’s because many residents probably don’t know why Richardson, one of 17 candidates, is controversial. He was a drug addict who, even after being convicted of possession, was re-elected to the City Council four times. Richardson finally quit the council after he was caught on videotape selling heroin to an undercover informer. But that was nearly 21 years ago — more than a generation. The changes since in the city — its population, complexity, politics and governance — have been dramatic. The journey from then to now is creating opportunity.
US Supreme Court dismisses GOP appeal; new Va. congressional districts stand
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously dismissed a Republican appeal of Virginia’s new congressional districts, which means that the 4th District officially will add Richmond and Petersburg and become more favorable to Democrats. A three-judge panel redrew the map, substantially altering the 4th District, in order to fix constitutional flaws with the 3rd District, represented by Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, D-3rd. The panel had twice found that Republicans in the Virginia legislature packed too many additional African-Americans into the 3rd District, diluting minority voters’ influence in surrounding districts.
Corey Stewart making a run for governor’s mansion
Corey Stewart says he’s running for governor in part because he has a lot in common with Donald J. Trump. “I’m a lot like him,” Stewart said of Trump, who chose Stewart to lead his campaign in Virginia last December. “I like to fight. I stand up for my values. I stand up for people and I never back down.” Stewart, 48, is serving his third term at the helm of Prince William County government after being re-elected chairman of the board of supervisors last November with about 56 percent of the vote.