A breakdown of the City of Richmond’s just-approved $690 million budget

After much deliberation, Richmond City Council members adopted a $690 million budget for fiscal year 2018, providing funds to provide crucial city services and run local government from July 1st, 2017 to June 30th, 2018. The budget was passed in a 6-3 vote.

“Council is confident that the Mayor will manage the budget efficiently and looks forward to working collaboratively with him to ensure service delivery expectations are met in a timely manner,” Council Chief of Staff Steve Skinner said in a news release. “Council is also confident that, while there are many competing interests for limited resources, the appropriate budgetary decisions were made based on the needs expressed by Richmond residents.”

Council members can be sure Mayor Levar Stoney will manage the budget to their liking thanks to a controversial amendment approved with the budget’s passing late Monday. In short, it dictates that City Council must approve the moving of funds between city programs or departments. Stoney released a statement expressing disappointment in the development, saying in part that the vote “takes micromanaging to a new level” and will “make city government less efficient and make it harder to deliver the services our residents deserve.” He went on to say that “Richmond deserved better tonight.”

Budget highlights

• The city is keeping the Richmond Real Estate Tax at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value–a rate that has been unchanged for a decade
• The budget invests $141 million for direct police and fire service delivery operations, which includes $5 million for police officer and firefighter pay adjustments and $100,000 to put more police officers in Richmond public housing communities. Richmond Capital Improvement Plan funding was also provided for fire station improvements and $450,000 to build a new Richmond Mounted Police horse stable.
• Invests $169 million in Richmond Public Schools, which includes $158 million from the Richmond General Fund; $9 million from the Richmond Capital Improvement Plan; and, reappropriation of $1.5 million in projected year-end surplus. The funding includes $5 million for school maintenance and repairs; $4.28 million to pay off the current loan for school bus leases; and, $2.3 million for new school technology. It also includes funding for year two for teacher salary decompression and a unified 2.5 percent adjustment for school staff.
• Includes funding to hire employees and purchase eight new knuckle boom trucks to increase City bulk trash collection from alleys and curbs.
• Includes continued investment in the Richmond Department of Finance for staff to help increase collection of delinquent tax revenue.
• Includes more funding for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond Office of the Sheriff for its Project Lifesavers Program to aid in tracking children with autism and elderly persons with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
• Includes funding for our Richmond Public Libraries to extend their hours and operation on behalf of our families and people looking for jobs.