GOAL: Build strong futures for children, adults, and families

Mayor Stoney has made investments in the children of the City of Richmond his highest priority. He has made historic investments in Richmond Public Schools, partnering with Superintendent Jason Kamras to ensure the city's allocation is used to support all students, regardless of zip code, race, immigrant status or ability. 

In FY2024, he increased investments in RPS, some of those investments include:

• The Fiscal Year ‘24 local contribution to RPS, $221.5 million, is $70 million more than the Fiscal Year ‘17 allocation and represents a 46.1 percent increase in RPS support during my tenure as Mayor. To put it another way, the local contribution has increased almost 50% in just seven years.
• $15M to help rebuild Fox Elementary School
• $2.5 million in school capital maintenance, so RPS can make critical enhancements to our existing schools.
• To date, Mayor Stoney’s Administration has built THREE new schools in Black and Brown neighborhoods, and in Fiscal Year 2024 they have $200 million in their CIP budget set aside for school construction – money the school board may use to prioritize the school construction projects it chooses.

Other investments in Richmond’s children and families include:

• $1M investment in the Positive Youth Development Fund
• The creation of the Pathways Program and a $1.7M initial investment to help it start as a pilot program that supports RPS graduations to and through community college. Beginning in the fall of 2023, the administration will pair a traditional scholarship with a monthly cash allowance, mentorship opportunities, and additional supports so that RPS graduates can achieve postsecondary success.
• The creation of the Children’s Fund and the Mayor’s continued investment in this fund to serve children and families--$500,000 in FY24.

GOAL: Plan for growth, economic progress, and affordable housing.

Since the Mayor took office in 2017, working together, he and his administration and interested stakeholders have dramatically increased the amount of funding available for affordable housing by over 1,200 percent.

For FY2024, Mayor Stoney has pledged to invest a record $10 million per year in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in perpetuity.

Mayor Stoney founded the Eviction Diversion Program, a first of its kind program designed to address Richmond’s troubling eviction rates. In 2022 alone, the Mayor increased the funding for this program by nearly 50%.

Stoney’s most recent investments in housing involved using $20 million in ARPA dollars toward the ongoing need of more affordable and high-quality housing opportunities. To bring even further attention, funding, and increased collaboration to this matter, in April 2023, the Mayor and City Council officially declared a housing crisis in Richmond.

Stoney’s proposed Capital Improvement Plan includes $50 million for affordable housing projects over the next five years. The Mayor is designating $10 million each year to affordable housing so the city can address its housing needs—from affordable rental units, to achieving their goal to create 2,000 new homeowners from low-income households.

GOAL: Support safe and clean neighborhoods

Mayor Stoney invests a significant amount of time and resources to reducing violence and crime in Richmond and creating a safe, welcoming community for all residents.

In 2022, the Mayor released the Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention (GVPI) Report that outlines the City's GVPI framework and the numerous stakeholders that were brought together to identify solutions to pubic safety problems in Richmond. The report was developed by a talented team of invested stakeholders, including members of the Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), VCU Health System (VCUHS), Richmond City Health District (RCHD), Richmond Police Department (RPD), and the Department of Justice Services communities.

Since implementing various gun violence prevention and intervention initiatives, and working very closely with the Richmond Police Department (RPD), Richmond experienced a 34% reduction in its homicide rate in 2022 with 59 homicides, compared to the 90 the city suffered in 2021.

To improve public safety in Richmond, the Mayor and his administration has:

• Created a new position called the Community Safety Coordinator (CSC). The CSC focuses on the fundamentals of the city’s Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Framework, including engagement, prevention, intervention, training, and supportive services for victims as well as perpetrators of gun violence.
• Created the Positive Youth Development fund with the goal of investing in citywide programming for your and their families.
• Continued to invest in out-of-school time opportunities and programming for youth.
• Created a new summer program informally known as “Late Night Gym” for youth in Richmond
• Invested in the creation of three new city-provided, full-time position called “Community Meditators.” The Community Mediators’ role is designed to identify and prevent high-risk offenders through focused deterrence interventions using modified risk assessment tools, provide outreach support, including enhanced social services to victims and offenders of gun-related crime, and mediate conflicts through rapid deployment of identified stakeholders who can refer those in crisis to wraparound services.
• Established and executed the second gun buyback program in Richmond in August 2023, following a very successful gun buyback event in August 2022.
• Continued to invest in our public safety officers and first responders by dedicating funding in the FY24 budget to increase their wages.
• Facilitated the creation of Richmond’s first-ever Real Time Crime Center.

• Invested:

  • $10.0 million to replace Richmond’s First Police Precinct
  • $15.0 million to replace Fire Station 21
  • $985,000 for new Traffic Control Signals
  • $1.1 million for Street Lighting
  • $10.0 million for Fire Apparatus, Police Vehicles, and Refuse Trucks

GOAL: Make cultural and infrastructure investments

A strong advocate for economic growth, Mayor Stoney launched programs that strengthen neighborhoods and ensure all residents share in the city’s progress.

Through the Richmond 300 plan, Mayor Stoney is spearheading the development of the Diamond District, which is a project that provides a detailed roadmap to equitably revitalize an underdeveloped part of Richmond City and maximize its potential as a thriving city for all Richmonders. In the Diamond District, design, planning, and resources will be devoted to additional affordable housing, minority business engagement, increased accessibility and usage of open green spaces, a new baseball stadium, and much more.

To further support the City’s infrastructure, the Mayor’s Administration has made historic investments in newly paved roads, the rehabilitation of community centers, and free mass transit in the City for all riders. Additionally, $78M of ARPA funds were dedicated to creating four world-class community centers. These centers will strengthen communities by providing additional programming, educational training opportunities, shared resources, and physical spaces to gather, socialize, and connect.

To support Richmond’s sustainability goals and invest in the natural environment, Mayor Stoney launched the RVAgreen 2050 program in 2017, with one of its main goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030. Mayor Stoney has remained committed to this initiative and set aside $440,000 in the City’s FY 2024 budget to go towards this program and ensure 50 percent of the city’s electricity usage will be from off-site renewable energy.

Additional FY24 investments include:

• $21.0 million for Traffic Calming, Sidewalks, and Complete Streets
• $7.0 million for Citywide Parks Improvements
• $800,000 to expand hours at Richmond Public Libraries
• $200,000 for the History and Culture Commission and Historical Markers
• $250,000 for Neighborhood Signs and Waymaking

GOAL: Achieving responsive, accountable, and innovative government

Mayor Stoney believes that we are stronger together, more impactful together, and can achieve far greater when working together. Therefore, to highlight how grateful he is for the terrific individuals that play a role in supporting, enhancing, and investing in the City of Richmond, Mayor Stoney instituted a historic 8% salary increase for all non-sworn city employees in his fiscal year 2024 budget. He has also invested numerous resources in increasing salaries for teachers and public safety workers and those employed across the City by increasing the minimum wage to $18.

Additional details regarding the general wage increase and other FY24 investments include:

• $12.7 million for 8% General Wage Increase and $18 Per Hour Minimum Wage
• $5.0 million maintained from FY 2023 for public safety adjustments
• $5.7 million for a step increase and 3% step plan adjustment for Sworn
• $1.4 million for Employee First Time Homebuyer’s Assistance (ARPA)
• $1.2 million for Employee Tuition Assistance and Language Incentives