[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6600536,"mediaKeyId","3038094-427176d72ac1ee20a47ee0eeaeec331f","parentId",3038094,"title","Committee forwards proposed 2026 tax-rate ordinance and hears plan to realign assessment cycle","audioSeconds",390,"startMs",1065000,"endMs",1455000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038094-427176d72ac1ee20a47ee0eeaeec331f&start=1065&end=1455","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038094-427176d72ac1ee20a47ee0eeaeec331f/thumbnail_1065000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6600536/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-forwards-proposed-2026-tax-rate-ordinance-and-hears-plan-to-realign-assessment-cycle","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600536-68106c4f7777daec18c98a80b048d82c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774979289&Signature=HcTimIY3hWSlMSxvT0033hOrIBilvX~Mp8SwpAqheMjt01XzPwybCVimsa3BAKDiD5RkMWICgCY0d~S9IGPasXttql-vcuFR6Z4~Qo5Rjiy6wEpT8zoddF1YB60WDlCdYIFqo~KF3KQqMlpLvW4Xzy1N8HH-tFyG9rUSUFDBr8oqMYnqyv2Jf0o9GHsYepQRpafd091DPfReufQcyr9Rcj6eLK8hj1FFvGrCWAfLBgt27J9Yhw618mjjHHto3FBZ-P1XCt73vZw7zoEr-1vxvZhRpuJFqTnNBWbEv6z28SvKfiTaMFNc~lMbThxEBujL7bev7ljtXMES6U12LkZQHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward ordinance 20250068, which would establish a real estate tax rate of $1.16 for the tax year beginning Jan. 1, 2026, to the full City Council with no committee recommendation. The committee also received a detailed presentation from the assessor's office and finance staff about realigning the property assessment cycle to the city fiscal year and about a communications plan for the change.

Why it matters: committee members said the proposal could affect homeowners and small-business owners across Richmond and requested fiscal and legal impact analyses before the Council takes final action. Councilmember Grama told colleagues that many residents are struggling and urged support for relief measures; the committee asked administration for an impact analysis and legal advice to be ready for the council meeting.

Realignment details presented: Sabrina Joy Hogg, senior deputy chief administrative officer for finance and administration, and Richard McKeithen, the city assessor, described a statutory and administrative plan to shift the land-book and assessment cycle from a calendar-year effective date to a fiscal-year schedule to better align assessments with the budget process.

Key technical points from the presentation:
- The assessor will send assessment notices on Sept. 1 under the plan; the notices that go out next Sept. 1 are projected by staff to show an average taxable-value increase of about 6% citywide.
- The administration said the same \"land book\" will be used for FY 2026 and FY 2027 during a matriculation period; that means limited incremental real estate revenue in the interim (primarily new construction and renovations).
- The long-term plan moves reassessments to begin July 1 so the assessor completes a full cycle before budget adoption; staff said this should reduce the current practice of debating tax rates five months into a fiscal year.
- Billing frequency to taxpayers will remain twice a year during the transition.

Communication and cost: finance staff said a targeted communications campaign is required for residents, mortgage and escrow companies, title firms, realtors and community organizations. The administration plans to contract a communications firm to tailor messages by audience and estimated the campaign cost at under $200,000; a scope of work will be issued in coming months and initial public outreach is scheduled to begin in September.

Council concerns and requests: several council members asked for regular updates during the assessment year so members and the public can track whether values are trending up or down. Councilmember Trammell and others raised concerns about displacement and the ability of lower- and moderate-income homeowners to pay increased taxes; staff responded that the reassessment could go up or down depending on market conditions but that aligning cycles gives the council more predictability. The committee asked the administration to prepare a fiscal impact analysis and a legal analysis; city counsel staff confirmed those analyses will be prepared for the April 28 council agenda.

Committee action: Chair Robertson moved to forward ordinance 20250068 to the full council with no recommendation to allow councilwide consideration with the requested analyses; the committee approved the motion on recorded \"Aye\" votes.

Next steps: the ordinance and the requested analyses will appear on the Council docket. The administration said it will provide incremental updates as the assessor's work proceeds and before the full reassessment becomes effective in 2028 under the new timetable.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Finance & Economic Development Standing Committee Meeting - April 16, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. - Apr 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward ordinance 20250068, which would set a real estate tax rate of $1.16 for the tax year beginning Jan. 1, 2026, to the full City Council with no committee recommendation and heard a plan to realign the city's property assessment cycle to the fiscal year.","taxTitle","Richmond City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",5755,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6600540,"Committee forwards $198,380 Caritas training grant and four peer-recovery subgrants to council",381,178000,559000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038094-427176d72ac1ee20a47ee0eeaeec331f&start=178&end=559","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038094-427176d72ac1ee20a47ee0eeaeec331f/thumbnail_178000.jpg","/articles/6600540/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-forwards-198380-Caritas-training-grant-and-four-peer-recovery-subgrants-to-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600540-8c6ff5ff24d3f711cb76cb517ebc4f22/orig.mp4?Expires=1774979289&Signature=FKgJVJt5jRRveKPnonddOOZm8-tbThtsmhYaPo-KYilYspVIHf6TnlAYI-CbESkOLrcq6OsJ9nnkV85VhKbCICdfNsoWaS2CWhHLRZzgG10HfbiOAZO5Gzrr0vTPApphhKwEkGR9umv7nMHzkNqqWG5mL2eqRAcBYInbb6QO8Sfwyd7YvyncyLtZW0id4MdpeePraTNQVlWA3yXAusCekf30NOPbI5Sr6XZzU6JgYjB~IISpiKpygkVN7p7ZlvC6cuT0KTwTfW-v8tsz6vZbTFbNUhL6Jv4S3y5jYUSa9NyDAKQt4K~5gDQDCH02VkSK7OoB37t9Vt3GgfHBdq9Dzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee on April 28 voted to forward an ordinance authorizing the city to contract with Caritas for a $198,380 grant to create a peer recovery specialist training program and separately forwarded four related peer-recovery subgrants to council with a recommendation to approve.

The measures are intended to use money from the city's National Opioid Settlement Fund to support peer recovery specialists, nonclinical workers with lived experience who provide person-centered recovery support. \"Peer recovery specialists provide substance use disorder and mental health nonclinical person centered, strengths based, wellness focused services, to support clients, in entering sustainable recovery,\" Mike Fotula, the city's opioid response coordinator, told the committee.

Why it matters: committee members and a public speaker highlighted both cost savings and life-saving potential. Fotula said evidence supports peers as an allowable use of opioid settlement funds and that prevention and treatment services can produce downstream savings in health care and criminal justice costs. \"There is no greater connection than peer to peer services,\" Benjamin Carr, director of recovery services for Caritas and a certified peer recovery specialist, said during the public hearing, adding the Caritas academy aims to produce a minimum of 40 trained peers in the coming year.

Key details and funding: the ordinance for Caritas (ordinance 20250056) would authorize the chief administrative officer to execute the grant agreement for $198,380. Fotula said the city received a separate award of $250,000 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority that was intended to be subgranted to local nonprofits; four additional ordinances (20250064, 20250065, 20250066, 20250067) would authorize grant agreements with McShin Foundation, St. Luke Legacy Center, Atlantic Outreach Group Inc., and Opportunity Alliance and Reentry to fund peer recovery services. Fotula said the funding source is the National Opioid Settlement Fund and that there is \"no fiscal impact to the city\" from the grant awards because the funds are distributed to the city through opioid settlements with manufacturers and distributors.

Committee action and public input: the committee held a public hearing on the Caritas paper; Benjamin Carr spoke in support. Vice Chair Jones moved to forward the Caritas ordinance to council with a recommendation to approve; the motion was seconded and approved on recorded \"Aye\" votes from Vice Chair Jones and Chair Robertson. The committee then read items 3 through 6 in a block, heard Fotula explain the competitive subgrant process and the intended use of peer specialists, and voted to forward the four additional ordinances to council with a recommendation to approve.

Implementation and scale: Fotula and Carr emphasized peer services as an evidence-based strategy to reduce fatal overdoses and connect people to treatment. Carr said the Caritas academy aims to train at least 40 peer specialists in the next year and to add a community engagement component the following year to place peers in outreach roles.

Next steps: the forwarded ordinances will be considered by the full City Council. The committee record shows the motions were forwarded with recommendations to approve; the council will consider the formal grant agreements and any contract signatures by the chief administrative officer.","The Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward an ordinance authorizing a Caritas grant of $198,380 and a block of four related peer recovery grants to the full City Council, all funded from opioid settlement dollars and intended to expand peer recovery services across Richmond.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6600530,"HR projects collective-bargaining cost increases; staff to deliver July review",328,2398000,2726000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038094-427176d72ac1ee20a47ee0eeaeec331f&start=2398&end=2726","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038094-427176d72ac1ee20a47ee0eeaeec331f/thumbnail_2398000.jpg","/articles/6600530/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/HR-projects-collective-bargaining-cost-increases-staff-to-deliver-July-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600530-dea4d1c83f577050a8f0910fb326aeab/orig.mp4?Expires=1774979289&Signature=cPnLM4Y7pN9keqLbNUlv5NpFoSe8cwXrSOLuDCLylLzUdlbgZPFmXU2PfRTIoWJ2KBGwZNYlXU-Id1YysZycQlTqBIhDmX7GZhr-EHkSz6iBlIGU4QL7fCx9BFaPmMZ3~Y2Z1IDHWdgHIKRWCx7zY9Pps9ixekOxrxtNfWyjzf-xEUX9HwZRdLy-Yc~ABPoMiqb9QAAJI4ufgSQEQcdskApW~1ESD3SiIHwMBq5vN4My0ieOevUxhfWu4aMCoRus53~3~kPU94d2zPCNOr2T-m12WJO3bl-rZLuPecO4fsKl-AePnrXI8Qf3Bn3qJXonRQjUqkunCv5hZkSPXGgSTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Human Resources staff briefed the Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee on projected personnel and administration costs associated with newly negotiated collective bargaining agreements and said the administration will prepare the statutory review of collective bargaining for submission in July.

Tyrone Alexander, Richmond's director of human resources, told committee members that collective bargaining now covers about three-quarters of the city's workforce and that negotiated wage and market-adjustment provisions will increase personnel costs over the next several fiscal years. Alexander said the administration has programmed market adjustments and percentage increases for multiple bargaining units and that the provisional total cost associated with the set of collective bargaining agreements presented is roughly $349.8 million over the multi-year period covered in the presentation.

Elements of the estimate: Alexander and staff said the cost projections are based on active employees as of March 2025 and include wages, market adjustments and related costs funded across all city funding sources (including enterprise funds). Staff also listed additional support costs: two labor-relations staff positions (baseline payroll and benefits totaling roughly $362,000 in FY25), a baseline for professional fees (outside counsel, arbitration and mediation) set at $500,000 across the period, and other operating supports (union-related administrative items, clothing and safety equipment, medical and related services) projected at roughly $1.1 million to $1.3 million per year.

Administration view and caveats: Alexander noted that numbers will change with staffing levels and final ratification and emphasized that the figures account for both direct wage costs and related operating and professional expenses. He said a key caveat is that the totals are calculated using the active-employee roster from March 2025 and that the calculation includes all funding sources.

Council questions and next steps: Councilmember Gibson asked whether the city can quantify savings from reduced vacancy and turnover'metrics that the administration attributes in part to bargaining and recent workforce initiatives. Alexander said staff will take that request as a referral to provide year-over-year details on vacancy, turnover, overtime and outsourcing costs. Councilmember Gibson and others asked about timelines for the mayor's required review of collective bargaining; Alexander said staff are gathering the data and will prepare the report for the July deadline.

Context: council members and staff framed the discussion as balancing the up-front budgetary impact of wage and market adjustments against potential operational savings from lower vacancy and turnover. The administration described the bargaining arrangements, wage multipliers tied to neighboring localities for police and fire, and planned market adjustment pools for other unions.","City staff presented projected cost increases tied to recently negotiated collective bargaining agreements and outlined staffing, legal and operating costs; the administration said it will prepare the review of collective bargaining performance required by code for submission in July.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee forwards proposed 2026 tax-rate ordinance and hears plan to realign assessment cycle

Committee forwards $198,380 Caritas training grant and four peer-recovery subgrants to council

HR projects collective-bargaining cost increases; staff to deliver July review