[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"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","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,74,86,98,110],{"_32":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":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6598485,"mediaKeyId","3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363","parentId",3038097,"title","City reports mobile-home repair program status; $800,000 allocated and average repair cost $10,000–$13,000 per unit","audioSeconds",208,"startMs",4778000,"endMs",4986000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363&start=4778&end=4986","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363/thumbnail_4778000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6598485/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/City-reports-mobile-home-repair-program-status-800000-allocated-and-average-repair-cost-1000013000-per-unit","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598485-ebcab63075c4264c94066d75d6db364c/orig.mp4?Expires=1769890301&Signature=GqULeIHYlWhE6LG9aKDNbbo5DslGqp5aMl~G8A7f8y-NcbiYnWARnhoD2kWyPMNKGNMKmdAJR~NiHL1wNV~fPNEBiD3oUBAlyeWslSnAUHvaI3vrfOhMQX5g9GDbsiePql8XnUG2fpJL7-JjklwWBaEnc3ErxTZim-sslAJsSE-OvIiBrWJhkWPs0q2GIzMkBO7twQJsz5eFGmXKgcCHn0-wFPhcvJ8eV~QNyqfNOFbp0vkWRyM44KoPvtEIf4CrUs~cA7crFcdFbqDIf5NWDyOjwocK4w7SFzAvOP8zxOPUXm6HDT2cU8tjqtJvrYN3i~oHkuaSmr5xLZmzh-afBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","article","Richmond’s director of housing and community development told council members the city’s mobile-home repair program has funds available for new repairs but that the work has schedule and administrative lead time.

Merrick Malone, director of Housing and Community Development, said earlier allocations of $500,000 and $300,000 had been expended or are in progress; those projects reduced a waiting list from roughly 45 units down to about 10. Malone said the new fiscal-year appropriation of $800,000 has not yet been expended and will likely be used for repairs starting in the next fiscal year because of application and scheduling timelines.

“We currently are in contract with Project Homes who has done this work for the last couple of years,” Malone said. He told council the program’s work involves an application process, scheduling and implementation steps that create a natural lag between appropriation and expenditure.

Council member Turnbull asked for a breakdown of how the prior funds were spent, per-unit costs and the current status of projects. Malone said staff had provided that information to Turnbull’s office and would share it with other council members upon request. He said the average cost per repaired unit across past work was between $10,000 and $13,000.

Staff said they would circulate a unit-level accounting to council and that the $800,000 appropriation is available to begin new repairs pending administrative steps and scheduling.

No new policy or budget decisions were taken at the meeting on the mobile-home repair program; staff will provide the requested unit-level accounting to council members.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Council Budget Work Session - April 16, 2025 - Apr 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Housing staff said previous allocations for mobile-home repairs have been spent or are in progress; $800,000 remains available for a new round and prior repairs averaged about $10,000–$13,000 per unit.","taxTitle","Richmond City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",5755,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":75,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":76,"_40":77,"_42":78,"_44":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6598489,"Councilors file text amendments to budget ordinance; proposals include removing non-budget items and a contracting wage requirement",504,5934000,6438000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363&start=5934&end=6438","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363/thumbnail_5934000.jpg","/articles/6598489/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Councilors-file-text-amendments-to-budget-ordinance-proposals-include-removing-non-budget-items-and-a-contracting-wage-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598489-cba64dd99f062c171c527d5944d0cead/orig.mp4?Expires=1769890301&Signature=U4oyhdRovTLv1sapksw51gaId3k5YMHhYo~h391gI7o2MHMgrx9vtW1iM06fgPGbTrGgluAxpQKfO68DSe9In1GjGFnLmi1njxen9Znu4vflVL~9TWGY9hO9bZiJYgoNU9Rdvh1qqFIwert5mDWUQuGnkNJoPcy1mvwC6cRuBaRaZpKuMgg7pBfEnrLI3V2Tcey2Z~RtSnM1QLOvlCDVPHywSfxd5uyROubOgefGoAWlftMRWPX~IlkPqafAkAkkYzR6~Nv6PuhNE17HJmt5kUNWbevBl24urBCiBr0-6DqocCTzEORw9IRFNwDfZjhzMdv0U~X1Leo6u~5gEHr7kQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council staff presented draft text amendments to Richmond’s primary budget ordinance during the council’s operating amendment work session, and councilors discussed whether those changes should remain in the budget ordinance or be handled separately.

Will Perkins, senior legislative services manager, said he had received draft amendments from Councilor Newbill and Councilor Gibson and outlined seven proposed changes. Newbill’s submission would remove non–budget-specific provisions from the budget ordinance, including sections that would have changed duties of certain departments, requirements related to job vacancy advertisements, and written opinion requirements for the city attorney.

Gibson submitted narrower, overlapping amendments that would strike the city attorney opinion section and proposed changes to residency requirements. Perkins told members the submissions were at the concept stage and that staff had not yet finalized statutory language or cost estimates.

Gibson also proposed a contracting standard that would require janitorial and security contractors serving the city to pay wages equal to the city minimum (discussed in the meeting as $20 per hour). CAO Sabrina Joy Hogg provided a preliminary cost estimate for that change: roughly $1.1 million to raise janitorial contracts and about $2.4 million for security contracts, or about $3.5 million total in increased contract costs if implemented in the current cycle.

Council members debated whether text amendments that are not directly budgetary should be removed from the ordinance and handled as standalone ordinances outside the budget process. Several members urged staff and administration to work collaboratively on the drafting and to pull non-budget policy changes out of the budget ordinance if possible.

Perkins said staff would draft language after receiving member feedback and that legal counsel would need to review the proposals. No formal votes were taken during the session; councilors and staff planned follow-up work on the text amendments.","Two councilors submitted draft changes to the city’s budget ordinance: one would strip non-budget provisions from the ordinance and another would require janitorial and security contractors to pay at least the city minimum wage; staff said legal drafting and cost estimates were still pending.",{"_32":87,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":88,"_40":89,"_42":90,"_44":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6598494,"Councilors propose roughly $21 million in operating enhancements including schools, eviction services and ambulance funding",3813,307000,4120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363&start=307&end=4120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363/thumbnail_307000.jpg","/articles/6598494/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Councilors-propose-roughly-21-million-in-operating-enhancements-including-schools-eviction-services-and-ambulance-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598494-a40875c2ed217c5b4d5dfd1c7558a6f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1769890301&Signature=EBYF9irly3zOUww4UF7YaK6e9KFhjU8kXVarW~Xzfb2qI~N0bpjMgtvnA8SyJEPa68LjuWqzm0-S6-oqcKqgTdFUGy0vHTAB-l-Jiu46o7L~zmmyzP3tPAoY~FbgAvk0HobPof7ehK6lI4iApJWbeFbuzCn7CLfQ4FaT9EvhKVQ5wUobd8xRhJImfT3tjYe6YaQHLdaxlSrDN-~AkkjDYN11m2yjo8V4d1mgf0XmOSj0Ds1FmkmzPBbjtxi8CY8HTZQF9qrWCChROiEKB7pQDF5SUf4ADHb2TLM2OSDCwjIODV6QjamsFPJWmvzPleVtajhItlnRrbnadjIbdUr2HA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members presented dozens of proposed operating enhancements during a Richmond City Council budget work session, with a cumulative total of enhancements reported at about $20,940,000 as of the morning of the meeting.

Interim Chief of Staff Matthew Slatz told the body the 48 enhancements submitted to that point totaled nearly $21 million and that council members were also identifying reductions to offset new spending. “Our primary focus for this session is centering on the operating amendments that you’ve all submitted,” Slatz said.

Enhancements on the spreadsheet presented by staff and discussed in the session included: additional funding for Richmond Public Schools beyond a mayoral proposal (multiple council members proposed increases ranging from $4 million to $6.9 million or more, with different patrons); a proposed increase to the Family Crisis Fund from the mayor’s $520,000; funding increases for year-round shelter services, trauma healing response, and re-entry services (OAR); and restorations or increases for partner agencies including Thrive Birth to 5, Richmond Sports Backers and the Black History Museum.

Council members also proposed expanding legal and eviction-related assistance: the mayor proposed $500,000 for right-to-counsel services in eviction cases and Gibson and others proposed increasing that to $1 million; an eviction diversion fund was proposed to increase from $800,000 to $1,000,000 to provide one-time cash assistance in court-eligible cases.

Council members asked for personnel restorations in the Council Chief of Staff’s office and proposed adding a policy analyst for each council seat (estimated at about $1 million across nine districts). Members also proposed targeted investments in the Richmond Ambulance Authority — to cover heart-rate monitors, personnel and ambulance leases — and a staff allocation to support a possible city rental inspection program, pending committee decisions on design and districting.

Wagner and other staff noted some proposals were partially funded in the mayor’s budget and that all proposed increases would need offsets to produce a legally balanced budget before adoption. No formal votes were held on enhancements at the meeting; staff will return with reconciled cost estimates and balanced amendment packages for later action.","Council members submitted a slate of operating enhancements—totaling about $20.94 million as of the meeting morning—targeting Richmond Public Schools, eviction defense and diversion, emergency medical services, and a range of nonprofit partners; staff said final adoption requires balancing with reductions.",{"_32":99,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":100,"_40":101,"_42":102,"_44":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6598498,"Administration warns proposed personnel cuts could close services, disrupt operations",543,793000,1336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363&start=793&end=1336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363/thumbnail_793000.jpg","/articles/6598498/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Administration-warns-proposed-personnel-cuts-could-close-services-disrupt-operations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598498-374fc3b65be9bd4c0287719ce5620ba5/orig.mp4?Expires=1769890301&Signature=fp5GFmi8m3xZdjqaWjEMlS2y2oPra2oiCw~S4N5nfncpEi~KEQ2jq9MGDaNkD0DB~PIrqqkfsGTxzY0H-JH7TDqwyNJrJknFkhNGJlXBgq9sdcTQtc~WYT6yyalUOZcVVTZGsFUHIDKmKNE9tbOqaUdKLt~7E5pEVwjQcwTRo~CM3xjWd8uvxOlLhW8LTqSvB9oM3JiOdGurcx0pkrWvNtPdETn-9vaLdQQY~gQpmUE916Br-JPtktE0qzL5KOIwMiXLqKLGL-6LLoDxdce4zu7H5VShpagwKacplAKIWp9EBqCGrLYgVp-UcIFKAN6~i4-~7rG8UV9t2JORo5AM9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City administration told Richmond City Council that many of the personnel reductions proposed by council members are based on outdated vacancy data and could disrupt essential services if enacted.

“The spreadsheet that’s on screen is not one that we received,” Interim CAO Sabrina Joy Hogg told council, saying third-quarter vacancy projections differ from numbers in the proposed budget. She urged the council to consider whether vacancies were truly available for reduction and warned that some positions were already filled or in recruitment.

Hogg described areas of concern the administration opposes cutting. She advised against eliminating positions in emergency communications, noting the department had only one vacancy because an academy class had just started. She said finance had been rebuilt over the previous years to cover commissioner of revenue and treasurer functions and that further cuts now could reverse gains made since 2021.

“If you cut operating for finance, we will have to close Southside and EDI,” Hogg said, describing operating reductions that would affect services at those locations. She also cautioned that staffing changes in police and fire involved minimum staffing standards the departments must meet.

Interim Deputy Chief of Staff Daniel Wagner and Slatz emphasized that some positions listed as vacant were in recruitment, had offers extended, or were being covered by temporary workers and overtime. Wagner noted council-submitted personnel proposals had been compiled using third-quarter vacancy data and that updated figures were being provided by the administration.

Council members pressed for details to verify which positions are truly expendable. “Just because they are vacant now doesn’t mean the department doesn’t need that position,” Hogg said, explaining roles sometimes are left vacant while workloads remain and temporary staff cover essential work.

Members and staff agreed to follow up with department directors and the budget office to reconcile vacancy and recruitment data before making final decisions. No formal action was taken on the proposed reductions during the session.","Interim CAO Sabrina Joy Hogg and budget staff told council that several proposed personnel reductions would harm operations in departments such as finance, emergency communications, public works and neighborhood services, and in some cases could force closures or layoffs.",{"_32":111,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":112,"_40":113,"_42":114,"_44":115,"_46":116,"_48":117,"_50":118,"_52":119,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":120,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":121,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6598505,"Richmond councilors press administration to publish budget amendments and set clearer timeline",1096,72000,1168000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363&start=72&end=1168","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3038097-dd15fd62786ee914a531c5933ef54363/thumbnail_72000.jpg","/articles/6598505/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Richmond-councilors-press-administration-to-publish-budget-amendments-and-set-clearer-timeline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6598505-03c979b4988ff94dd2532af8329b6aef/orig.mp4?Expires=1769890301&Signature=ROFvkm7FCkVzRX546Kp-uEDMlhS7nymyE7GWcCR8g1RmD60ZJukzxfTvnGtm--hN8ZYgIduc2ZMiGYE6U8mCM1Ol4cug3CjrFcV67otuN8U0NctiJZnMmmRQ8mh1gWNDQOxgQfY-7pdZ-bsA4zF0w3Woq~vqZmlHfn7F~OvohDVhWXD8r-OXGTbBBoShXfS~NXdu-BdaRt34exryk-aw1ypM4ZdXSz9K~KhznEhcYoGDqJNdaR-OlDQRnwQniaYSPqXB5KQoy-mbX5Nzx8REi6QAiKMUYSZj7e0rq2Jy3FjhtJrcIHM8zThB7kbJw8rF~oqgzfc4nUPf3hUkzzq~mA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Richmond City Council members at a budget work session on operating amendments pressed administration staff to publish the council-submitted amendment spreadsheet and to clarify the schedule for finalizing the budget.

Council member Marjorie Gibson said members and the public lacked access to the full amendment packet and the names of sponsoring council members. “There is public interest in understanding who submitted the various amendments that we’ll be discussing,” Gibson said, asking that the clerk upload the amendment spreadsheet during the meeting.

Council interim Chief of Staff Matthew Slatz said the session’s “primary focus” was on operating amendments and that the council would follow with capital improvements at a later meeting. Slatz told members the chief of staff’s office and budget team were working to get updated numbers to council as quickly as possible.

“We will work with staff to, as quickly as possible, get these things uploaded to our registrar site so that citizens are not scrolling down,” President (Dr.) Newbill said while acknowledging that some documents continued to change up to the meeting.

Will Perkins, senior legislative services manager for council, walked members through draft text amendments to the city’s budget ordinance and said two councilors had submitted draft ordinance changes for staff review. Perkins asked members for feedback so legal and administrative staff could complete language and cost estimates.

Council members requested more time and clearer process guardrails. Several members said they wanted future budget cycles to start earlier and for agendas and amendment materials to be posted with consistent accessibility. “We need to start this process much, much sooner,” one council member said while urging a policy to standardize what documents are shared and when.

Administration staff agreed to publish the documents and to circulate updated numbers and ordinance text so the public and council can review before further deliberations. The council scheduled continued budget work for a subsequent session to consider capital items and finalize amendments.","During a council budget work session, members raised concerns that the full amendment spreadsheet and sponsor names were not posted to the public record and pushed staff to upload the documents and clarify the schedule for final votes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City reports mobile-home repair program status; $800,000 allocated and average repair cost $10,000–$13,000 per unit

Councilors file text amendments to budget ordinance; proposals include removing non-budget items and a contracting wage requirement

Councilors propose roughly $21 million in operating enhancements including schools, eviction services and ambulance funding

Administration warns proposed personnel cuts could close services, disrupt operations

Richmond councilors press administration to publish budget amendments and set clearer timeline