Votes at a glance: committee forwards three budget and contract items to council

The Education and Human Services Standing Committee forwarded three items to full council with recommendations to approve.

Ordinance 2025-121: the committee voted to forward an ordinance to amend the FY2025 budget and reappropriate funds after Literacy Lab ceased operations. City staff said $96,250 will be reallocated from the Literacy Lab appropriation, with $66,250 appropriated to the Reserve for Children’s Fund and $30,000 to Challenge Discovery Projects Inc. Staff said the $30,000 to Challenge Discovery Projects is not new programming but a bookkeeping correction for an untimely invoice. The committee recorded a vote recommending approval; Miss Jones and Chair Lynch voted Aye.

Ordinance 2025-124: the committee voted to forward an ordinance authorizing the CAO to execute an amendment to an opioid-funds agreement between the city and the sheriff to continue a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) pilot in the sheriff’s office. Jason Alley, policy adviser for the opioid crisis response, said the action carries forward unspent funds from the current fiscal year and that the city remains in close contact with the sheriff’s office about tranches of funding. The public hearing drew no speakers; the committee recommended approval (Miss Jones Aye; Chair Lynch Aye).

Resolution 2025-R023: the committee voted to forward a resolution requesting the CAO establish a work group, in collaboration with Richmond Public Schools (RPS), to develop a funding formula allocating general-fund revenues annually for school operating expenses and to propose an implementation plan for the FY2027 general-fund budget. Megan Brown, director of budget and strategic planning, said the administration sought an amendment to change the date for a recommendation to come forward from August 30 to October 15; the administration offered to submit the amendment in coordination with the city attorney. Matt Percival, vice chair of the Richmond School Board’s Finance and Audit Committee, spoke in support on behalf of the school board. The committee forwarded the resolution with the recommended amendment (Miss Jones Aye; Chair Lynch Aye).

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 2025-121 (budget reappropriation; Literacy Lab funds): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve. Vote recorded: Miss Jones Aye; Chair Lynch Aye. - Ordinance 2025-124 (amend opioid funds agreement; continue MAT pilot with sheriff): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve. Vote recorded: Miss Jones Aye; Chair Lynch Aye. - Resolution 2025-R023 (establish work group with RPS to develop school funding formula; amendment to change recommendation date to Oct. 15): forwarded to council with recommendation to approve with amendment. Vote recorded: Miss Jones Aye; Chair Lynch Aye.

Committee staff recorded follow-ups: provide location-level deployment data for the Trauma Healing Response Network and arrange a joint convening with RPS to discuss the funding-formula work in the coming months. The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 10, 2025.