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Council debates trade-offs to fund Richmond People’s Budget; Laburnum widening and fleet cuts proposed
Summary
Richmond City Council members discussed funding the Richmond People’s Budget during an extended FY26 budget work session, considering reductions to a Laburnum widening capital project and portions of the city vehicle fleet while seeking to protect police, fire and refuse replacements.
Richmond City Council members and city staff spent several hours weighing which capital projects to reduce or reallocate to fund the Richmond People’s Budget and other council priorities as they finalize amendments for the FY26 budget.
Matthew Slats, interim chief of staff, told the council the goal of the session was to find “consensus on both reductions and enhancements of both capital and operating” so changes could be drafted and returned to council. Staff said council had submitted roughly $35 million in enhancement requests and had identified a little more than $4 million in potential capital reductions so far.
Why it matters: Council members who back the People’s Budget said it is a near-term priority but that the funds must come from other parts of the CIP, because the city’s overall resources and bonding capacity are limited.
Staff and councilors discussed two primary options to free capital…
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