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Council approves consent agenda, delays budget items and tax-rate proposal; multiple ordinances continued to May 12
Summary
At its April 28 meeting, Richmond City Council approved the consent agenda, approved electronic participation, adopted several motions to amend and continue ordinances to the May 12 meeting (including multiple budget ordinances), and accepted the withdrawal/continuation request for the proposed $1.16 tax rate.
Richmond City Council on April 28 adopted a consent agenda, approved a request for electronic participation by a council member, and approved motions to amend and continue a number of ordinances — including the annual budget and capital projects package — to the council’s May 12 meeting. The council also accepted the chief patron’s request to withdraw the tax-rate ordinance for further consideration and moved that item to the May 12 meeting pending formal withdrawal paperwork.
The consent agenda, consisting of items listed by the clerk as Ordinances 20-25-054; 20-25-056; 20-25-0604; 20-25-0605; 20-25-0606; 20-25-0607; 20-25-0609; 20-25-070; 20-25-0701; 20-25-0702; Resolution 20-25-R15; and Resolution 20-25-016, was adopted on a recorded voice vote. Members voting in favor included Mister Bratton, Council Member Kenya Gibson, Miss Jones, Miss Robertson, Miss Trammell, Miss Abubakar, Vice President Jurden and President Newbill.
Early in the meeting the council approved a request to let Council Member Kenya Gibson participate remotely by Microsoft Teams due to a medical condition; that motion passed on a recorded roll call.
Council took a number of procedural actions to move several items to the council’s next meeting for additional amendment or consideration. Motions to amend and continue several ordinances to the Monday, May 12 meeting were adopted, including amendments and continuations affecting mixed-use development plans, the annual budget (Ordinance 20-25-057), and the capital improvement program (Ordinance 20-25-058). Council members stated the continuations were to allow additional time for improvements to plans or to remove non-budget provisions and to incorporate council district fund allocations and conditions on expenditures.
Council considered Ordinance No. 20-25-068, which would have set the tax rate at $1.16 for the tax year beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The chief patron asked to withdraw the paper and, because the standard withdrawal form had to be filed, moved that the item be continued to May 12 pending completion of those steps; the motion to continue was approved.
During the consent agenda public hearing, Marlon Bacode, a peer recovery specialist, spoke in favor of several listed consent ordinances (items eight through 12 on the consent list) that relate to peer support certification and workforce barriers. Bacode said state and local background-check requirements have blocked otherwise qualified peer support professionals from working in some community settings and urged passage.
Several other ordinance-specific amendment motions were approved to be considered again on May 12 with the proposed changes incorporated into the continued papers. The meeting record lists the affected ordinances by number during the clerk’s amendment report and at several points in the agenda; the clerk’s readout and subsequent votes placed multiple zoning, budget and capital items on the May 12 call.
Ending: Council set a calendar of follow-up hearings and continuations for May 12; applicants and staff will use that interval to revise language, provide additional documentation, or complete procedural withdrawal forms as requested.
