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City presents FY27 operations portfolio, highlights staffing shifts and capital priorities
Summary
Deputy CAO Wiggins presented a high‑level FY27 operations budget that moves Parks and Recreation into the operations portfolio, highlights public safety staffing gains and outlines funding shifts for paving, sidewalks and technology; council members pressed for line‑item detail and follow‑up reports.
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Wiggins presented the Richmond City proposed FY27 operations portfolio, saying the mayor’s office moved Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities into operations to align maintenance, strengthen capital execution and expand green space.
Wiggins said the move is intended to reduce duplication and improve coordination across departments. He highlighted several departmental accomplishments he said support the proposed budget: the Richmond Fire Department graduated two recruit classes that helped approach full staffing; the Department of Public Works earned a sixth consecutive reaccreditation from the American Public Works Association; and the parks system’s national ranking improved substantially.
On department budgets, Wiggins described a modest personnel increase for parks tied to collective‑bargaining salary adjustments and a $59,000 net decrease in one operating budget line, which he characterized as efficiency savings. He said the Richmond Police Department budget shows a $9 million increase and a net headcount increase of roughly 50 positions tied to reallocated civilian roles, and that RPD secured more than $8 million in grants and special funding.
Several council members asked for more granular, side‑by‑side comparisons and documentation. Council member Jones requested a breakdown showing current out‑of‑school time slots and the staff’s plan to increase participation by 5 percent; Wiggins said staff will supply the detail. Council member Auberbacher asked why parks CIP appears reduced year‑to‑year; Wiggins and Director Vincent said projects have been reprioritized and some capital work consolidated across partners, not eliminated.
Wiggins also flagged operational priorities: continued investment in the paving program (he said DPW is on track to pave about 150 lane miles) and the wider adoption of RVA 311 tools to improve constituent work request tracking. He urged council support for continued paving funding, warning that pausing the program could rapidly worsen street conditions.
The work session closed with staff promising follow‑up materials, including vacancy and personnel tables and more detailed line‑item information on capital and operating fund allocations. Councilmembers were told that formal budget amendment deadlines are two weeks after the session.
