BUDGET
A Richmond City Council committee advanced a measure Thursday that could create a $10.1 million pool of loan funding to aid economic development, create affordable housing and alleviate blight, among other projects….The committee also continued a perennially delayed proposed ordinance that would give the council more authority over city contracts and change orders…. timesdispatch.com
….The total city budget is about $1.5 billion and includes no tax increases or employee layoffs or furloughs. However, it does include increases in fees and rates for water, wastewater and gas service. The rates will take effect July 1…. timesdispatch.com
Also, nbc12.com
….extra $1.5 million requested by city schools….There are plenty of funds available to do the work…. timesdispatch.com
….Council on Monday night postponed a hearing on a deal that would finance a $50 million renovation….city’s $14 million share of the complicated Landmark financing proposal, which also includes an additional $36 million in naming rights, tax credits and private donations, would be included in the capital improvement budget …. timesdispatch.com
School Board members say they will likely need to cut jobs to make up a roughly $10 million deficit remaining for the coming fiscal year….Nearly $12 million of the school system’s budget gap stemmed from projected increases to the state retirement system and health and life insurance increases. About $8 million came from the loss of one-time funding…. timesdispatch.com
….An email from the Richmond School Board to parents said that without the $10 million, leaders would be forced to cut nearly 200 jobs, increase class sizes in kindergarten through third grade and reduce salaries for 29 assistant principals, 50 media specialists and guidance counselors…. wtvr.com
….”We don’t have enough money.”….it will take 37 years to fix the sidewalks listed as needing repair…. styleweekly.com
Richmond City Council passes tax extension….will give taxpayers until June 1 to pay their personal property tax bills in full….”We recognize that we have an inventory of issues we’re working through to correct,”
The City Council also introduced on Tuesday night a slew of additions and subtractions from Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1, which includes a general fund budget of about $780.9 million and totals about $1.5 billion….
….All of the school districts in central Virginia have used such retirees in recent years, but none has used them as much as Richmond….In the past three-plus years, Carey has earned nearly $400,000….school system uses more than 300 retirees….had 10 open positions listed on its website…. timesdispatch.com