July 8 Newsletter: Sales tax vote incoming
Weather: High of 87 with more scattered afternoon storms.
On this date in 1971, Virginia ratifies the 26th Amendment, which lowers the voting age from 21 to 18.
Today's newsletter sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University: As a top 50 public research institution, Virginia Commonwealth University has an unparalleled drive to discover, innovate and create. VCU impacts the human experience and tackles the problems of tomorrow. It's a university unlike any you’ve ever seen.
Richmond officials pursue voter referendum on new sales tax for schools
Officials are moving forward with plans to ask voters to approve a 1% local sales tax to raise more money for the construction and renovation of public school buildings.
The tax revenue would only be used on school infrastructure projects and would not fund the day-to-day operations of the school system.
Currently, Richmond has a 6% sales tax, with 5% going to the state and the city getting 1%. The city also has a 7.5% meals tax, which officials raised in 2018 with the goal of boosting funding for schools.
City Council President Cynthia Newbille said the proposal gives Richmonders the option of approving “much needed” revenue for RPS, which has several buildings in need of major repairs or replacement. Read more here.
RPS considers eliminating annual substitutes, asks city for Airbnb tax money to fill last-minute budget gap
Superintendent Jason Kamras recommended that the district eliminate its 88 annual substitutes, who are stationed to the same building all year and fill in where needed.
The School Board voted Tuesday to send a letter to Mayor Danny Avula requesting that the city step in to fill the gap using $5.6 million in delinquent taxes the city recently received from short-term rentals, as well as emergency funds and any other revenue source.
Read more, including other potential cuts, here.
Corn removal commences in canal after train derailment
CSX started removing corn from the submerged train cars on Tuesday, which is necessary before recovering the cars.
According to a CSX spokesperson, crews will use “specialized equipment, including vacuum trucks, to safely access and extract the material and help prevent it from entering the water.”
The corn removal is expected to last several days, and “will likely last through the weekend at minimum.” Road closures continue in the meantime. Read more here.
The City Council ordered a change to medical 911 calls. The Avula administration wants more time to prep
A deadline to transfer medical 911 calls back to the Richmond Ambulance Authority is coming up this week, but Mayor Danny Avula’s administration said they felt it was understood that more time would be needed to make the transition.
Monday’s meeting was the latest flareup in an at-times tense relationship between the city’s legislative body and the executive branch overseen by the mayor and his team.
The discussion mostly revolved around whether the text of legislation passed by Richmond’s governing body binds the city to take certain actions or can be set aside if the administration finds it unworkable or out of step with the day-to-day realities of city operations. Read more here.
After a lifetime in education, Matoaca's softball coach is still treasuring a season to remember
Scott Driskill is Matoaca through and through. He grew up in the community and graduated from the old Matoaca High on Hickory Road back in 1981.
Now the softball coach, he led his team to the school's first state title in a girls sport last month, a year after missing most of the season while battling cancer. Read more here.
Today's sponsor:
Virginia Invests in VCU’s Future of Discovery and Care
Virginia’s new state budget includes funding for VCU to acquire the 450,000-square-foot Altria Center for Research and Technology and construct a new, five-story School of Dentistry building.
"VCU is profoundly grateful to the General Assembly and Gov. Spanberger for their support and transformative investments," said President Michael Rao.
He said the facilities are a "commitment to advancing Virginia's health and innovation economy.” Read more.
In other news
- Fire burns building at SwimRVA North Campus (12 On Your Side)
- The fire happened weeks after a 9-year-old boy drowned in an incident at SwimRVA’s camp.
- Richmond responds after Imperial Village loses AC amid ongoing violations and concerns (CBS 6)
- The Northside apartment complex has faced mounting scrutiny over living conditions and code violations.
- Two Central Virginia school districts exit Head Start (VPM)
- Henrico and Chesterfield will use the state's Virginia Preschool Initiative program, which comes with greater flexibility.
The editor's desk
Took a quick break from the office last week to attend the World Cup – the atmosphere was phenomenal, and Richmond has caught the fever – we're one of the top 10 TV markets for national viewership.
Michael Phillips, founder
mphillips@richmonder.org
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