RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is proposing to leave about 600 city jobs vacant to as part of a $770 million budget for Virginia's capital city.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reportsthat the proposed budget unveiled Friday would include raises for those remaining on the payroll, though. In some cases, employees like social workers and code enforcement inspectors could see annual pay increase by $10,000 to $14,000.
Firefighters and police would also receive target pay increases.
Stoney said the pay increases come in response to a study that showed the city's workers are paid below average for municipal jobs.
The proposed budget for the fiscal year staring in July would be a 3.5% increase over the current year. But the number of funded positions in the general fund budget would decrease from about 3,700 to 3,100.
The city’s real estate tax rate would remain at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value.
