RICHMOND, Va. — In the latest episode of “Untold – A WTVR Podcast,” host Catie Beck sits down with Jon Baliles, the former Richmond councilman who now authors one of Central Virginia’s most talked-about newsletters.
Baliles, a Richmond native, grew up as the son of a Virginia governor but later carved out his own path of public service: he worked for Doug Wilder during Wilder’s lone term at City Hall; he won a seat on the city council; and in 2016, Baliles ran for mayor. He's also been a tireless advocate for the Richmond arts scene.
While Baliles says he no longer has a political itch to scratch, the present and future of his hometown are still vitally important to him. His influential Substack, RVA 5x5, offers readers his raw, but never turbid, viewpoint on the important issues making news in Richmond.
“I was looking around at the kind of disintegrating local media that has affected mid-size and even large cities all over the country, and I decided that it would be valuable to people to be able to write about what was in the media and add a little twist of insider knowledge and perspective to what's going on at City Hall,” said Baliles. “A lot of times, people in government will say one thing, but it needs to be translated because it's cover for something else.”
On this episode, Beck and Baliles immerse themselves in everything from the ongoing water crisis to the city’s struggling finance department to the role Richmond voters played in keeping Levar Stoney from winning the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.
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