RICHMOND, Va. -- This November, Richmonders will not just help choose a new president – but they will also elect a new mayor. Five candidates are running to replace Mayor Levar Stoney. Each will join CBS6 individually to discuss their vision for Richmond.
Danny Avula, a medical doctor, public health executive and Richmond resident of about 20 years, said that this election is about selecting a leader who can usher in the next chapter of the city — and that Richmond's mayor should have experience leading local and state-level agencies.
"I don't think there's any private sector leader who would walk in and say, 'Oh, yeah, this is how things should be run. There's different rules," Avula said. "I spent 15 years being successful at leading and transforming local and state government agencies and doing the work of building a team, building culture, and improving service delivery, which is ultimately a huge part of what this job is about."
He believes it's up to the city to figure out how to support the building of affordable housing, such as by providing money at a lower interest rate to lessen the total cost to the developer.
Avula's wife is a teacher for Richmond Public Schools, and all five of his children have gone through the city's school system. He has a long list of ideas for improving RPS, which includes improving infrastructure and technology.
He said that as mayor, he would advocate for more money for the schools budget at the state level.
"Having served as a Commissioner of a state agency, having gone through three state budget cycles, I've done the work to build coalitions, to work through the state budget process, and to understand how you can actually successfully have the state invest," Avula said. "And so that's going to be a big part of the mayor's job as well."
He said working with the state goes further than showing up for the 60 days of the General Assembly.
"You got to build the relationships, find your coalitions with other cities that are also not getting their fair share from the local composite, and really build that advocacy over the course of the year leading up to the budget cycle," Avula said.
CBS 6 is broadcasting a Richmond Mayoral Debate in October. What questions would you like answered? Email the CBS 6 Newsroom.
