RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Mayor Danny Avula presented the city's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget to City Council Wednesday afternoon, outlining more than $263 million in workforce investment and significant funding for affordable housing.
City Council is now reviewing the proposal and will hold a public hearing on March 23 at 6 p.m.
Avula says the budget makes investments into the four priority pillars of his Mayoral Action Plan: "A Thriving City Hall, Thriving Neighborhoods, Thriving Families, and Thriving Economies."
City Hall
The proposed budget includes a more than $22 million increase to fulfill commitments made in collective bargaining agreements, totaling $263.5 million.
"Our workforce, the people who pave the streets, keep our water running, answer our emergency calls, maintain our parks, and pick up our trash, they are the backbone of local government," Avula said. "Our commitment to them is essential to building the high-performing organization that we've outlined in pillar one."
Key investments include compensation increases for sworn police and fire personnel, salary adjustments for union-represented employees, and equivalent increases for non-union employees performing similar work, Avula's office said.
Neighborhoods
The proposed budget allots over $40 million for affordable housing production, housing stability, and public safety improvements including:
- $11.7 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
- $1.8 million in Affordable Housing Performance Grants
- $1.6 million to advance the next phase of Creighton Court redevelopment
- $450,000 to support the transformation of Gilpin Court
- $10.1 million in anti-displacement programs such as eviction diversion, Right to Counsel services, and tax relief for older adults and residents with disabilities
- $15.6 million for renovation and safety improvements to the John Marshall Courthouse
Families
The proposed budget includes $257 million for Richmond Public Schools, which is an $8.2 million increase over last year.
The budget also proposes $9.3 million to address infrastructure repairs and facility upgrades.
The budget also proposes nearly $3 million in additional investments supporting children and families, including funding for childcare assistance, after-school programming, youth development initiatives, and school-based supports that connect students and families to critical services.
Relating to gun violence prevention, Avula’s budget also proposes $644,000 to support crisis intervention and trauma-informed services, plus additional support for the "We Matter RVA Gun Violence Prevention Initiative."
Economy
Key proposals relating to economic opportunity in Richmond include:
- $4.9 million for Economic Performance Grants to support job-creating development projects
- $250,000 for commercial façade improvement grants for neighborhood businesses
- $125,000 to support the establishment of a Carytown Business Improvement District
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