RICHMOND, Va. β More than a year into his term, Richmond Mayor Danny Avula returned to discuss leading through winter storms, federal immigration enforcement, and moments of community unity. Avula appeared on "Untold - A WTVR Podcast" with host Catie Beck to reflect on the highs and lows of 2025 and address the icy conditions that have gripped Central Virginia since late January.
Winter storm response draws mixed reactions
Ice and snow removal kicked off the conversation. Since the winter storm that struck Central Virginia in late January, people from across the region have complained about the condition of residential and side streets in the city and surrounding counties, and the delay in reopening public schools.
"I think we've tried to do a really good job of getting in front of people, making sure we're communicating clearly about what we're doing, but I also understand that people are frustrated," Avula said.
The mayor acknowledged that some neighborhoods remained covered in ice a week after the storm, but emphasized Richmond's around-the-clock efforts.
"Our crews have also been nonstop, right? They've been working literally around the clock, 24 hours a day, a morning shift and a night shift, for over a week now, and thankfully the weather is starting to cooperate," Avula said.
Water system improvements prove successful
Some good news is that Richmond's main drinking water plant weathered the storm without issue, unlike a year prior, when a catastrophic power outage during the snow triggered a week-long, region-wide water crisis.
"I think things went incredibly smoothly with the water treatment plant and I think that's a testament to the work that that team has done over the last 12 months," Avula said.
Richmond substantial financial investments in pumps, filters, battery backups and automated power transition systems.
Richmond Public Utilities also added five professional engineers, bringing 140 years of combined engineering experience to the department.
"[The] experience that exists there [now] was not there previously," the mayor said. "There's also been a real focus on the team and the culture of responsiveness of that team."
Finance department struggles with staffing shortages
Avula and Beck also talked about the mayor's ongoing efforts to fix Richmond's troubled finance department, and the uphill battle that has become, based in part on it being severely short-staffed.
"We have 50 vacancies in the finance department right now," said Avula. "We know that we need that capacity. We've got to build a finance department to be able to do the basic things that people expect of their local government."
Immigration enforcement stance remains firm
Avula recently attended a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington DC, and said ICE was a hot topic of conversation, in the wake of recent events in Minneapolis and other cities.
"We're not going to participate in the work of deportation," said Avula. "That's the federal government's job. Our law enforcement approach is keep our community safe."
Avula said he's concerned about a reduction in police calls from some of Richmond's immigrant communities, which he believes has happened because there is a fear they will be deported if they come into contact with law enforcement.
"If somebody is here and they are committing crimes, we absolutely need to do our job to address that," said Avula. "But we're not sharing data and we're not deploying our force to engage in deportation activities. It's not our job. It's not what our primary responsibility to our community is."
Community unity shines during monks' peace walk
A community that recently turned out in droves, despite the cold temperatures, to see a group of monks traveling from Texas to Washington on a "Walk for Peace." The mayor said their stop in Richmond has left him on cloud nine.
"To see how that brought our city together and just the need for a voice of calm and peace and unity in a time that we're having, I'm still flying high from that experience."
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