Members of the incoming Richmond City Council expressed broad agreement last week that new anti-corruption policies should be put in place following the conclusion of a 10-month investigation into Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “I think we’re at a pivotal point here in Richmond in terms of bringing public confidence back in city government, so I think this is an opportunity for us to change how things have been done in the past,” said Kristen Larson, who won election last month to replace outgoing Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano representing Forest Hill, Westover Hills and Stony Point.
There are five candidates for City Council in the city’s 4th District: Tim Grimes, 61, liaison to Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano; Kristen Nye Larson, a 42-year-old School Board member and freelance writer; Larry A. Olanrewaju, a 63-year-old professor of economics; Jeff Thomas, a 32-year-old author; and Johnny S. Walker, a 62-year-old retired director of telecommunications. Here’s where they stand on the election and the issues facing the city.
Members of the Richmond City Democratic Committee endorsed a slate of 17 City Council and School Board candidates at their meeting Thursday night. On the City Council, the committee endorsed three of five incumbents running for re-election: 3rd District Councilman Chris Hilbert, 5th District Councilman Parker Agelasto and 7th District Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille.
The Richmond mayoral contest isn’t the only local election drawing a bumper crop of candidates: With every race contested, 58 city residents have filed paperwork to run for 18 seats on the City Council and the School Board. That’s 17 more candidates than sought office during the 2012 election, and with only five incumbents seeking re-election to the City Council and another five seeking re-election to the School Board, both bodies have the potential to look starkly different come January.
Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano’s political aide of three and a half years, Tim Grimes, has entered the race to replace her when she retires at the end of the year. Grimes said he was motivated to run because, as a longtime political operative, he’s worked around politicians for years and felt like he was ready to lead a campaign of his own.
The Richmond City Council will take up legislation this month to require a detailed set of up-front financial reports for future economic development projects such as the Stone Brewing Co. deal and the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center. An ordinance introduced March 23 would add a new section to the city code to require written reports on the expected costs to the city and impact on the local economy. The reports would have to be submitted to the council simultaneously whenever the mayor introduces new economic-development legislation.