Last summer, the city of Richmond made waves by announcing a $3 million dollar check for its residents to spend as they see fit. Now, the city is handing the reins over to its people, inviting everyone 14 years and older to vote on how that money should be allocated. From April 1 to 15, Richmonders can head to pop-up events around the city or log on to cast their votes for the projects they want to see funded in what the city has dubbed “The People’s Budget.”
Ideas on the table range from improvements to bus routes, tree plantings in underserved areas, and sidewalk enhancements for pedestrian safety, to more region-specific projects, like a “Welcome to Southside” sign at entry points to Richmond’s 8th City Council district, or better trail access to the James River in the 5th District.
Instead of just picking one project, the process uses ranked choice voting, allowing participants to express preference for several initiatives. The People’s Budget initiative, which was led by former city councilor and mayoral candidate Andreas Addison, started with other pop-up events and online solicitation to gather input from residents across the city.
As for the $3 million, it’s being divided across the city with a focus on equity. Isaac Samuels, lead organizer of the People’s Budget, explained that Districts 1, 2 and 4 will each get $200,000, while Districts 3, 5 and 7 will receive $300,000 each, and Districts 6, 8 and 9 will be allocated $500,000. The goal of this varied distribution is to direct funding to areas that have historically been underinvested in, ensuring that all of Richmond’s neighborhoods benefit.
Richmond’s Southside, home to many historically Black neighborhoods, has long faced challenges rooted in systemic inequality. Less tree canopy in these areas leads to higher ground temperatures during hot months, and a history of discriminatory housing policies has contributed to lower home values.
In the 1930s, appraisers marked Black-populated neighborhoods nationwide in red, labeling them “hazardous” for home loans. The lasting impact of these racist practices is still evident today, with each negative appraisal continuing to affect future evaluations and resulting in less local government investment in public infrastructure.
“This is a big milestone for us,” Samuels said.
After months of outreach and community engagement, Samuels is thrilled to reach the voting phase, knowing the projects selected will soon become a reality. With voting ending on April 15, he expects the results to be available by April 21.
From there, the implementation of winning proposals will vary based on which city departments are involved and the procedural steps leading up to any development work.
“We will be tracking it basically like a Domino’s Pizza Tracker on our website, noting every different step that we’re taking,” Samuels said.
Ranked choice voting
Ranked choice voting gives Richmond residents a better shot at seeing their favorite projects come to life. If their top choice doesn’t get enough votes, their other picks may still make the cut, giving them a greater sense of influence over the outcome.
This voting method has gained traction in Virginia in recent years. Former state delegate Sally Hudson carried legislation that was signed into law in 2020, allowing localities to adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections. Arlington was the first to use it in 2023, and Charlottesville is set to implement it this year.
Richmond nearly became the first locality to adopt it in 2022, but city councilors were still unsure and ultimately voted it down. A major concern was that the law couldn’t be applied to school boards or citywide elections contests like Richmond’s mayor, who, unlike most Virginia localities, is separately elected instead of being a member of the city council.
This year, a bill from Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax, aimed to expand ranked choice voting, but it was recently vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin, who used ranked choice voting to secure his victory in the 2021 Republican gubernatorial convention, explained in his veto that more data was needed before expanding the method.
He said doing so at this stage “risks institutionalizing a system that has yet to prove its effectiveness in broader elections.”
However, Hudson, now executive director of Ranked Choice Virginia, argues that Youngkin is overlooking “the growing body of evidence” showing successful ranked choice voting trials.
Arlington has already used it in several elections, and Falls Church and Loudoun county are also considering adopting it. Both Hudson and UpVote Virginia executive director Liz White have pointed to expanding use of ranked choice voting nationwide.
“I definitely see an increase in just people being familiar with it. I think that that, for us, is the biggest measure of progress,” White said. “The more people use it, the more people know about it, the more they like it.”
While more local elections are still waiting for the ability to use this method, White is thrilled to see it applied in Richmond’s People’s Budget.
“There’s more nuance to (residents’) votes and they can provide so much more information with their vote,” White said. “I think that’s really cool.”
To vote online in the People’s Budget, click here. For more details on in-person voting, click here.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
SUPPORT
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
From last year to now, Virginia raised teacher pay by an average of $3,000. Still, the commonwealth’s average pay rate for educators remains stagnant compared to other states, according to the latest salary report published by the National Education Association.
The commonwealth dropped by one spot to 26th, paying teachers an average of $66,327, an increase from a year ago. Virginia’s average teacher pay is $5,703 below the national average of $72,030, the NEA report states.
Education leaders and lawmakers in the commonwealth said inflation and investments are some of the factors contributing to mixed results in the national salary report.
“Clearly (the report) shows that we have made good improvement in recent years, and we have a long way to go,” said House Education Committee Chair Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke.
Rasoul admitted that the commonwealth is thousands of dollars below the national teacher pay average, “but when we started this journey a few years ago, we were in the bottom third of states, and so we’re approaching where we need to be.”
The Virginia Education Association (VEA), representing the largest group of K-12 teachers in the commonwealth, said that while the national data shows gains have been made in Virginia, pre-kindergarten to higher education teachers are still not making enough to support themselves after being adjusted for inflation.
According to VEA, the average public school teacher salary increased by 3% from the previous year, but when adjusted for inflation, teachers made only $108 more.
“While it might look like teachers are getting support, they are actually losing money, which has a direct impact on student learning,” VEA said.
While recognizing recent gains, VEA president Carol Bauer said Virginia’s teachers are “still losing economic ground” while schools continue weathering the state’s education staffing shortages.
“True historic investment means decisively closing salary gaps, adequately funding schools, and ensuring every classroom has a qualified teacher. Virginia must commit to real, sustained investments to attract and retain educators, rather than relying on incremental gains that barely keep pace with inflation,” Bauer said.
What can Virginia do now?
Virginia has an opportunity to boost educator pay even more, after the General Assembly recommended changes to the state budget.
This week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin will decide whether to support lawmakers’ budget proposal to provide bonuses to teachers and lift a cap on state funding for non-instructional school staff positions. This would give school divisions greater flexibility to hire the staff they need without being “restricted” by outdated student-to-staff ratios.
In 2009, during the Great Recession, lawmakers initiated the cap to reduce state spending on non-instructional school staff positions, including central office and administrative, technical, clerical, maintenance, and instructional support positions.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to comment on the report. However, in the governor’s budget recommendations in March, Youngkin wrote that Virginia has raised teacher pay by 18% over the last three years.
The budget amendments now being considered by the governor contain $166 million more for public education, including $84.7 million to raise the cap.
Last year, state lawmakers formed a joint committee to work on overhauling the Standards of Quality (SOQ), the state’s funding formula determining the financial needs of school divisions, after a state study group found local governments have been shouldering a disproportionate share of K-12 education costs compared to the state’s contributions.
Lawmakers arranged for the state and localities to pay an even split of contributions in 1972, but they changed it in 1993, urging localities to start paying for K-12 fringe benefits.
According to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the state’s share was established at 55%, while localities paid 45%.
What’s next?
House Education Committee Vice Chair Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, carried the support cap bill and budget language to support non-instructional positions.
As a former teacher and school board member, Simonds said a core issue her legislation will address is the administration’s prioritized focus on overhauling testing and accountability measures — part of the administration’s efforts to combat learning loss and raise student testing scores — instead of recruiting and maintaining teachers.
Simonds said some ways to make teaching the best job in Virginia could involve creating competitive pay, treating educators as professionals in the school buildings, and offering maternity leave, professional development and planning periods to collaborate with colleagues.
“The only thing that has been really proven to improve education is highly qualified teachers,” Simonds said. “Having a highly qualified teacher in every classroom is the way we move the needle on test scores for our children.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
SUBSCRIBE
Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The content focuses on advocating for higher teacher pay and increased public school funding, highlighting the challenges teachers face with current salaries lagging behind the national average and inflation. It presents perspectives from education advocates and Democratic lawmakers supportive of investing more in public education. While recognizing some progress, the tone calls for more substantial government commitment, aligning with generally progressive stances on public education funding and labor support. The article maintains a factual and policy-oriented approach without extreme rhetoric, situating it in the center-left range.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-04-30 14:54:32
SUMMARY: I’m 13 News Now meteorologist Evan Stewart. It’s Wednesday, April 30th, with warm temperatures in the 80s across Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore, over 10° above average. A frontal boundary near North Carolina could trigger isolated showers and thunderstorms later today and into the evening. While severe weather is impacting Texas and nearby areas with tornado risks, Hampton Roads faces a low, level one risk for isolated strong storms. Thursday remains warm with a slight 20% rain chance, and Friday brings more late-day showers and storms. A slow-moving front will increase weekend rain chances, possibly lingering into early next week with cooler weather.
There will be several chances for rain showers and potentially even storms through the weekend.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:55:00
(The Center Square) – Virginia just logged one of the sharpest drops in fentanyl deaths in the country — down 44% from last year and nearly cut in half since 2021—Gov. Glenn Youngkin says it’s proof his crackdown is working.
The administration credits everything from drug seizures to tougher laws on dealers, plus a massive naloxone rollout. “Overdose deaths skyrocketed across America and in Virginia, driven primarily by illicit fentanyl flowing across our southern border. With an average of five dying Virginians each day, in 2022, we launched a comprehensive effort to stop the scourge of fentanyl, it’s working, and Virginia is leading,” said Youngkin.
He also tied the drop to border enforcement, echoing President Trump’s argument that immigration policy is key to stopping fentanyl from entering the U.S.
“Our approach stands on four principles: interrupt the drug trade, enhance penalties for drug dealers, educate people about the dangers of fentanyl, and equip them to save the life of someone in crisis,” said Youngkin in astatement.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, fatal overdoses across all substances fell by34.1% in 2024compared to the year before — the sharpest drop since the epidemic peaked in 2021.
Trump’s recent moves include a new order cracking down on sanctuary cities, more troops at the southern border and a pledge to ramp up deportations.
“We have turned the tide in this battle and must now redouble our efforts to build on our success,” said Dr. Colin Greene, Special Advisor on Opioid Response.
In Virginia, Youngkin’s team points to several key efforts behind the numbers. Operation FREE, a joint law enforcement initiative, has seized enough fentanyl to kill every Virginian ten times over, according to the administration. The commonwealth also banned pill presses, expanded penalties for dealers, and now requires schools to notify parents when student overdoses happen.
Since 2022, nearly 400,000 doses of naloxone have been distributed statewide, and almost 100,000 Virginians have been trained to use it. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin’s “It Only Takes One” campaign is also part of the strategy — aimed at raising awareness among families, schools and local communities.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article presents a clear ideological perspective, with a tone that strongly supports Governor Glenn Youngkin’s policies on combating fentanyl deaths. It emphasizes the success of Youngkin’s efforts, such as drug seizures, tougher laws, and border enforcement, which aligns with conservative viewpoints, particularly regarding immigration policy and law enforcement. The framing of the issue—highlighting Youngkin’s leadership and drawing connections to President Trump’s immigration stance—reinforces a right-leaning narrative, suggesting that tougher border control is key to solving the fentanyl crisis. The article does not present significant counterpoints or explore opposing viewpoints on these measures, which could balance the coverage. Overall, the content reflects a pro-administration stance, particularly aligning with the policies of the Republican Party.
