The latest budget failure caused by City Council's inability to follow the City Charter and pass a balanced budget on time goes to show you that the transition from the old form of government to the new form remains "ongoing."
Council should know the rules for passage and did not adhere to them, thus, making my original budget the legal FY2009 budget for the City of Richmond, according to Section. 6.11 of the City Charter.
The recent opinion by the City Attorney agreeing with Council's position is of no surprise or import. The City Attorney, who is hired by, evaluated, and terminated by Council, has never disagreed with them on any opinion whenever they asked him to issue one.
In fact, the City Attorney is required to represent both branches of local government, but has never wavered from supporting the one branch that appoints him.
Again, this reveals the need for further revisions to the City Charter to more clearly illustrate the lines of authority between the executive and legislative branches.
In 2005 and 2006, my Administration worked with the leadership of then-Council President Loupassi to make some needed changes to the City Charter. He and I even went to the General Assembly to lobby for these changes, and they were approved.
Unfortunately, a similar spirit of cooperation has not been demonstrated by the current Council leadership. For example, a CIty Charter Advisory Commission was established in March 2007 so Council could appoint members to review and suggest charter changes.
The problem is, since that time, City Council has not appointed one person to the Charter Commission, representing 15 months of inaction.
Suddenly, once I announced I would not seek re-election and other candidates announced their intentions, the charter issue reappeared on Council's radar at a meeting on June 2. The subject once again came up with more promises of discussion, but still no appointees were selected.
In 2007, Council amended the legislation to oversee the entire charter review process without seeking any input from the Administration. In the past, a review of the City Charter was a two-way street to find a balance and delineate the powers between the executive and legislative branch.
However, it seems now that Council would like to comandeer the entire charter review process in an attempt to try and go back to the old days, despite the fact that 80% of the people voted for our new form of government.
For example, to stack the deck in its favor, Council would supply the staff for the Commission as well as appoint all of its members.
Council also changed the language of the original proposal to exclude requirements that would appoint people with specific expertise in government and local issues as well as a requirement that at least two citizens could serve on the Commission.
Instead, Council proposed filling the Commission with "members" of the legal and academic community that do not require specific expertise, but settled instead for "individuals with knowledge of state and local government " - and none of them are required to be City residents.
It is a shame that Council insists not only on appointing the members but also relaxing the standards of the people who will suggest to us and the General Assembly how our government should move forward!
Council's original plan was to complete its study of the Charter by June of 2008, followed by public hearings, and the submission of suggested changes to the 2009 General Assembly.
Neither of these ever occurred, and any hope for charter changes will now have to wait until at least the 2010 session of the General Assembly, if not even longer. In fact, in the amended legislation, Council removes the requirement for a public hearing on the changes!
There are still people in Richmond who believe the old way of government is still the best path for Richmond's future. They believe the Council-based form of government is the road to return to.
It is not too late to go back to the days when the City held itself back. Today, those who are obsessed with the personalities over the substance and progress of government will only further suffocate our potential.
The acceptance of the Strong Mayor form of government and the forward direction in which we are heading has taken hold across much of City government - and the people know it too.
This City is on the move and things are vastly improved since 2005 when I came into office.
Citizens see it working better than before, and they understand it will take more time to mature. Look at the many advances we have made in fighting crime, revitalizing Downtown, fighting neighborhood blight, and bringing businesses and jobs to the City.
Such realizations are coming more slowly to others. The ineffectiveness of the "old system" was evident in that there were 9 "mini-Mayors," one from each Council district. As a result, the City's needs as a whole were always held hostage to the wheeling and dealing among Council members.
Today, the City is led by the directly-elected Mayor. The Mayor is elected by the entire City and must serve the entire City and not sacrifice the needs of the whole for the needs of the few.
It is clear that our new form of government is working much better than it did before, which makes it clear that we cannot afford to revert to our old ways.
In six months, the City will be led by someone else other than myself - but be warned: citizens must remain vigilant and demand that this City does not go back to the old ways of doing business.
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VISIONS VIDEO CLIP
The Mayor comments on the need for more charter changes and the politics holding back the process.
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A Victory for the River and the People!
 Thanks to you, the citizens who read and acted on the last Visions Newletter about the river, City Council finally authorized the City to officially begin negotiations to turn that property into a public park.
You, the citizens, made the difference with your calls and emails and Council heard your voices and listened.
After seven months of pointless delays, they knew it could not stall any longer.
Remember to make your voice heard on this and other important issues. You run the City, not City Council!
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Visit
Richmondsmayor.com
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