Four years ago, the City embarked
on a new experiment in government by having a directly-elected Mayor.
Citizens overwhelmingly voted for that change so they could choose their
Mayor.
It is important to keep in
mind these new benefits because this November, you will have a chance
to continue along the path to a better future and reject those who want
to take us back to the old ways that failed us before.
Twice in the last decade, Richmonders
voted for a change in local government.
In 1995, they voted 2-1 in favor
of change to have the Mayor elected at-large and this proposal had the full support
of Council, but it was stopped cold in the General Assembly by a
former Richmond Mayor who substituted his own voice for the people's
voice.
Again, in 2003, 80% of the
people voted for a Strong Mayor to be elected by all the
people. The political leaders, almost to a person, objected. One, now
a candidate for Mayor, even lobbied the U.S. Justice Department to void
the referendum.
Back then, this mayoral candidate accused Richmonders who supported the referendum as being racially discriminatory and divisive, yet now, those are the same citizens he wants to represent under the very system he opposed.
Why did the politicians repeatedly
try to prevent change when the people so clearly called for it? Fortunately, the people knew that a change in government was essential to the future
of Richmond.
One example of the progress
of change is the appointment of our Police Chief and the dramatic gains
in the fight against crime. Crime is at its lowest point in 26 years,
arrest and conviction rates exceed national averages by double digits,
and neighbors are reporting crimes and testifying against assailants.
The City's old form of government
selected a chief by a popularity contest/majority vote of City Council,
a body of nine members where standards were often compromised in exchange
for support and favors.
Before the change of government,
Council hired a chief who had not terminated his employment with his
previous employer and was later found to only be "on leave." He
returned to that job when his tenure here was terminated.
Another benefit in having a
Strong Mayor allows the City to speak coherently and with one voice on regional issues such as affordable housing and transportation. Richmond
already has the best transit system in the country for a city our size
and we need to capitalize on it.
Another example of positive
change has been the stability of day-to-day operations. The Mayor appoints
the Chief Administrative Officer and participates in hiring City Department
Directors. The Directors and CAO now only have one boss - not nine different
ones. There is a clear line of authority, responsibility, and chain
of command.
Under the old form of government,
the City Manager was appointed by City Council with a minimum of five
votes. However, the City Manager could be replaced at any time if Council
decided, and they often reminded him of that.
As a result, department heads
often were overly-cautious and succumbed to complacency, for fear of
upsetting their boss and the nine people who appointed him. In many
cases, some City departments never saw new leadership for more than
two decades, and the performance of those departments - and
the City - suffered accordingly.
Shaking up our government and
changing the way things had been done was long overdue. It is not an
easy task to change a bureaucracy after 30 years, but is already well
underway. And that needs to continue.
For example, my Administration
worked quickly and efficiently to secure State and Federal funding to
repair Battery Park after Tropical Storm Ernesto. That project
was begun precipitously while City Council debated conspiracy theories
during, and long after, the project's completion which was ahead of
schedule and under budget. The Council member representing Battery Park
did nothing that I am aware of to help with this matter.
We also moved quickly to correct
the long-ignored drainage issues in Shockoe Bottom. As we were ready
to move ahead, Council tried to stop construction so they could conduct investigations. We moved ahead, ignoring the politics, and today the
second phase of improvements is already underway and there have been
no reports of flooding in Shockoe even in heavy thunderstorms.
Similarly, under our Strong
Mayor government, we moved to correct decades-old abuses in the City's
Fleet operations. Strategies that have not worked have been changed
to help bring about workable solutions.
When I arrived in 2005, I exercised
an option to purchase the Marshall St. Plaza building that the City
had been paying rent for 20 years. The year before, the City Attorney
and the City Manager failed to meet the option deadline to purchase
the building instead of continuing to rent. I intervened and negotiated
with the owners' legal counsel and though we ended up paying more,
we now own the building.
Before I assumed office, several
City judges sued the City because it had neglected one of its buildings
for years. In that case, the City Attorney - who supposedly represents
the Mayor - sued me over a matter where Council had dithered for years
and done nothing to fix the building.
Rather than cower to threats
of being held in contempt of court, I acted. We drafted a new plan to
expand the Manchester Courthouse and in the process, saved the City
$49 million.
It is distressing that some
of our elected officials cannot see what the people already know: City
government has changed for the better, and if they supported it like
the people support it, we could achieve so much more together.
Today, when Council fails in
its tasks and disagrees with the delineation of the new lines of authority,
their solution is a taxpayer-funded lawsuit or a warning to department
heads that actions contrary to Council's wishes may cost them their
job or land them in jail. Such talk is cheap when you look back at the history of Council itself and how many of its former members have gone
to jail.
Baseless and unsubstantiated accusations of criminality coming from Council members deter the City's
ability to attract and retain qualified and exceptional employees in
such an odious culture. It also hinders the working relationship when
those same Council members then ask department heads for action in their
district.
Changing government takes time,
and you - the citizens - know that solutions never appear instantly.
You were patient in 1995 when narrow interests suppressed your voice
to directly elect the Mayor. You did not give up and made certain your
voice was not censored again in 2003 and succeeded in changing our government.
It is crucial we elect our
next Mayor in November who is not afraid to continue this path to change
we have set, and make sure he does not overturn your hard-fought wishes
by ceding power to a system that clearly failed our City.
You asked for and received
a government that is reflexive and responsive. If you thought the old
system could produce these results, then such a referendum would be
on this year's ballot - but it is not, for good reason.
This year's ballot is about
continuing on the path of change to promote the long-term health and
vitality of our City. Some people believe in moving ahead but others
still think we should go back. You and I know the road we traveled on
before 2005 was a dead end.
Our City's future will soon
be led by a new voice, and you must make sure it is a
voice committed to carrying on the changes we have begun.
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VISIONS VIDEO CLIP
The Mayor comments on the importance of the coming election and reminds citizens it is not too late to slip back to the old ways of failure.
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Visit
RichmondsMayor.com
for more information
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