The Richmond City Charter establishes the framework of self-governance operated by Richmond Residents, as granted it by the Virginia General Assembly. Richmond has a Council-Mayor form of government in which Richmond City Council is the governing body and a Mayor is elected to oversee a Chief Administrative Officer in their delivery of day-to-day government services. The Richmond City Council web
address is: https://www.rva.gov/richmond-city-council
New Form of Government Created ___________________________________________________
In 2004, Richmond’s Government was changed from a Council-Manager (which had been in place for more than 40 years) to a Council-Mayor form. This change separated the government into two separate entities; Richmond City Council and Administration/Mayor. Richmond City Council is the official governing body and is in charge of establishing the annual Richmond Government Budget, amending local laws, and providing government policy and oversight. A Mayor provides oversight of a Chief Administrative Officer/Administration in their delivery of the day-to-day government services and is their ceremonial head. The Mayor is not a member of Richmond City Council. In the previous Council-Manager form of government, Richmond City Council managed all city operations through a City Manager. In that form, a member of Richmond City Council was elected Mayor from among its members to serve as the ceremonial head of all Richmond Government and the city operated as a single government entity. In Richmond's Council-Mayor form of government, the city is divided into nine geographically-demographic voter districts. These districts are used to elect members of Richmond City Council, Richmond City Public Schools Board of Trustees and a Mayor At-Large (who must have the majority votes in five of the nine voter districts). These Richmond Voting Districts include the: West End 1st Voter District, North Central 2nd Voter District, Northside 3rd Voter District, Southwest 4th Voter District, Central 5th Voter District, Gateway 6th Voter District, East End 7th Voter District, Southside 8th Voter District, and South Central 9th Voter District. The oversight and management of Richmond Public Schools is separate from Richmond government operations. Nine persons are thusly elected among nine voting districts to represent residents as members of Richmond City Council, which is responsible for creating and amending local laws, providing policy and government oversight, appointing members to boards and commissions, and approving the annual Richmond Government Budget (about $1.5 billion a year). In 2008 the term of a Councilmember increased from two to four years. Richmond City Council elects one person from among its members to serve as President and one to serve as Vice President. These positions are elected to serve for two-year terms. The Council President is responsible for providing overall Council direction and leading Council meetings. In delivery of its official duties, Richmond City Council holds an average of 12 official monthly public meetings to discuss, deliberate, and act on laws and policy on behalf of Richmond residents. These currently include two “Council Formal Meeting Sessions,” two “Council Informal Meeting Sessions,” six Council Standing Committee meetings, and Council Budget Meetings, Special Meeting, Public Hearings and Special Events, which are held on an as-needed basis. Richmond City Council Standing Committees _________________________________________
A Richmond City Council Standing Committee structure was established in 2004 in order to increase efficiency. This process mirrors the state and federal process in which proposed legislation is sent to a committee for in-depth discussion and review. Richmond City Council Standing Committees represent six general focus government areas. These include: Finance and Economic Development; Health, Human Services and Education; Land Use, Housing and Transportation; Governmental Operations; Organizational Development; and, Public Safety. As part of the process, the Council President generally reviews all proposed legislation and assigns it to a Council Standing Committee according to subject matter. Richmond City Council Standing Committees typically meet once a month and are comprised of three Council members and an alternate. After a Standing Committee completes its review, it conveys its recommendation to the fully body of Council. Richmond City Council Mission and Vision ____________________________________________
Richmond City Council has articulated its official duties in the following Mission and Vision statements. The mission of Richmond City Council is to represent citizens in creating and amending local laws, providing government policy and oversight, and approving the city budget. The Vision of Richmond City Council is as follows: Richmond City Council is committed to creating a vibrant community that is great place to live, work, learn, play, visit, and raise a family. Richmond City Council Offices _______________________________________________________
Richmond City Council appoints and oversees five Offices in delivery of its mission. These Offices include: the Richmond City Council Office of the Council Chief of Staff, Office of the City (Council) Clerk, Office of the City Auditor, Office of the City Attorney, and the Office of the City Assessor of Real Estate. Richmond City Council Ordinances and Resolutions (legislation) ______________________
Richmond City Council uses ordinances and resolutions in order to officially affect local government operations, laws and policies. A Council Ordinance has the effect of local law in the City of Richmond, which are catalogued in the Richmond Code of Laws. A resolution is an Official action of Council that generally does not have the effect of law. A resolution generally expresses the Council’s will, intent or policy on a particular matter. Richmond Government Budget ______________________________________________________
As Americans, we pool our resources in order to own and operate our government. In doing so, we decide how we want our community to operate (laws); what public services we invest in (funding); the priority (investment levels) of services; and, how we pay for them (taxes/fees). As the governing body of Richmond, Richmond City Council represents residents in determining the laws and government services they want. Thus, each year Richmond City Council establishes an annual Richmond Government Budget (In practice: An initial biennial (2-yr.) fiscal plan budget is established that is further amended in its second year.) and establishes a Richmond Real Estate Tax Rate to help pay for some of it (estimated at 15 percent). Richmond's government services include the management and delivery such things of clean/safe drinking water, streets and parks; trash/leaf/sewage removal; public transportation; police; firefighting/rescue; economic development; and, educating our children. The Richmond Government Budget includes the following six components: Richmond General Fund; Capital Improvement Plan (CIP); Special Funds; Enterprise Funds; Internal Service Funds; and, Federal, State and additional funds for Richmond Public Schools. Richmond City Council's review and establishment of a new budget for an upcoming fiscal year includes more than a dozen public meetings, hearings and work sessions. At the conclusion of the deliberations, Richmond City Council votes to establish an official Richmond Government Budget for an upcoming Fiscal Year (FY), which runs from July 1 to June 30 annually. The official Richmond Government Budget takes the form of laws, which are approved by Council as Ordinances which it votes on in May of each year. The Budget is typically amended every year. Government Boards and Commissions _______________________________________________
Critical to the foundation of our citizen-run government, Richmond City Council regularly establishes and/or appoints members to serve on local and regional government boards, commissions, committees and task forces to assist with providing oversight on various topics, programs and services. Appointments are made throughout the year as vacancies occur and new entities are created. Richmond City Council currently appoints members to an average 60 local and regional public bodies; most of which are volunteer/non-paid positions. Appointed public bodies provide needed intellectual assistance on subjects that shape the quality of our lives, neighborhoods and city and increase government openness, inclusion and transparency. Membership on these entities offers individuals the opportunity to learn more about local government and to use their education, experience, skills and abilities in service of the public good. Individual membership requirements are different for each public body, which range from advisory to policy to governing. Appointed terms include project-oriented ones that exist for a few months and more long-term ones that last up to four years. Time commitments vary from a couple hours a year, up to 20 hours a month. Meeting times, dates, locations and frequency are scheduled as needed. In addition to the current local and regional public bodies, Council appoints members to five (5) non-governmental organizations and one (1) federal government entity. All those interested in being appointed to serve as a member of a local or regional public government body or non-government organization are invited to review the descriptions, purposes and individual membership requirements and vacancies and apply online at: http://www.richmondgov.com/CityCouncil/CouncilBoardsCommissions.aspx or http://eservices.ci.richmond.va.us/applications/boardscommissions/index.aspx
