Summer Candidate Survey Series: Week 6 *LIGHTNING ROUND*

This week we asked Richmond’s mayoral, council, and school board candidates to play a LIGHTNING ROUND with specific policy/development proposals they support.

Our Mayor/City Council Candidates were asked to check a box next to each of the following past policy or position they support:

  • Navy Hill

  • Casino I

  • Casino II

  • Construct a New Stadium with City Funds

  • Collective Bargaining

  • Participatory Budgeting

  • Taking Down the Monuments

  • Chamberlyn Ave Housing Shelter

  • Meals Tax

…and these future ones:

  • Extend the Fare-Free GRTC

  • Create a City Department of Transportation

  • Create an Office of Cannabis Equity

  • Adopted Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all)

  • National Search for a Chief Administrative Officer

  • Ceasefire Resolution

  • Rank Choice Voting

  • Rent Cap Increases

  • Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Similarly, our School Board Candidates were asked which past policy/position they would support:

  • The initial 200 Day Calendar Pilot (Fairfield, Cardinal)

  • Pairing Elementary Schools

  • George Wythe Rebuild for 2,000 Students

  • George Wythe Rebuild for 1,800 Students

  • George Wythe Rebuild for 1,600 Students

  • Collective Bargaining

  • Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2021)

  • Closing Schools (Fall 2020)

  • Closing Schools (Spring 2021)

  • Revised Selection Criteria for Specialty Schools

  • Schools Build Schools Resolution

  • Metal Detectors in Middle Schools

…and these future ones:

  • A New Charter School

  • Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Calendar Pilot

  • Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2025)

  • Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

  • Metal Detectors in Elementary Schools

We should note that several candidates reached out to say they would not be participating in this week’s survey due to the format. We will be back next week with short answer questions.

Answers are listed below in the following order:

  • Mayoral Candidates (in the order in which they responded)

  • City Council (districts 1-9, alphabetical order)

  • School Board (ditto)

  • Community Poll Results

Let’s dive in!

Mayoral Candidates

Andreas Addison

Past: Navy Hill, Casino I, Casino II, Construct a New Stadium with City Funds, Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter, Meals Tax

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, Adopt Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all), National Search for a Chief Administrative Officer, Ceasefire Resolution, Rank Choice Voting, Cap Rent Increases, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Dr Danny Avula

Past: Construct a New Stadium with City Funds, Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter, Meals Tax

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, Adopt Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all), National Search for a Chief Administrative Officer, Ceasefire Resolution, Rank Choice Voting, Cap Rent Increases, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Maurice Neblett

Past: Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter

Current: Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter

City Council Candidates

Zac Walker
1st District

Past: Navy Hill, Construct a New Stadium with City Funds, Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, National Search for a Chief Administrative Officer

Maria Carra Rose
3rd District

Past: Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, Adopt Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all), National Search for a Chief Administrative Officer, Rank Choice Voting, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Tavares Floyd
6th District

Past: Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, Adopt Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all), National Search for a Chief Administrative Officer, Ceasefire Resolution, Cap Rent Increases, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Ellen Robertson
6th District

Past: Navy Hill, Casino I, Casino II, Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter, Meals Tax

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Adopt Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all), Cap Rent Increases, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Willie Hilliard
6th District

Past: Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter, Meals Tax

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, Adopt Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all), Ceasefire Resolution, Rank Choice Voting, Cap Rent Increases, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Eric Sundberg
7th District

Past: Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting, Taking Down the Monuments, Chamberlyne Ave Housing Shelter

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, Ceasefire Resolution, Rank Choice Voting, Cap Rent Increases, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

Stephanie Starling
9th District

Past: Collective Bargaining, Participatory Budgeting

Current: Extend the Fare-Free GRTC, Create a City Department of Transportation, Create an Office of Cannabis Equity, Adopt Charter Review Commission Recommendations (any or all), National Search for a Chief Administrative Officer, Ceasefire Resolution, Rank Choice Voting, Cap Rent Increases, Eviction Freeze (RRHA)

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES

Kathryn “Katie” Ricard
2nd District

Past: The Initial Richmond 200 Day Pilot, George Wythe Rebuild for 2,000 Students, Collective Bargaining, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2021), Closed Schools (Fall 2020), Revised Selection Criteria for Specialty Schools, Schools Build Schools Resolution, Metal Detectors in Middle Schools

Current: Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2025), Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

Ali Faruk
3rd District

Past: The Initial Richmond 200 Day Pilot, George Wythe Rebuild for 2,000 Students, Collective Bargaining, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2021), Closed Schools (Spring 2021), Revised Selection Criteria for Specialty Schools

Current: Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2025), Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

Charlene Riley
3rd District

Past: Collective Bargaining

Current: Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

Angela Fontaine
4th District

Past: The Initial Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Pairing Elementary Schools, George Wythe Rebuild for 2,000 Students, Collective Bargaining, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2021), Closed Schools (Fall 2020), Closed Schools (Spring 2021), Revised Selection Criteria for Specialty Schools, Schools Build Schools Resolution

Current: A New Charter School, Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2025), Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

Wesley Hedgepeth
4th District

Past: The Initial Richmond 200 Day Pilot, George Wythe Rebuild for 2,000 Students, Collective Bargaining, Closed Schools (Fall 2020)

Current: A New Charter School, Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2025), Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

Dr Shonda Harris Muhammed
6th District

Past: The Initial Richmond 200 Day Pilot, George Wythe Rebuild for 1,600 Students, Collective Bargaining, Revised Selection Criteria for Specialty Schools, Schools Build Schools Resolution, Metal Detectors in Middle Schools

Current: A New Charter School, Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Participate in Mandatory Governance Training, Metal Detectors in Elementary Schools

Cheryl Burke
7th District

Past: The Initial Richmond 200 Day Pilot, George Wythe Rebuild for 2,000 Students, Collective Bargaining, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2021), Closed Schools (Fall 2020), Closed Schools (Spring 2021), Revised Selection Criteria for Specialty Schools, Metal Detectors in Middle Schools

Current: Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2025), Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

PH Cruz Sherman
8th District

Past: The Initial Richmond 200 Day Pilot, George Wythe Rebuild for 2,000 Students, Collective Bargaining, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2021), Closed Schools (Fall 2020), Metal Detectors in Middle Schools

Current: Expanding the Richmond 200 Day Pilot, Renew the Superintendent’s Contract (2025), Participate in Mandatory Governance Training

NO RESPONSE PROVIDED

  • Michelle Mosby (Mayoral Candidate)

  • Harrison Roday (Mayoral Candidate)

  • Andrew “Gumby” Breton (1st - City Council)

  • Paul Goldman (1st - City Council)

  • Matthew Percival (1st - School Board)

  • Katherine Jordan (2nd - City Council)

  • Mariah White (2nd - School Board)

  • Kenya Gibson (3rd - City Council)

  • Ann-Frances Lambert (3rd - City Council)

  • Sarah Abubaker (4th - City Council)

  • Garrett Sawyer (4th - School Board)

  • Stephanie Lynch (5th - City Council)

  • Dr Shonda Harris Muhammed (6th - School Board)

  • Cynthia Newbille (7th - City Council)

  • EJ Jafari (8th - School Board)

  • Frank Wilson (8th - City Council)

  • Nicole Jones (9th - City Council)

  • Shavonda Dixon (9th - School Board)

As a reminder, all candidates have been invited to participate via the email address listed on their candidate registration paperwork. If there’s a better way to reach a candidate, please reach out to us at info@rvadirt.com. Thanks!

Community Poll Results

There was no corresponding community poll this week due to the format of this lightning round.

Candidate Survey Series (2024)Becca DuVal