Budget Approval, a Social Media Limit, and Running on Every Street in Town
Cheers RVA!
Today we’ll see rain and scattered thunderstorms, with a high of 71 and a low of 63. Localized flooding is possible with one to two inches of rain expected. Stay safe out there.
the juice:
Richmond city council approved the city’s $3.03 billion budget for 2026 at Monday’s council meeting, via WRIC.
The budget includes over $1 billion for the general fund and $550 million for capital improvement projects.
The vote was 6-2 in favor of the proposed budget amendment with councilmembers Kenya Gibson and Sarah Abubaker both voting “no” on the budget, citing a rushed and dysfunctional budget process.
the pulp:
Virginia has passed a new law limiting social media time to one hour per day for those under 16, per WTVR. The law requires social media platforms to set the default time limits to one hour per day, while allowing parents the option to adjust the time up or down.
A Richmond man has run all 2200 of the city's streets, according to Chris Suarez at the Richmonder. It took Kirk Millikan six years to complete the task which spanned nearly 1k miles.
the dive:
Charles Mahron from Strongtowns makes a case for cities to adopt the Crash Analysis Studio Model to help cities better understand traffic safety without assigning blame.
Mahron says that bringing about change from a local government has a specific set of obstacles:
After listening closely to the feedback from staff, the group identified a familiar set of challenges—patterns that will resonate with anyone who’s tried to push for change inside city government:
Resistance to adopting something unfamiliar
Anxiety within city hall about being blamed if something goes wrong
Departmental silos making coordination difficult
A deep-rooted instinct to defer action until a formal traffic study is complete
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a heedful day RVA!
Thanks for reading. If you enjoy this newsletter, tell a friend, or donate.