Mayoral Forums and a Ranking of 984
Cheers RVA!
Today will be sunny and hot, with a high of 100. There’s a small chance of showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon/evening. Stay cool.
the juice:
Tossed lawsuit causes Richmond to miss deadline and potential $24M for stadium project, from channel 6.
On July 1, Virginia law will be changing a provision that allows localities to claim the state sales tax generated from public projects such as stadiums. That means that from July 1 on, any tax money from projects like the Diamond will go to the state.
The frivolous lawsuit by local activist Paul Goldman meant the city could not start the bond process until the lawsuit went through the courts, including appeals.
Goldman has until through the weekend to appeal, with the law going into effect on Monday, ending the sales tax incentive from the state for public development projects.
Chief administrative officer Lincoln Saunders explained:
The City plans to explore all other avenues to capture the sales tax incentive.
the pulp:
R. Anthony Harris, the creator of RVA Magazine and the guy who “bought the first Richmond mural project to town” has an editorial on Richmond being ranked as CNN Travel’s best town to visit. He writes:
The fear of long-term residents, especially in the neighborhoods this article highlights, runs a very real risk of being priced out of Richmond, changing the character of the city in a way that undermines our value to things like art and culture.
The first mayoral forum took place on Monday evening at the VUU Chapel and was hosted by the Urban league, from 12 on your side.
The next forum will be tonight at Dogwood Middle School at 6 pm. Tonight’s forum is mainly focused on residents and stakeholders of the 2nd District.
the cycle:
Richmond ranks 984th in the United States as a community for cycling according to the People For Safe Bikes 2024 survey, via South Richmond News.
Richmond scored a 24/100, up from 21/100 in 2018.
Here are the detailed network scores from the survey:
Below is a neat map of Richmond using the People For Bikes BNA tool.
Parts of the city like the Fan, Church Hill, and Westover Hills score relatively well but the city as a whole does not.
the vibe:
A CheersRVA reader, after the June 11 Newsletter, sought a free reflective vest via Henrico County’s public awareness campaign WOAH.
The newsletter enthusiast has since visited the Libbie Mill Public Library twice but they are currently out of vests.
Stay reflective. Have a great day RVA!
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