R-E-S-P-E-C-T . . . Let Me Tell You What It Means To Me . . .

By Carol A.O. Wolf

Before City of Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney starts blaming certain City Council members and citizens throughout the city for the failure to get his proposed property tax increase passed, it would behoove all to pause a moment and have an open watch party to review the video tapes of the four town meetings that Hizzoner and entourage recently hosted around town.  

Stoney’s serious and sincere sidekick, Richmond Public School Superintendent (RPS) Jason Kamras, School Board members and Thomas Farrell, Dominion Resources chairman, President and CEO and his many minions should be required to attend. (Click here to see how much Farrell gets paid.)

In between the hoopla and wa-hoo-rahs of the University of Virginia winning the NCAA men’s basketball championship, many neighbors and friends on the Northside have offered to bring popcorn and drinks to share should such a screening ever happen. 

Additionally, some suggested that since Stoney opened each town meeting mansplaining to those gathered that “We” were all going to abide by Aretha Franklin’s "R-E-S-P-E-C-T” song, they think it only fitting and proper to play another "Re-Re" song -- “ Think” -- for our young mayor and RPS Supt. Kamras. (Click here to listen to "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" and here to listen to “Think”).

After telling us how it was gonna be, our young mayor positioned the fight as basically Stoney v. the Status Quo. 

He then proceeded to read from a color-coded power-point for what felt like an interminable 30-45 minutes before finally opening the meeting to questions from citizens. 

Some things were clear from the gitgo:

While few would deny or begrudge RPS the money it needs for capital and classroom needs, taxpayers want action and need accountability. 

They also want to see Stoney make some cuts in the city budget before raising property taxes.

The biggest problem many have is that they simply do not trust Stoney when he says this proposed tax increase is really about securing funding for RPS and fixing potholes.

We’ve all seen these blue-sky-high predictions before and people throughout the city say they are worried that this is a classic bait-and-switch con designed to increase the COR’s bond rating in order to finance the Navy Hill Coliseum project slated to cost $1.4 billion that Stoney and his pal Farrell are pushing.

Justin Griffin, a local attorney who started a website analyzing the deal, says the Coliseum project is just the latest example of a mayoral preoccupation with splashy development projects, from the 6th Street Marketplace to the Gateway Plaza, Stone Brewery, Redskins-Bon Secours boondoggle.

And who can forget former Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ stubborn efforts to put a stadium in Shockoe Bottom?

“It seems like every two or three years in Richmond, the mayoral administration, no matter who's in power, gets distracted by a new shiny project,” Griffin writes on his website.

“I say, let's take a step back. Let's actually focus on what the citizens of Richmond want the government of Richmond to focus on, and maybe down the road, once we have our house in order, then maybe we look at some of this civic furniture.”

*** Note: I know this posting is way too long, but the proposed tax increase coupled with Stoney and Farrell’s plan to build a new coliseum is way too significant for city residents and their representatives on City Council to simply go along to get along.  Therefore, what follows are a sampling of remarks made at the Northside town meeting and some recent comments made on social media by people throughout the city. ~ CW *** 

After watching Stoney side-step several questions, one Northside resident lost her patience and took him to task: "Who is taking care of the money? [You need to ...] stop with the bleeding heart liberal talk ... You have not answered one single question tonight [and] I find that disrespectful ..."

John Moser (Northside) spoke at the meeting and later noted on Facebook that "the Boulevard property was projected as a $13.1 million annual revenue source back in 2013. How much could it generate in 2020?"

"Why has the mayor done nothing with it, even though it was all set up for him by City Council? At the end of my question to the mayor, I said - please don't tell me a triple-A baseball team is preventing the city from getting that revenue.” 

 And sure enough, Stoney proceeded to talk for several minutes about how a baseball team is preventing us from developing that property.

Moser noted: "The baseball diamond takes up just 8 acres of a 60-acre site. So, it looks like our city administration can conceive of a complex coliseum development project downtown, but can't figure out how to develop net 52 acres of open land on the Boulevard, working around a ball team. I call BS."

Robin Levey (Northside) noted on Facebook that "Our millage rate is one of the highest, not only in our area but the nation for our size city. We are 25% higher than the surrounding counties. We lose significant tax dollars to the city due to a significant amount of tax free properties.

"I found Stoney’s assault on property owners in suggesting that we don’t pay our fair share and we don’t want good schools was offending. He needs to go after pilot programs to bring in tax dollars for services from those tax exempt properties.

"Other cities have done this. [Stoney]needs to move forward aggressively in developing the “plans” for the Boulevard project to bring in tax dollars."

Another opined: "He needs to clean up the waste and fraud in the city and then he can ask me to pay more. My property taxes went up 27% this past year!  He took in an additional $20 million due to increased property taxes.  And Yes, I want better schools for RVA but we already pay our fair share. Clean up and reach out to new sources of tax revenue!”

In response to a pointed question concerning how much revenue has been realized from the Meals Tax increase and how Stoney promised full accountability and five new schools, Hizzoner testily responded: “No one ever promised 4 or 5 schools ... we promised $150 million."

Undeterred and undaunted, another citizen admonished the mayor to “ ... stop ridiculing other places [... ] Stop bullying other places ... You were against tax abatement for seniors ... now you want to take credit.”

Frustrated with Stoney’s glib answers, yet another Northsider schooled him: “We put you in office ... you need to listen to us ... No one doesn’t want schools to succeed [...] we all want that [...] but what we all (also) want is some accountability.”

In response to a comment Kamras made saying that some people who “look like” him [code for white] have not wanted to invest in the success of children of color, a woman [who looks like Kamras] tells him that she is “insulted" that he would suggest that people who look like they do would want to hurt little black kids. “How dare you?" she asks.

Meanwhile, a city taxpayer who attended the town meeting held at Thomas Jefferson High School, shared this observation:

So, at our district meeting a gentleman questioned the tax increase. He was talking about how the taxes had already increased because of rising values and then to add an increase was not legal. (I have heard this from others but I do not quite understand the basis of this argument.) So as he talked he was not rude, he was very calm and presented his argument in a 'respectful' manner. Stoney responded with some glib and disrespectful remark like 'We are not listening to Republican talking points.' There was an audible murmur in the audience of disapproval. At the end, a woman stood up and spoke and she told Stoney he owed that gentleman an apology. Most of the audience clapped. Stoney apologized -- but when you have to be told to apologize it can hardly be considered genuine. Very disgusted that this the leader we have elected.

Mark Brandon echoed the sentiments of many when he wrote: "The 'school money' has been (mis) spent many times on lot of things. To say that the tax increase is needed for the schools is disingenuous at best. A bit of strong arm politics. City Hall is top heavy to the tune of millions, he is afraid to address it.”

Not everyone spoke against approving Stoney’s proposed property tax increase. There have been op-eds written by community as well as editorials written by Stoney and Kamras pushing the property tax increase and filled with promises of work for minority contractors and pay raises for teachers.  

Carrie Kahwajy wrote on Facebook: "Let's talk about his plan to invest in schools and how we can help him. We are guaranteed to get nothing if we don't trust him. Richmond elected him. Let's let him get the job done that he was elected to do. Let's help him move this mountain.”

Another Northsider quickly noted: "We did not elect him to be in league w/Dominion’s Tom Farrell ... we don’t need a coliseum."

And thanks, in part, to Jones’ steal of a deal involving the Westhampton School, the Redskins Training Facility and Bon-Secours, even the most mild-mannered citizens feel duped by double-talk from both the Jones Administration and now the Stoney Administration.  Many are cautious. As one neighbor put it: "Fool me once, shame on you -- fool me twice shame on me.” Others are angry.  And disgusted by the COR’s sloppy financial accounting. 

Stoney and Kamras need to understand that just because they refuse to acknowledge past boondoggles that have left the citizens with little to no trust in Richmond City Hall, doesn’t mean that citizens are ready to let go of the pain or the pursestrings.  

Plus,  if Stoney wants to have any street cred raising these property taxes, he really ought to buy a house in the city.

Moreover, Stoney and Kamras need to realize that their flippant remarks suggesting that “We, the People” simply need to get over the past, will not help them make their case.  Especially when we are told to do so by a mayor who has never held elective office and a public school superintendent who has never been a superintendent before.

Perhaps Leslie Rubio said it best:

“I like Mayor Levar M. Stoney, I campaigned for him, donated to his election, and co-hosted a fund raiser for him. THIS IS WRONG to FORCE city residents to foot the bill for something that is NOT REALLY going to fund schools, fixing potholes in the streets, etc. NO, this is not being financially responsible...We Don't want to help finance DVP Coliseum downtown and force people to move out to create EXPENSIVE housing. And as Mark Brandon said, TOP HEAVY CITY MANAGEMENT and SALARIES. NO, NO, NO! This should not be put on our backs! Clean up City Hall, hire more workers, and stop giving our tax revenue to folks that sit at desks with their titles and do nothing to benefit the city!"