dalhectar t1_izy3mri wrote
Reply to comment by Professional_Book912 in Respectfully RIP Rep Donald McEachin, but Stoney should not be on the shortlist to replace this man by UlruthOldran
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Budget comes in on time.
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Construction Permits get issued faster.
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3 new schools to replace aging and decrepit facilities.
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New bike network doesn't rely on sharrows & other Vision Zero changes.
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New zoning to promote density.
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Works well with Karmas at RPS. Education Compact between City Government & RPS has lead to more cooperation vs confrontation between the 2 parties vs the past.
People say they want a "nuts & bolts" mayor but fail to realize how utterly boring "nuts & bolts" is. "Nuts & bolts" isn't going to fix homelessness, transform the sewer underneath our feet away from a CSO, nor crime, nor clean the river, nor a socio-economic education achievement gap. People's issues with local government far outstrip the capacity a Dillon Rule state gives localities power to achieve. Not to mention Richmond has a history and 60 years of hollowing out a city largely by forces outside that city’s control cannot be undone in 15.
End of the day I think Stoney is only an average mayor. I mean better than the other elected mayors Jones & Wilder but that's really not saying much.
Professional_Book912 t1_izy4thh wrote
Budget on time? You mean the CAFR? That is a report they should be getting in on time anyway.
Really? Andreas Addison had an article not to long ago about how long the process takes. What sped up?
Ah yes, the aging infrastructure that has to be replaced. He didn't make that happen. It is a necessity. Otherwise we should thank him for updating the fire station too. (even more appropriate since SCHOOLS gets funding and is part of the problem)
Venture Richmond led the bike lane charge. It would have happened regardless of the city leadership.
New zoning - you are crediting the mayor with the work of one department.
I think what people want when they say nuts and bolts is someone to come fix the fucking city. There is no mandated time keeping programs, no mandated time off procedures. They are constantly fighting with our partners, like Schools and the Ambo Authority.
I would prefer a mayor that is a leader, and knows how to hire leaders. Right now we are a city of islands doing their own thing. We will never solve the other problems when we can't function as a city.
dalhectar t1_izyao25 wrote
They weren't done on time under Jones.
> Permits that sometimes languished in queues awaiting processing for 50 to 55 days at the start of 2022 have been rolling out after an average wait of one to three days since the summer.
On schools look at the timeframe that RPS has for George Wythe and compare that to Stoney's three. He did 3 schools in 5 years vs RPS deciding to do 1 school in 8.
Venture Richmond doesn't run DPW. Neither them nor Bike/Walk RVA does the road redesigns that dieted car kanes into dedicated bike paths. The City of Richmond did. Local government did that, not an advocacy organization. In my work we have to operate differently as a result of Vision Zero to better accommodate pedestrians at construction sites. Before, no one at City Hall cared if we did anything concerning accomondating pedestrians, now we are held to a higher standard, and that likely saved lives at some of our high profile projects. We don't take orders from Venture Richmond, we take them from the City and their requirements changed.
The Master Plan to which we get zoning that came from it literally involved multiple departments. And the zoning only happens as a result of decisions that City Council & the Mayor decide upon.
We have less fighting now between RPS administration & Stoney vs RPS & Jones or RPS & Wilder. Where we have fights now is the Richmond For All cohort on the School Board vs all else whether internally in School Board or outside the school board.
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