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Richmond City Hall. (Photo: Crixell Matthews/VPM News)
Richmond City Council members are proposing various amendments to the 2022 budget, from salary bumps for police and firefighters to funding for a city-wide financial audit.
The proposed amendments would be attached to a bare-bones $770 million budget proposed by Mayor Levar Stoney in March. Because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on local tax revenue, Stoney’s proposed 2022 budget includes little new spending or projects. Still, some members of Richmond City Council want to move money around to free up funding for various initiatives.
Three members Council President Cynthia Newbille, Vice President Ellen Robertson and Reva Trammell are proposing salary increases for police and firefighters, costing between $1.9 and $4 million.