title
To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $8,519.98 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and to amend Ord. No. 2025-057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by (i) creating a new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency entitled “Chesterfield County Recovery Academy,” and (ii) appropriating such $8,519.98 to such new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Chesterfield County to support the Recovery Academy initiative.
body
THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. That the Chief Administrative officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, is authorized to accept funds in the amount of $8,519.98 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Chesterfield County to support the Recovery Academy initiative.
§ 2. That Article I, Section 1 of Ordinance No. 2025-057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted a General Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, and made appropriations pursuant thereto, is hereby amended by creating a new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency entitled “Chesterfield County Recovery Academy Grant” for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Chesterfield County to support the Recovery Academy initiative.
§ 3. That the funds received from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority are hereby appropriated to the General Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, by increasing estimated revenues by $8,519.98, increasing the amount appropriated for expenditures by $8,519.98, and allotting to the “Chesterfield County Recovery Academy Grant” line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency the sum of $8,519.98 for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Chesterfield County to support the Recovery Academy initiative.
§ 4. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.
City of Richmond
Intracity Correspondence
O&R Transmittal
DATE: August 1, 2025
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council
THROUGH: The Honorable Dr. Danny Avula, Mayor
THROUGH: Odie Donald II, Chief Administrative Officer
THROUGH: Tanikia Jackson, DCAO for Finance and Administration
THROUGH: Letitia Shelton, Director of Finance
THROUGH: Meghan Brown, Director of Budget and Strategic Planning
THROUGH: Amy Popovich, DCAO for Human Services
FROM: J.D. Ratliff, Policy Advisor
RE: To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept $8,519.98 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority for the purpose of funding the Recovery Academy cooperative project with Henrico and Chesterfield Counties to combat the opioid crisis.
ORD. OR RES. No. ______________________________________________________
PURPOSE: To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $8,519.98 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by creating a new line item in the Non-Departmental agency to be called the “Chesterfield County Recovery Academy” line item, and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to such new line item by $8,519.98, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Chesterfield County to support the Recovery Academy initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. There will be one additional ordinance that will accompany this ordinance that authorizes the Chief Administrative Officer to execute an Operational Agreement for Cooperative Partnerships for Opioid Abatement Authority Awards between the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County for the purpose of supporting the Chesterfield Recovery Academy in collaboration with Chesterfield County and Henrico County to combat the opioid crisis.
BACKGROUND: Virginia’s Opioid Abatement Authority is an independent body, the purpose of which is to abate and remediate the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth through financial support from the Fund, in the form of grants, donations, or other assistance, for efforts to treat, prevent, and reduce opioid use disorder and the misuse of opioids in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (VOAA) has an annual application cycle that includes a competitive grant opportunity for proposals involving collaborations between two or more localities. During this cycle, Chesterfield County, in partnership with the City of Richmond and Henrico County, submitted a cooperative project proposal. On June 18, 2025, the City of Richmond was notified by the VOAA that the cooperative project proposed by Chesterfield County was approved with a locality match of $8,519.98 from Richmond’s individual distribution (at no fiscal impact to the City of Richmond). Chesterfield County will serve as the lead applicant and fiscal agent.
As part of the award conditions, the localities must have a written operational agreement by which the implementing organization agrees to comply with applicable grants terms, conditions, and assurances. There will be one additional ordinance that will accompany this ordinance that authorizes the Chief Administrative Officer to execute an Operational Agreement for Cooperative Partnerships for Opioid Abatement Authority Awards between the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County for the purpose of supporting the Chesterfield Recovery Academy in collaboration with Chesterfield County and Henrico County to combat the opioid crisis.
This ordinance authorizes the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $8,519.98 from the VOAA, to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by creating a new line item in the Non-Departmental agency to be called the “Chesterfield County Recovery Academy” line item, and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriate to such new line item by $8,519.98, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Chesterfield County to support the Recovery Academy initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
Chesterfield Recovery Academy (CRA) opened in Fall 2022 as Virginia’s first recovery high school in response to the adolescent substance use and opioid overdose epidemic. CRA is a year-round program serving high school students from central Virginia who are recovering from substance use disorder. All high school students in the Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) Region One are eligible for enrollment. This catchment area encompasses 15 school divisions, including the Counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, Surry, and Sussex, as well as the Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond. The Chesterfield Recovery Academy Outreach and Transportation project will build on what has been learned during CRA’s three years of operation to increase adolescent access to substance use treatment and interrupt the cycle of opioid and multi-substance use disorder in high school-aged students. It focuses on community outreach throughout the 15 jurisdictions served, including students, caregivers, schools, mental health professionals, community agencies, law enforcement, and recovery partners. This project aims to provide community opioid abatement education to localities, increase CRA enrollment and regional representation, and development. Since 2022, Chesterfield Recovery Academy has supported over 60 students in early recovery from opioid and multi-substance use disorder. Several of the students spoke at the White House for the 2023 National Recovery Month Celebration and celebrated 6 months of sobriety on the national stage. CRA students with years of prescription opioid misuse have maintained recovery and abstinence from opioids for the first time in their high school careers. With six graduating seniors in 2025, this model has transformed opportunities for students struggling with substance use and battling academic consequences.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Opioid abatement and remediation strategies utilized by the City of Richmond have and continue to be informed by significant stakeholder engagement and developed with direct input and support from external agencies and subject matter experts. This project is the result of regional collaboration between the counties of Henrico and Chesterfield, and the City of Richmond.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL: RES. 2022-R013 declaring opioid drug overdose deaths as a public health crisis in the City of Richmond; Richmond Opioid Task Force.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact to the City. The funds used for this project are from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. The City will receive $8,519.98 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, which will be appropriated and passed through to Chesterfield County, serving as the fiscal agent, to fulfill the City’s required match. The City’s match is fully funded by the grant proceeds received from the Authority, consistent with the approach used by all participating localities.
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon adoption
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: December 8, 2025
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: January 12, 2026
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent agenda
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development
AFFECTED AGENCIES: Budget and Strategic Planning, Finance, Neighborhood and Community Services
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.: Res. No. 2018-R094; Ord. No. 2021-234; Res. No. 2021-R078; Res. No. 2022-R013; Res. No. 2023-R010; Ord. No. 2025-057; This Ordinance is a companion paper to Admin-2025-1082. This Ordinance should be introduced and adopted after Admin-2025-1082.
ATTACHMENTS: Opioid Abatement Authority Cooperative Grant for Chesterfield County Recovery Academy Award Letter and Package
STAFF: Anna Jones, Opioid Response Strategist, 804-987-9160, Anna.Jones@rva.gov <mailto:Anna.Jones@rva.gov>
Jason Alley, Policy Advisor, 804-401-5863, Jason.Alley@rva.gov <mailto:Jason.Alley@rva.gov>