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To amend Ord. No. 2025-057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget and made appropriations thereto, by transferring $284,175.00 from the Council Chief of Staff, and appropriating such transferred funds to the Chief Administrative Offices for the purpose of supporting the participatory budgeting process.
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THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. 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 transferring funds in the amount of $284,175.00 from the Council Chief of Staff and appropriating such transferred funds to the Chief Administrative Offices for the purpose of supporting the participatory budgeting process.
§ 2. This ordinance shall be in force and effect on the first day of the first pay period that begins following the adoption of this ordinance.
City of Richmond
Intracity Correspondence
DATE: Wednesday, June 16, 2025
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council THROUGH: The Honorable Dr. Danny Avula, Mayor THROUGH: Odie Donald, Chief Administrative Officer
THROUGH: Tanikia Jackson, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Finance & Administration
THROUGH: Letitia Shelton, Director of Finance
THROUGH: RJ Warren, Council Chief of Staff
FROM: Meghan Brown, Director of Budget and Strategic Planning
RE: To amend the FY26 budget to transfer funds from the Council Chief of Staff to the Chief Administrative Offices related to the Participatory Budgeting program.
ORD. OR RES. No.
PURPOSE: To amend Ord. No. 2025-057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget and made appropriations thereto, by (i) transferring
$284,175.00, consisting of 3.5 FTEs and associated personal and operating budgets, from the Council Chief of Staff, and (ii) appropriating such transferred funds in the amount of $284,175.00 to the Chief Administrative Offices (CAO).
BACKGROUND: The City of Richmond’s Participatory Budgeting (PB) program was established by Ordinance No. 2020-256, adopted by City Council in late 2020, to give residents a direct role in identifying and prioritizing community projects for public funding. The ordinance created the Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission, tasked with developing and recommending the structure, rules, and processes for a citywide participatory budgeting model. The initiative emerged from City Council’s interest in enhancing civic engagement, transparency, and equitable investment across neighborhoods, while aligning with national best practices in participatory governance. The Commission, supported by City administrative staff and the Department of Budget and Strategic Planning, was directed to design a framework for how residents could propose, deliberate, and vote on projects funded through a portion of the City’s budget. The Participatory Budgeting (PB) program now has dedicated program staff (3.5 FTEs). To maintain consistency with the City’s management framework and ensure alignment with broader fiscal policy and operational priorities, it is recommended that the Participatory Budgeting (PB) program staff be reassigned to the administrative structure under the authority of the CAO.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Placing the Participatory Budgeting (PB) program under the administrative oversight of the CAO will strengthen community engagement by ensuring that resident input is directly connected to the City’s operational and budgetary decision-making processes. Aligning PB within the CAO’s structure enhances coordination with City departments, enabling more efficient implementation of community-selected projects and clearer communication about feasibility, costs, and timelines. This integration also ensures that feedback gathered through PB is incorporated into broader budget planning and service delivery, helping residents see a direct link between their participation and real outcomes. By embedding PB within the City’s core administrative framework, the program can operate with greater accountability, consistency, and responsiveness-ultimately deepening public trust and engagement in Richmond’s budget process.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL: The Participatory Budgeting (PB) program is structurally tied to Richmond’s strategic goals around collaboration, equity, neighborhood-level investment, responsive governance, and inclusive economic development.
FISCAL IMPACT: This will reduce the Council Chief of Staff budget by
$284,175.00 and the CAO budget by $284,175.00.
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: December 13, 2025
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: November 10, 2025
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: December 8, 2025
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent agenda
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development AFFECTED AGENCIES: Budget and Strategic Planning, Council Chief of Staff, Chief Administrative Office
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.: 2025-057
STAFF: Lauren Kirk, Senior Manager, Budget & Strategic Planning