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Cynthia Newbille is now President of Richmond City Council!

This means better representation for the East End (hopefully). Congratulations on your achievements Dr. Newbille!

 

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Mayor Levar Stoney then writes about Dr. Newbille and Councilman Chris Hilbert:

I congratulate Dr. Cynthia Newbille on her election to Richmond City Council President. Dr. Newbille’s years of experience, steady hand and dedicated, compassionate public service will provide the thoughtful, progressive leadership necessary to meet the challenges facing our city and keep it moving forward in an efficient and positive direction.

 

On behalf of the City of Richmond, I would also like to thank Councilman Chris Hilbert for his tireless efforts over the last two years of service as council president. Councilman Hilbert’s leadership on important issues such as the biennial budget and our $150 million investment in new school facilities last year underscore his unwavering commitment to this great city.

 

My administration looks forward to working with President Newbille, Vice President Hilbert and all members of council over the next two years in our ongoing efforts to build and maintain One Richmond – an inclusive and competitive city that delivers the brighter future our residents and our children deserve.

27 comments

Rita Ward 01/09/2019 at 11:12 AM

Excellent!!!!!!!!!!

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Inigo Montoya 01/09/2019 at 2:26 PM

That word “better.” I’m not sure that word means what you think it means.

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Johnathan 01/10/2019 at 9:04 AM

Better? Well it is hard to imagine it getting any worse.

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Eric S. Huffstutler 01/10/2019 at 11:52 AM

@3 Johnathan Take it as you may. We who have dealt with her knows what it means.

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District 7 Citizen 01/10/2019 at 12:05 PM

“I continue to work on every citizen’s behalf to help address challenges, and to secure lasting improvements to our quality of life”… yeah, right. Talk to the hand.

I guess she doesn’t consider certain people a “citizen” or certain concerns deemed “improvements”, especially when she will not return calls or answer emails to many people when the issue concerns any and all aspects of historic preservation?

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Dave Seibert 01/10/2019 at 4:02 PM

Congrats! This can only be good for the East End!

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Mars 01/10/2019 at 7:40 PM

Why, Richmond, why? How does someone who never responds and doesn’t adequately represent the people who elected her get promoted. She’s one of the reasons I gave up on living in Church Hill.

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Bill 01/11/2019 at 4:58 AM

Will elder statesman Chuck Richardson protest the new council president from Henrico?

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Kay 01/11/2019 at 7:52 PM

she’s a terrible representative of Church Hill and I suspect she’ll be even worse as the “leader” of City Council…

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District 7 Citizen 01/11/2019 at 9:49 PM

Let’s not forget the whole 2009 debacle that preceded her election to City Council after she dropped out in February amidst controversy. In part, her following the Marsh machine and, also her moving to the 7th District simply to be able to be *appointed*. She had not been living here or active in any known local civic capacity after she moved away so had a disconnect.

Speaking of Marsh… her first husband she married in 1986 was Clifton Marsh, a 3-time divorcee.

Tell me this. Do you believe that a woman who has a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration. Has a list of impressive work credentials. Who works as Program Officer and Patient Centered Medical Home Coordinator for the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation as well as City Council. And believe has property she rents out. Who is married (remarried in 2005 to Robert Evans) and so has a two-income household, actually “lives” in a 1 bathroom, 945 square foot rental house on N 27th Street worth only $65k? This is the house she “rented” in 2009 to justify her ties to the district. She and her husband actually live in Henrico County on Oxnard Street. (all facts are public access).

If a person is that scheming, do you trust them to represent you? How high profile in the public has she been the past 9 years to know exactly the varied issues in her historic district instead of sitting in her Ivory Tower and letting a liaison take her calls and answer her emails?

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Bill 01/12/2019 at 9:28 AM

No. 10. Impressive work credentials? Chief of staff to city manager Calvin Jameson while city managers staff stole millions of public dollars in the so called pay go scandal. Which way is this impressive?

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District 7 Citizen 01/12/2019 at 2:32 PM

@11 Bill

True, she doesn’t have a very good track record when it comes to her shady ties with a corrupt city administration. One who “sticks together” and does little. But to give her credit, she does have good work credentials away from the city.

The main point I was getting at is… Newbille dropped out of the 2009 race because of her supposedly “moving” into the district she was seeking appointment in just to qualify and that rubbed many people the wrong way. Newbille was not living in the district she represents and STILL doesn’t “live” in the 7th District (thought that a requirement?). Only rents a tiny house that must remain empty until she is interviewed? And it isn’t even a historic house, built in the 1950s (doesn’t add up for someone who has a Ph.D., works, and is married). A total disconnect with the most historic district in Richmond and the state. If she is that scheming, do you want her representing you even if she did show some interest? Just how truthful is she?

Bill, there are other issues with Newbille of course but just pointing out a situation that caused a lot of problems that hit the news outlets and continues almost 10 years later. If people are afraid to stand up for change then they have no room to complain when nothing happens and problems are not addressed by a “do nothing” council person. Not sure just what she has done to justify her new position?

But you never see her mingling with people to get a feel of what issues are pressing and need attention in her district since all she does is collect a paycheck and sits inside her office… much like city workers do when they send trucks to fix a street problem. Dispatch 5 trucks to fix 1 brick in a sidewalk while the workers sit in their trucks for an hour or two longer than the repair took. Your tax dollars at work. Newbille is not the governor or president so doesn’t need security or escorts to walk freely about town and meet and greet unless she feels guilty about her actions and afraid of how people will react towards her?

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Liz 01/13/2019 at 12:32 AM

As a resident in her district, this does not inspire confidence.

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Eric S. Huffstutler 01/13/2019 at 9:47 PM

Wow, what a mess. Makes you think twice but I don’t have to tell you about my own experiences with Newbille over the years, as well as others that I know.

Strange. Aren’t you supposed to live the majority of the time in the district you represent and not just rent an empty house there? I guess not since it has gone on for so many years?

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National Street Resident 01/14/2019 at 9:28 AM

I tried to get two simple stop signs on National Street in Montrose Heights. Had a petition signed by 90% of the people on my modest two block stretch. Cost to city, probably $1,000 max all in. Tried for several years to reach Newbille, never got past her handler. No response at all, finally gave up.

She doesn’t care, she has done nothing for this district. Drive around and see for yourself. While the Fan gets superfluous traffic circles, new sidewalks, etc., we are dodging potholes, and also cars barrelling down our residential side streets. Look at Admiral Gravelly and the frisbee golf are, Stone brewery. Why are such heavily used an busy roads in such horrid shape? Just four stop signs is all we need…This is but one aspect of the issue she hasn’t dealt with at all.

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Bill Hartsock 01/14/2019 at 12:13 PM

I think that if there is a residence issue with Newbille that we need to follow the same channels that the 5th district folks took with Agalasto.

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Eric S. Huffstutler 01/14/2019 at 12:47 PM

The last time so many people were up in arms about her *appointment*, the news outlets took note and started to investigate which caused her to withdraw until she rented the token house and ran for the position. We need to get them back on this unless they are afraid to get involved? Where is Style Weekly? Times-Dispatch? RVA or the news outlets NBC12, 8NEWS or CBS6 to investigate her “do nothing” track record yet gets appointed President? Something doesn’t add up.

Speaking of afraid, how visible is she in the community? You never see her mingling with people and I am sure that is mostly in part her not living here. But if Newbille dodges answering her constituents because she is afraid of conflict, then she is in the wrong job and needs to forfeit her degree in psychology.

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Kay 01/14/2019 at 1:04 PM

@6…let the ass-kissin’ begin…you must be joking.

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Broad Street 01/14/2019 at 1:39 PM

Dr. Newbille lives in her house in the district in the city. Those who venture north of M street already know this. A baseless accusation that any mote of diligence would prove out.

Dr. Newbille has shown high levels of integrity and gets things done. East End Grocery. East End Music festival. Jefferson Avenue. J Sarge Culinary School. Armstrong site.

If you want sidewalks fixed, you have to stand up at budget hearings and say you want money to go to sidewalks. Especially when everyone else is standing up and asking for the money to go to schools.

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HW 01/14/2019 at 3:16 PM

Can’t attest the veracity of the historic episodes cited here, but i’ve been very pleased with her efforts re transit, food access, public safety(walking the courts, safe streets initiative, getting Durham’s eyes on 111 & 113 and prioritizing a new apparatus for 23rd & Broad) in the four years i’ve been here.

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bill 01/14/2019 at 3:47 PM

no 16. you want to hire chuck richardson? serious? the real issue is that agalasto is not for the stoney coliseum. chuck is and he wants the 5th district seat to deliver for stoney. the 5th district folks are not doing anything

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Eric S. Huffstutler 01/14/2019 at 4:19 PM

@19 Broad Street

I know the “sidewalk” remark was probably aimed towards me but the sidewalk problem has been known and reminded about now for “11 years”. We were promised by various people that “it will” be replaced only not to be. Then heard it needs “budgeted” and promised one year after another that it will be the following year. But don’t you think after 11 years that it should have been? If the city can replace sidewalks across the street when they said they couldn’t on our block for various reasons, or blocks of it all around us with “budgets” planned years after our pleas, then tell me what is wrong with this picture?

You say that she lives 7 days a week in that tiny 1 bathroom rental house with her husband when they can afford to do better and “own” the large house on Oxnard and I believe also one on Letcher?

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District 7 Citizen 01/15/2019 at 6:56 PM

Sharing a post in part from Nextdoor…

“… financial mismanagement I discovered just by researching the former East End Family Resource Center (Now Challenge Discovery).”

“…describing some of the waste I discovered. It’s is public information & probably still available on the 990 forms, Guidestar, Charity Navigator, Give Richmond, etc.”

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Melinda 01/17/2019 at 10:28 PM

The. Worst. Council. Rep. In. 50. Years.
(And that includes the one who went to jail.)

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District 7 Citizen 01/18/2019 at 2:39 AM

Whoo-Hoo Melinda, don’t sugar coat it. LOL ?

Where is the news media about this? I hope they are not afraid of her or the city to do an investigative report?

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Bill Hartsock 01/18/2019 at 8:37 PM

24 – Melinda – agree. I’ve lived here for years and have never seen her. This is a joke that she is not living in the district and getting away with it. Come on Channel 12, 8 and 6. I know you must have a slow news day sometime!

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Kay 01/19/2019 at 6:07 PM

@26……Don’t give her a heads-up that people are watching to determine where she actually lives. If the news people come knocking…she’ll just hang out in the rental for a week until it blows over. She needs to be tracked.

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