Sample ballot for 7th District
While the 7th District City Council and School Board incumbents do not have challengers, you still have choices to make in the contests for POTUS, Mayor, Senate, and House of Representatives.
In addition to selecting one candidate or another, there are 2 proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution concerning eminent domain and some wonky legislative scheduling details. Inform yourself: brochure / poster.
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The correct answers are:
1. Gary Johnson
2. Write-in: Buddy Corbett
3. Write-in: John Murden
4. Yes
5. Yes
6, 7 and 8: it doesn’t matter. No matter what the answer is, Richmond government is always going to be broken.
Alex,
Have you been in Richmond long? Our city government was truly dysfunctional back in the mid-nineties. We don’t have problems with corruption or plain ol’ incompetence that plagued City Council through that whole decade.
Here in the East End we haven’t had representation as credible as Newbille and Coleman in my memory.
DA, I would agree that there is not the corruption that there was in the 90s but I still see incompetence and apathy (which I think is the reason for the incompetence). People owing stormwater bills for three years and nothing being done? And talk of raising the rates so that those of us who pay are penalized? Study after study showing how poorly the city is spending or not accounting for the money allotted to our school system? I, like you, tend toward being optimistic and giving credit where it is due since I love living in Richmond and hope to be here for quite a while. But it is frustrating to hear day in and day out the issues with our city government.
@2- lack of corruption and outright incompetence is a pretty low bar. How about raising our expectations a bit:
Are city schools still crap, despite every candidate for the last 100 years probably running on a platform to fix them?
Are we paying higher taxes and getting less for it than anywhere else in the area?
Is crime still a very real issue that the police’s response to seems to be to hope it gets better?
It doesn’t matter what you pick. There’s enough crap in our city hall already that even if we could find some honest people, they aren’t getting anything done.
Quick question – does anyone know if the eminent domain language would interfere with re-zoning or historic district designations? Opponents argue that any lost revenue potential constitutes a “taking”.
I would venture a guess that in the Newbille and Coleman duo we have the most dedicated, competent, collaborative representation in the City and certainly in modern memory for the East End.
@#6 – I completely agree!
#5. Richmond has been ‘taking’ properties ever since people voted ‘yes’ to the last proposed ballot question. Remember when you or I used to be able to submit a bid to a non-partial judge seeking to pay the back taxes on vacated/abandoned property and start a small real estate business? Oh, yea…the gov’t changed that opportunity w/ a proposed question on the last election ballot. So now, voting ‘yes’ sounds like we will have no opportunity to purchase land from someone who has purposely turned off their utilities (travelling for a year) or let their property fall into disrepair. We shouldn’t be competing with those in city hall meant to represent us. From what it looks like vote ‘NO”.
Addition to #8.
When the city tries to justify this new ‘taking’ opportunity with :
“We make properties available at Motleys if you want them”…. Ask yourself, can you afford to compete against big real estate developers with millions (this includes our own gov’t)?
“Write the owner yourself and make an offer.” …the City has inaccurate owners and addresses on the database for vacant properties.
Remember the city wants first dibs on all property. Their argument has been?…”don’t you think we should make the most out of these properties?” My answer…”and hurt those of us who would like to start a business by paying back taxes? We should fight to reverse the last elections eminent domain bill.
Taking blighted properties would fall under abatement of a public nuisance so it would still be permissible. Taking a home that is maintained to use for Echo Harbor North would be about the only thing that is prevented here. A nice step to limit the ability for crony capitalism to occur IMO.
[...] constitutional amendments will be on the ballot tomorrow. Waldo Jaquith the best explanation of these proposed amendments that I’ve been able to [...]