Richmond citizens begin voting on Richmond People’s Project
Ideas proposed by Richmonders last year were on an online ballot last week for the Richmond People’s Budget project. Illustration by Zoë Luis.
Skye Hathaway, Contributing Writer
Richmond citizens began voting on April 1 on how $3 million across nine districts will be spent as part of the Richmond People’s Budget project, according to its website.
Citizens aged 14-years-old and up are encouraged to vote on projects relating to their districts, which include categories such as arts, environmental, public safety, recreation and health, according to the RVAPB website.
Leidiana Delgado, council chief of staff at the RVAPB, said their mission is to encourage members of the Richmond community to voice their opinions on what projects would improve their district while evaluating the costs of these projects.
“Our main goal is to engage community members with City Hall and get a general idea of what certain projects would cost in communities, but also let them have a direct say on what projects they want to see funded,” Delgado said.
District 2, home to the VCU Monroe Park Campus, will vote on projects such as the addition of a shelter at the Lombardy Kroger, public art, street improvements and the addition of trees to lower the heat index in the summer months, according to Delgado.
Isaac Samuels, lead organizer at the RVAPB, stated in an email that these projects represent Richmond’s diversity and illustrate the city’s goals to improve for the future.
“Together, they highlight the diverse needs of Richmond and our collective commitment to building a better future for the city,” Samuels stated.
Voting is available to all Richmond citizens regardless of incarceration or immigration status, and the RVAPB encourages the people of Richmond to get involved by voting for their desired projects, Samuels stated.
“The Richmond People’s Budget is open to anyone who lives, works or studies in the city of Richmond,” Samuels stated. “We encourage all eligible participants to vote and get involved! Immigration status and current or past incarceration do not affect your eligibility — if you call Richmond home, whether permanently or temporarily, this process is for you.”
A system called ranked-choice voting will give voters the opportunity to select multiple projects based on their level of preference, making it a fairness-based system, Samuels stated.
“Ranked Choice Voting has been used in Participatory Budgeting initiatives around the world,” Samuels stated. “Our community-based Steering Commission chose this method because it is widely regarded as one of the fairest voting systems and allows residents to express their preferences without being limited to a single choice.”
Samuels stated that the RVAPB traveled to many local places and neighborhoods beginning in Sept. 2024, gaining insight into the ideas that locals had for community projects. Budget delegates reviewed the over 1900 ideas that were sent in and selected the top ideas for their final proposals, which now appear on each district’s ballot.
Each district received a base amount of $200,000 of the $3 million from the budget and was then awarded additional funding based upon the RVA2050 Climate Equity Index, which assesses overall need in the districts using 39 different factors, Samuels stated.
Districts 3, 5 and 7 were awarded an additional $100,000 each, while districts 6, 8 and 9 received an additional $300,000 per district, Samuels stated.
The scattered distribution of these amounts will allow all Richmond districts to benefit from funding equally, including those that were previously underfunded, according to Virginia Mercury.
Richmond citizens can cast their votes for their home districts’ desired projects by going to in-person polling locations or by casting their ballot online, according to Virginia Mercury.
Polls closed on April 15, and voting results are expected to be released on Monday, April 21, according to Virginia Mercury.
