Two of the three City Council candidates for the 2nd district have submitted their responses to the first in a series of weekly questions put to them by RVANews. The question: List five initiatives that you believe are more important than finding a new baseball team for the City of Richmond.

Tyron Bey

There are a couple of things that are more important than replacing the baseball team.

First of all, we need stronger support for our schools. I shared with the REA how one of my closest female friends have left RPS to teach in DC because she fills that she will receive more support as an Art Teacher. She feels that the political climate in Richmond has stifled the potential of strong academic programs. We need cooperation where our school system can work in concert with academic programs in some of our surrounding sister jurisdictions. We also need a sincere effort between the 5 four year institutions in our region to help all of the school districts in our region to create thematic centers which focus on certain areas of academics. This will enhance the education experience all of our youth. I am thankful for the endorsement of the REA. I shared this vision with them. And with me on council, we will begin to see that support.

Second, we need to have a regional approach to mass transit, and we need to repair our desperate roads.

Third, we need to encourage more small business opportunities in Richmond. Small businesses help create more jobs. Not only do we need to make the city easier for small businesses to succeed, we also need to lure some more major companies to the city. This all helps us to create more jobs, which allows us to spend our dollars in our communities several times before it leaves our community. This ultimately helps support any new schools, teams, roads, and any other infrastructure initiatives which makes Richmond great.

Fourth, we need to make Richmond a place where ALL can live. As we move toward helping the homeless find decent housing, we still create a community that Bill Gates can call home. In other words, we need to create housing options that invites the middle class and does not displace the poor. In my district exist one of the larger public housing communities. There isn’t a secret that RRHA will tear it down. We need to assist those who are there so that they are guaranteed housing there if they wish. By having a diverse choice of housing styles, with the new development, we help to create a more inviting community where we can get as close to one for one replacement as possible. This community will be a stronger community and not a repeat as to what happened in Blackwell.

Fifth, we need to not set a new team up for failure. We need to create a world class sports complex which will make Richmond a contender for more national sporting chains and events. This is not to be done totally on the city’s dime, but a regional approach which shows that a new Richmond Region has emerged where we work together. All of these things help us to get closer to A GREATER RICHMOND!!!

Charles Samuels

Thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions. I believe the following five initiatives are more important than finding a new baseball team for the City of Richmond:

1. Redevelopment of public housing within the city and housing opportunities for those displaced by redevelopment;

2. Improvement of Richmond Public Schools – both in scores and in the perception of the schools;

3. While violent crime has dropped, we need a similar reduction of non-violent crime. I recommend we use the success of sector policing to work to reduce non-violent crime as well;

4. Ensuring services from city meet the investment citizens make in the city – residents of the city pay taxes, spend time working within their neighborhoods and communities to improve them, and donate their time to attend city meetings to ensure the will of the people is known. The residents should expect quality services from the city for all they do for the city; and

5. Cooperation between city council and mayor, and city and counties is essential to ensure the city remains an attractive place to live, work and play.

While I will personally miss the Braves as my wife and I enjoyed walking to the Diamond to see them play, I believe the Boulevard corridor can still become an incredible asset to the city. Soon we will have a new movie theater on the Boulevard and more development is on the way. We should use common sense to enhance what we have in this area to make it a destination spot for residents of the greater Richmond area.