Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney reportedly wants the Virginia General Assembly to approve $100 million for the city’s sewer upgrades.
“We’re asking for more because we know if we are unable to find the needed amount, a lot of this burden will fall on the ratepayers,” Stoney (pictured above) claimed, according to 12 On Your Side. The outlet reported that Stoney warned that “utility bills could skyrocket” without additional funding approved by Virginia lawmakers and Governor Glenn Youngkin (R).
In his recently unveiled budget, Youngkin asked for $50 million for the city, exactly half of what Richmond needs. However, the city’s sewer renovations – designed to prevent dangerous runoff during heavy rains – do not need to be complete until 2035. Richmond is asking for payment installments of $100 million from the commonwealth until 2027. Richmond will eventually have requested about $500 million for the project when it is complete.
The mayor’s remarks followed a previous admonition of Youngkin after the governor’s budget was announced in December. VPM reported both Stoney and Richmond Department of Public Utilities program and operations supervisor Grace LaRose were critical of Youngkin’s plan.
“Although the 2035 deadline set by state law may seem far off, it’s just around the corner for a project as large and complicated as Richmond’s combined sewer modernization project,” warned Stoney before adding that Richmond “needs significant, predictable grant funding from the Commonwealth to meet that deadline.”
LaRose added, “The $100 million that was dropped from the state budget really needs to be added” into the new budget by Youngkin or lawmakers.
Still, Stoney recently confirmed the project would be significantly less expensive than originally thought. Richmond’s sewer upgrades were initially expected to cost as much as $1.3 billion, and the number has been reduced to $650 million.
A spokesman for Youngkin reportedly said in December 2023 that the budget balances the “long-term importance” of improving the city’s sewage system “with the Governor’s desire to ensure funding going to priority projects getting us closer to the Commonwealth’s 2025 Bay Goals.”
Youngkin proposed more funding for other infrastructure projects throughout the Commonwealth. In Norfolk, for example, Youngkin proposed up to $95 million in funding for the completion of the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, also known as the Norfolk Sea Wall.
However, Norfolk would only receive about $73.8 million for the project initially. The city will need to complete a casino project and begin collecting tax revenues in order to receive an additional $21 million.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Richmond Skyline” by Ron Cogswell. CC BY 2.0.
