Jones faces big issues as mayor

Dwight Clinton Jones starts his new job as Richmond's mayor on Thursday and will face a number of pressing issues.

Among them will be filling key administrative posts and balancing the city budget in light of state cuts and a long-standing dispute between Mayor L. Douglas Wilder and the City Council.

Jones and the new council also will help decide where and how quickly minor-league baseball might return to the city.

Jones, 60, will be sworn into office in a no-frills ceremony Wednesday, allowing him to officially become mayor at the start of 2009.

The pastor of First Baptist Church of South Richmond has represented the 70th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates since 1994. He's also resigning his House seat Wednesday.

Staffing the administration: Jones said he will name an acting chief administrative officer while continuing a search for someone to fill the position long term. Under the city charter, the mayor appoints with the council's consent the chief administrative officer, who is responsible for all other hiring decisions.

Jones said he's also focused on appointing a chief of staff and a chief financial officer. So far, only the chief administrative officer and chief of staff positions are being advertised, with salaries up to $205,972 for chief administrative officer and $165,424 for chief of staff.

Sharpening the budget knife: Jones will inherit a six-month-old dispute between Wilder and the council over the fiscal 2008-09 budget. The council approved a budget in the spring, but Wilder declared it invalid and installed the spending plan that he had proposed.

To avoid a court fight, Wilder and the council agreed to resolve their differences through amendments, but the council has yet to act on Wilder's proposed fixes.

The budget will need at least $6 million in cuts to reflect the council's decision to reduce the real estate tax rate to $1.20 per $100 of assessed value from $1.23.

Further trimming is likely as the souring economy sends ripples through the state budget. It's also unclear what impact the housing meltdown might have on city revenues that are tied to real estate assessments.

Jones has been mum on what budget changes he might propose, insisting only on a cost-of-living increase for city government retirees -- something he backed during the mayoral campaign.

Playing ball? A team of developers selected by the Wilder administration to present major redevelopment proposals for North Boulevard and Shockoe Bottom, including a new ballpark, are hoping to have a preliminary agreement with the city by March 1.

The projects would represent an investment of $783 million, according to backers.

The aggressive timetable is needed so that a private ownership group can buy a minor-league team in time to bring baseball back to Richmond for the 2010 season, said Pete Boisseau, a spokesman for a development team led by Highwoods Properties.

The new team would play at The Diamond, home of the recently departed Richmond Braves, before settling into the new stadium in Shockoe Bottom by 2012.

Boisseau said the Boulevard Gateway and Shockoe Center proposals are being modified to alter the mix of residential, office and other uses, and he acknowledged that city officials want more details on the financing. The city's contribution is proposed to be land transfers, plus $8 million to relocate utilities, excluding the costs of replacing the Arthur Ashe Center and public-works facility on the Boulevard.

Jones said he's seen renderings of the projects but has not been sufficiently briefed. "Once we get in, we'll have to deal with that. There are a whole lot more-pressing things for me to deal with."

Echo Harbour and other issues: Jones also will inherit a host of other issues, including a developer's proposal to build the Echo Harbour condominiums on the James River east of downtown, as well as Wilder's proposal to establish a new Department of Permits and Inspections based in leased offices at 3600 W. Broad St.

Also, GRTC Transit System is still awaiting a decision on how to address a now $3.5 million budget deficit -- either by eliminating inefficient routes as proposed to the council or through an appropriation of city funds.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or .