Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring said yesterday that his office will investigate whether any crime was committed as part of a nearly $1 million purchase of police cars that violated procurement rules. He said he could not discuss details and added that it probably would take several weeks to determine whether charges will be sought.

Byron C. Marshall, the lone finalist to be chief administrative officer of Richmond, is being brought back to town for another round of meetings with the City Council. Marshall, president and CEO of the nonprofit Austin Revitalization Authority in Texas, was expected to arrive last night for a series of private meetings this weekend, Tammy D. Hawley, press secretary to Mayor Dwight C. Jones, confirmed yesterday.

Byron C. Marshall, the lone finalist to be chief administrative officer of Richmond, is coming back to town. Marshall, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Austin Revitalization Authority in Texas, is scheduled to be here this weekend for additional private meetings with City Council members, Tammy D. Hawley, press secretary to Mayor Dwight C. Jones, confirmed today.

An agreement that would allow the family of Richard Ripp to buy city property at the Richmond Intermediate Terminal along the James River is set to expire Sunday. City officials are considering a seven-month extension to give the family time to work out a broader plan for development of the area—a prospect that could include the city and the proposed developers of Echo Harbour.

The possible appointment of Byron C. Marshall as Richmond’s chief administrative officer is drawing sharply different responses from some City Council members. Early yesterday, council members said they believed a formal request to approve Marshall’s appointment could be introduced Monday by Mayor Dwight C. Jones. But the mayor’s office said such a request is not imminent.

Richmond’s nonprofits can breathe easy. The City Council is backing off a plan to charge the groups a fee to offset the costs of police, fire and trash-collection services. City Council President Kathy C. Graziano said yesterday that the council will be asked to postpone Monday’s vote on a proposed ordinance that would impose the fee on most nonprofits.

Richmond residents and groups packed the City Council chamber last night to plead for funding from the city and relief from a proposed fee on nonprofits. With Mayor Dwight C. Jones proposing a fiscal 2009-10 budget that is nearly $26 million less than this year’s budget, more than 40 speakers appealed to the council. The requests came on behalf of the Richmond school system, police officers and firefighters, as well as the Metropolitan Business League and tiny nonprofits.

Richmond City Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson wants to find out how—and whether—various plans for Shockoe Bottom are going to fit together. As part of their review of the proposed fiscal 2009-10 budget, council members will consider setting aside $150,000 toward a planning study for the historic area. Specifically, they want to look comprehensively at the proposed Shockoe Center ballpark development, bus transfer center for GRTC Transit System and slave-heritage projects of the Slave Trail Commission. The city money would be expected to be matched with private funds.

The Richmond Slave Trail Commission has lined up against a proposed bus transfer center for Main Street Station in Shockoe Bottom. A majority of commission members agreed last week to oppose the $70 million project on the grounds that the related traffic would undermine efforts to commemorate the area’s role in the slave trade, said chairwoman Delores L. McQuinn, a state delegate from Richmond.

GRTC Transit System may scale back but not eliminate bus service to the West End, including the University of Richmond. Officials are revamping their months-old plan to scrap inefficient routes by proposing to combine, rather than cut, the No. 16 Westhampton and No. 13 Main Street/Church Hill routes. The new, merged route would extend from downtown as far west as Carytown, said John M. Lewis Jr., GRTC chief executive officer.

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones is tackling one of the city’s most nagging and expensive building needs: the Richmond City Jail. Calling the current conditions unconscionable, Jones is proposing to spend $2.3 million next year and $138.4 million over five years to overhaul the overcrowded, outdated jail through a series of expansion, improvement and demolition projects to be completed around 2013.

A Church Hill property owner filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging Richmond City Council’s approval of a condominium development for the Chimborazo Park Old and Historic District. The lawsuit by Joseph Preston Carson III is the latest in a series of scrapes between residents and Fulton Hill Properties over its plans to build Oakwood Heights at the end of East Broad and East Marshall streets.

Richmond Jones proposes budget solution Compromise for the current cycle melds council, Wilder plans Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones is proposing a fix to the 10-month-old budget dispute between City Council and former Mayor L. Douglas Wilder. As he prepares to submit a spending plan for next fiscal year, Jones has offered a $655.3 million substitute budget for the current year.

Richmond Cutting fee for nonprofits weighed But the city likely will revisit whether the fee is warranted The Richmond City Council will consider severely scaling back a service charge on nonprofit groups, even though the move would mean forgoing about $720,000 in revenue for next year. Acknowledging that few, if any, groups have planned for the expense, City Council President Kathy C. Graziano proposed last week exempting most nonprofits—at least for now.

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones has ended the legal fight between the City Council and former Mayor L. Douglas Wilder. Taxpayers have already spent more than $1.1 million in legal fees.