Richmond’s budget woes extend beyond the national recession and are being compounded by permanent revenue losses from Henrico County’s decision to change some ZIP code addresses from Richmond to Henrico, the city’s top finance official said. Marcus D. Jones, deputy chief administrative officer for finance and administration, told the City Council’s Finance Committee yesterday that the ZIP code change is partly responsible for a projected $10.3 million budget shortfall for the current fiscal year, but he said an amount hasn’t been determined.

The city of Richmond is projecting a $10 million revenue shortfall in the current budget year because of sagging sales-tax collections and cuts in state funding. Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced the shortfall yesterday after reviewing revenue collections and other data from the first quarter of fiscal 2009-10. “We have anticipated a downward adjustment for some time in light of the sour economy,“ the mayor said in a news release. “For the current year, the adjustment represents 1.7 percent less than the approved budget. What we are embarking on now is a number of strategies to help close the budget gap while keeping our fund balance intact.“

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced yesterday another top aide in his administration. Peter H. Chapman will become deputy chief administrative officer for economic and community development effective July 13. His annual salary will be $160,000. Chapman will be positioned to play a role in such high-profile issues as the proposed Echo Harbour hotel, office and condominium development along the James River, as well as the talks aimed at bringing professional baseball back to Richmond, including a long-term plan for a stadium.

Appointed job: Richmond chief administrative officer, pending City Council approval
  Current job: president and chief executive officer of Austin Revitalization Authority in Texas
  Previous jobs: principal in The Marshall Group, a public-sector consulting firm; chief operating officer for Atlanta; first assistant city manager for Austin, Texas; acting director, deputy director of finance and administration for Houston; acting director, deputy director and deputy controller of human services, deputy director for administration for corrections and budget coordinator in mayor’s budget office for Washington; and assistant to city administrator, acting superintendent of parks and acting director of personnel and human rights for Ann Arbor, Mich.