Youngkin’s schools chief resigns after department missteps

The Associated Press

Jillian Balow, Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s superintendent of public instruction, announced her resignation Wednesday in a letter to the governor that did not offer a specific reason for her departure.

The Department of Education has faced criticism for recent missteps, including an error in a mathematical formula the agency provides to local K-12 school divisions that led schools to expect more state funding than they were set to receive.

“I am grateful and humbled to have had the opportunity to serve the children and families of Virginia and I continue to strongly support you and your vision for education in Virginia. I am particularly proud of the fact that we advanced your agenda for education over the past two successful General Assembly sessions,” Ms. Balow wrote in her letter, which the department shared in a news release.

Gov. Youngkin’s press office did not respond to a question from The Associated Press about whether the governor asked Ms. Balow to step down, instead offering a one-sentence statement.

“The Governor thanks Superintendent Balow for her service to the Commonwealth and her work in advancing the Governor’s education agenda to empower parents and restore excellence in education,” spokeswoman Macaulay Porter said.

Emergency communications graduates 13 dispatchers to improve services

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

More dispatchers have joined Richmond’s 911 staff, reducing vacancies in a critical element of public safety.

The city Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response reported graduating 13 people Feb. 24 from its academy, the largest number of new emergency communications officer graduates since at least 2016. Director Stephen Willoughby said that the new staff members will help to improve service and provide relief to the overworked staff in place.

Before the new graduates arrived, the department reported operating with 33 percent fewer people than authorized, 56 full-time and one part-time person. The department reported 28.5 vacancies of the

85 authorized positions.

According to news reports, people found themselves waiting on hold for 2 minutes or more in seeking a response. Richmond is not alone. The National Emergency Number Association has reported a 911 staffing crisis exists across the country.

And it is not just dispatchers. The Richmond Police Department is short about 150 officers, while the Sheriff’s Department is down at least 170 people.

In the case of emergency dispatchers, the city has sought to make the position more attractive by pay. Mr. Willoughby also has been authorized to increase recruiting and hold at least four training academies a year to build up the staff.

The next training is scheduled for mid-April, and the department hopes to have 10 to 13 people in that class as well.

The department also stated the public can help improve response times by following a few simple rules, including dialing 911 only to seek immediate help from police, fire or emergency medical services.

For less urgent calls, the department encourages people to use the non-emergency number, (804) 646-5100, to seek assistance or to report or request help through the 311 system.

Also, anyone who calls 911 is encouraged to stay on the line if they get a recording and are put on hold.

The department stated that it answers calls in the order they are received. Hanging up and calling back puts that call at the back of the line.

Council raises percentage of vehicle tax owners must pay

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond vehicle owners can expect to see bigger personal property tax bills for their cars and trucks this year.

As approved by City Council on Monday, owners will have to pick up a bigger share of the tax – 63.4 percent, up from 50 percent last year.

A major reason is that the state’s car tax relief program is losing value to inflation even as vehicle prices go up.

Instituted by former Gov. Jim Gilmore and the General Assembly more than 20 years ago, the program delivers a flat $16.08 million yearly to Richmond for relief from the vehicle tax. As car prices rise rather than depreciate, those state dollars cover a smaller fraction of the tax the city imposes.

The city has maintained its tax at $3.70 per $100 of value on cars and small trucks and $2.30 per $100 of value on trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds, and there have been no council discussions of reducing the rate.

Tax relief is 100 percent for vehicles valued at $1,000 or less, according to the Finance Department. The relief program reduces the tax by the percentage set by the council, this year 36.6 percent, but only for the value of vehicles between $1,000 and $20,000, the department notes. Owners of more valuable vehicles are billed the full tax on assessed values over $20,000.

In a bid to reduce the impact, Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration last year received council approval to impose a stairstep approach. In 2022, the city provided 50 percent tax relief. Owners will get a smaller discount this year, and then pay their full share of the city tax due next year, according to the program.

In the example the city used, the owner of a passenger car valued at $18,030 would have owed $464 in tax after the car tax relief was applied, but that was shaved to $331 under the city’s approach, a $133 savings. This year, the city’s tax discount on a car valued at $18,000 is to be cut to $67 and eliminated next year.

Vigil for Summer

Fourteen days after Summer Fuller, 31, was murdered in the 4200 block of Chamberlayne Avenue, allegedly by her boyfriend, Novita Fuller spoke at the vigil for her niece. Ms. Fuller’s mother, Yvette Fuller, is shown consoling her sister. Right, Charles Willis read Bible passages at the vigil in Ms. Fuller’s memory.

In other business Monday night, the council approved spending $3.5 million on improvements to the current Diamond baseball stadium to allow the Richmond Flying Squirrels to play. Major League Baseball required the improvements in order for the team to continue to use the stadium amid continuing talks about developing a replacement stadium.

The council also authorized the Stoney administration to participate in a settlement with five companies that were sued for over-distribution of opioid medications, including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Teva and Allergan. The amount the city is to receive was not disclosed. Last year, the city received about $1 million from a similar settlement with four other companies.

The council also cleared the way for Virginia Union University to receive a $1 million state grant that passed through the city to improve campus security and for the Moore Street School Foundation to receive a $75,000 preservation grant to plan for stabilization of the historic building attached to Carver Elementary School.