Avula inauguration events postponed due to water crisis

With more snow on the way and Richmond officials still focused on restoring water to city residents, new Mayor Danny Avula and his team have postponed the inaugural festivities scheduled for this weekend.

In an email obtained by The Richmonder, inaugural operations director Jonathan Chan said all events would be postponed and more details would be announced in the coming days.

“We know this has been an incredibly challenging time for people all across the city and region as a whole. Mayor Danny Avula and his team are fully focused on restoring water production, bringing a safe end to the Boil Water Advisory, and fully analyzing and addressing the root causes of these challenges,” Chan wrote.

Avula has been mayor since Jan. 1, but his formal swearing-in ceremony was set to take place Saturday morning at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. 

The swearing-in was supposed to be followed by service projects throughout the city and a celebratory dinner Saturday night at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The decision to call off the events avoids the potential blowback Avula might’ve faced for holding a party in his honor while many Richmonders are fuming over the loss of water this week. 

Another snowstorm is also projected to impact Richmond this weekend, raising questions about how city infrastructure will handle another round of wintry weather.

Tickets and sponsorship packages for the inaugural dinner were priced from $100 to $10,000. Chan’s email said attendees who had bought sponsorship packages could reach out to Avula’s team with questions.

“Please stay safe and continue to take care of each other,” Chan’s email concluded.