Stoney says voters don't want major change at City Hall, cites new report showing improvements

While spotlighting a consultant report that found his administration has made substantial improvements to City Hall, Mayor Levar Stoney on Wednesday disputed the idea that Richmond voters want to see dramatic change in how city government operates.

That’s part of the reason, the mayor said at a news conference, that none of the five mayoral candidates running to succeed him have “distinguished themselves from the pack.”

“City Hall and services are not [in] the top three issues in the city of Richmond right now,” Stoney said. “The top three issues in the city of Richmond that people care about are affordable housing, public education and public safety.”

Asked why he feels so many candidates for office are emphasizing City Hall reform if it’s not something voters care about, Stoney suggested the candidates are talking to the wrong people.

“Are they spending time in areas… where people are struggling economically, where they've seen improvements and investments in their neighborhoods,” Stoney said. “Or are they spending a lot of time in the areas where, you know, they have the privilege to show up in the middle of an afternoon and tell you what they think is wrong with the City of Richmond?”

The early-afternoon news conference at City Hall was an extraordinarily direct challenge to the city’s future mayor, who will be selected by voters next Tuesday. Stoney, who is leaving after serving the maximum two four-year terms, has a little more than 60 days left in office. He's currently seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in next year's statewide elections.