Violent Crime & Funding Roulette

Folks in the City of Richmond's budget machine must be going nuts...

"We have to build a new Civic Center to make the city look updated and attractive to business...but that means we can't fix the potholes. And fixing potholes shows that the city cares about upkeep and smooth transportation for people and business. But we can't borrow any more money, especially if there's some kind of crisis...wait a minute. Violent crime IS a crisis! So, about funding stuff like public safety and this youth corps thingy..."

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Mayor asks for residents' help
RICHMOND: McLaughlin says everyone must work together to stop violence, solve city's other pressing problems

By John Geluardi
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Newly sworn in as Richmond's mayor, Gayle McLaughlin asked residents this week to make a greater commitment to solving the city's most critical problem: chronic violence.

"It is clear our single-most important issue in Richmond is our crime," she told the 300-plus people packed into the council chamber Tuesday night to see her take the oath of office. Another 200 people watched the ceremony on closed-circuit televisions in a large tent set up in the City Hall parking lot.

"While we strengthen law enforcement, giving it what it needs to enforce the law, we must not deceive ourselves; We must be realistic in our understanding that law enforcement alone will never eradicate violence," she said.

After taking the oath, McLaughlin called for a moment of silence for shooting victim Victor Ramirez, a 25-year-old immigrant who was shot in the head last week in an apparent act of random violence. He remains on life support at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

There were 42 homicides in Richmond last year, seven more than in 2004, when Morgan Quitno Press named Richmond the most violent city in California and the 11th most violent in the country.

The violence, which was the central focus of last year's mayoral campaign, has its roots in systemic problems of poverty, unemployment and a lack of education opportunities, McLaughlin said.

"Our challenge in Richmond is to become a role model for solving these systemic problems," she said. "But in order to do this, an investment is required at a level greater than which currently exists. It will take a more cooperative City Council, increased revenue and a further commitment of free time from us all to begin to turn around our endemic violence."

Addressing the city's need to grow the economy, she described Richmond as a city of "great untapped potential" and called on residents and businesses to be more innovative in creating smart-growth policies and responsible environmental programs.

"We will flourish and become a healthy and sustainable city only if we believe in ourselves," she said. "The future of Richmond demands a robust local economy, one that keeps money circulating in our city."

McLaughlin takes over as mayor in a city that faces serious challenges. Richmond is still recovering from a devastating, $35 million budget crisis in 2004. Under the guidance of Finance Director Jim Goins, the city has been able to build up reserve funds of about $10 million.

But the Chevron refinery has cut its annual utility tax payment by an estimated $4 million a year, a reduction that has jeopardized the budget's fragile recovery.

Playing a kind of financial brinkmanship, Richmond broke ground last week on the $110 million Civic Center renovation, the largest public works project in the city's history. To fund the project, Richmond has exhausted its bond capacity, which means the city cannot borrow more money in case of a new financial or infrastructure crisis.

The hidden cost of the renovation can be found in the city's potholes. Richmond's roads are in the worst condition of any city in the Bay Area, and taxpayers are sitting on a road repair bill of $94 million. Unless the city finds funding for repairs soon, the cost will skyrocket to $200 million in 2010, about the time McLaughlin's first term is up.

In keeping with the nonpartisan election, McLaughlin, a Green Party member, put an emphasis on shared principles and values. She promised to work collaboratively with her eight council colleagues.

She also promised to be more than a ceremonial mayor.

"I will be a problem solver and not a ribbon cutter," she said to a loud applause from those watching the ceremony in the tent. "Over the next four years, it will be our turn to show results."

Reach John Geluardi at 510-262-2787 or at jgeluardi@cctimes.com.