Mayor Stoney was joined yesterday by more than two dozen Richmond-area faith leaders who voiced their support for his plan to fund much-needed Richmond Public School construction and facilities renovation.
The faith leaders, representing all denominations throughout the city, were unified in their call for Richmond City Council and city residents to support the Mayor's plan, which would raise the meals tax on diners 1.5% and allow the city to finance $150 million for the construction of new facilities.
"We had a productive meeting with members of our faith community to discuss my proposal to find financing for Richmond Public Schools," said Mayor Stoney. "We cannot kick the can down the road anymore. Our kids can't wait."
"The most state of the art facility that we have in the City of Richmond is the Justice Center," said Sheriff Antoinette Irving. "We show our kids it's more important to take care of incarcerated individuals then it is for them to be taken care of in the schools they're supposed to learn in. It is important right now that we act."
"I can speak to how important a meals tax passage can impact a school system," said Rev. Tyrone Nelson, a Richmond native, pastor of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church and chairman of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. "Henrico County citizens voted to support a meals tax and we've seen some tremendous things happen. I hope that Richmond citizens will follow suit."
"Every child deserves a quality education and we have a responsibility to teach our children and use every resource we have available," said Rabbi Michael Knopf. "If not now, when?"
"The African-American clergy is solidly in lock step with our mayor to make this happen," said Dr. A. Lincoln James Jr., Senior Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church.
"I'm concerned about all of our children having a quality education," said Reverend Marilyn Heckstall. "We can experience an unselfishness of 1.5% when we get the opportunity to have a meal knowing that the investment is in all our children's lives.”
"The story of Richmond's ability to fund its schools is a really complicated one, but we haven't had any capital money in the city to speak of for 40 years," said Reverend Ben Campbell. "Our mayor has found a way to go forward. It's giving us a real shot to do something significant."
The city currently does not have the debt capacity to finance the construction of any school facilities until 2023. By approving an increase in the meals tax, the city will be able to begin building schools now, rather than waiting five years.
Click here to view the press conference with the faith leaders.
Below is a partial list of faith leaders who attended the Mayor's meeting:
Asmat Ali
Jim Arsenault
Johnathan Bibbs
Larry Branch
Earl Brown
Ben Campbell
Roscoe D. Cooper, Jr.
Roscoe D. Cooper, III
Stephen Ford
Maceo Freeman, Jr.
Patricia Gould-Champ
F. Todd Gray
Benjamin Harris
Marilyn Heckstall
Justin House
Antoinette Irving
A. Lincoln James, Jr.
James Johnson, Jr.
Gary Jones
Zulfi Khan
Michael Knopf
Michael Lomax
Ernest Moore
Tyrone Nelson
Nelson Reveley
Sandra Rollins
Rodney Waller
Robert Winfree
