Council members presented dozens of proposed operating enhancements during a Richmond City Council budget work session, with a cumulative total of enhancements reported at about $20,940,000 as of the morning of the meeting.

Interim Chief of Staff Matthew Slatz told the body the 48 enhancements submitted to that point totaled nearly $21 million and that council members were also identifying reductions to offset new spending. “Our primary focus for this session is centering on the operating amendments that you’ve all submitted,” Slatz said.

Enhancements on the spreadsheet presented by staff and discussed in the session included: additional funding for Richmond Public Schools beyond a mayoral proposal (multiple council members proposed increases ranging from $4 million to $6.9 million or more, with different patrons); a proposed increase to the Family Crisis Fund from the mayor’s $520,000; funding increases for year-round shelter services, trauma healing response, and re-entry services (OAR); and restorations or increases for partner agencies including Thrive Birth to 5, Richmond Sports Backers and the Black History Museum.

Council members also proposed expanding legal and eviction-related assistance: the mayor proposed $500,000 for right-to-counsel services in eviction cases and Gibson and others proposed increasing that to $1 million; an eviction diversion fund was proposed to increase from $800,000 to $1,000,000 to provide one-time cash assistance in court-eligible cases.

Council members asked for personnel restorations in the Council Chief of Staff’s office and proposed adding a policy analyst for each council seat (estimated at about $1 million across nine districts). Members also proposed targeted investments in the Richmond Ambulance Authority — to cover heart-rate monitors, personnel and ambulance leases — and a staff allocation to support a possible city rental inspection program, pending committee decisions on design and districting.

Wagner and other staff noted some proposals were partially funded in the mayor’s budget and that all proposed increases would need offsets to produce a legally balanced budget before adoption. No formal votes were held on enhancements at the meeting; staff will return with reconciled cost estimates and balanced amendment packages for later action.