City leaders love to pitch Richmond as an arts city that’s friendly to creatives.
Part of that characterization has been due to the spreading footprint and dominance of Virginia Commonwealth University, but it’s also because growing cities with thriving arts and culture scenes are the ones that attract young people to live there, as well as steady tourism dollars; they keep new talent in the city instead of sending college grads packing.
Everybody knows the cyclical pattern: Affordable cities attract young people and artists, all kinds of scenes and locally owned businesses coalesce around them; the city becomes popular, earns rave write-ups (sometimes ridiculously wrong) in national magazines or pithy website listicles. And as demand rises, rents go through the roof. Longtime residents are displaced, artists and local businesses can no longer afford to be there or rent studio spaces and pretty soon, the city becomes a husk of its former vital and diverse self, dominated by cookie-cutter apartments, terrible parking and dysfunctional government services, and ridiculously bloated costs for a steady diet of chain restaurants, corporate overlords and ever-shrinking city amenities.
On the flip side, cities that are smart about growth and work to retain their character, affordability and improve quality of life, tend to maintain a healthy growth level and appeal. Those that don’t tend to become the butt of a plethora of local (and regional) jokes. Local politicians have a tough job, they have to walk a line between creating more tax revenue and jobs, and keeping their cities livable, attractive and growing in all the right ways.
Style Weekly, one of the city’s longest running, locally owned media outlets that regularly covers arts, culture and food, felt it was important to ask this year’s five mayoral candidates some specific questions related to arts and culture. The questions were compiled by journalist Don Harrison, Style Weekly Editor Brent Baldwin, and Public Art and Creative Economy Consultant Ellyn Parker, who is the former public art coordinator for the city of Richmond. The answers were emailed by the candidates to Style Weekly’s editor; they are reprinted as they were sent, with only minor edits for Associated Press style.
Question one
Richmond levies a 7% admissions tax on places of entertainment, a charge not levied on venues in the neighboring counties. Moreover, through the agreement with the city, the owner of the proposed new downtown amphitheater will not pay admissions taxes for 20 years for the 25-35 shows they plan to host annually (at least, to start). Considering that many smaller operators in the city’s arts community will have to continue to pay the admissions tax on every ticket, and the city has seen budget surpluses in the last three years totaling over $70 million, are you in favor of a moratorium on the admissions tax for all? If not, please explain why. If in favor, will you pledge to make this a priority? Note: An estimated $3.1 million will be collected this fiscal year through admissions taxes.
(Responses listed in alphabetical order)
Andreas D. Addison:
Richmond’s music and event calendar is filled with incredible national and local artists. The admissions tax is barrier to compete in attracting artists and more shows. As mayor, I am focused on outlining a strong, diverse, and robust revenue strategy for the city that includes competing in the region. As part of this analysis, my first budget will explore ways to reduce or remove burdensome fees and taxes that generate nominal revenues for our budget.
Danny Avula:
It’s always tempting for candidates for office to promise immediate tax relief, but it’s difficult to make this commitment without diving fully into the budget, and having some runway to address some of the challenges related to the Finance Department. My top priorities as your mayor will be investing in affordable housing, public education, and in making City Hall a highly functional, top-tier public sector organization. Until I have had time to fully assess the city’s available fiscal resources and the urgent needs for investments (such as in technological upgrades at City Hall) I cannot commit to an immediate tax cut. That said, the admissions tax, including its impact on smaller operators, certainly needs to be re-assessed along with our overall system of taxation. If we can find better and more equitable ways to generate the revenue needed to move Richmond forward, I will embrace them. Realistically, however, changes of that kind will be something you would see later in the term, not immediately out of the gate.
Michelle Mosby:
Richmond’s 7% admissions tax places significant pressure on smaller arts organizations that are integral to our city’s cultural landscape. This tax affects diverse events like live music, theater, community festivals, and private gatherings, disproportionately impacting local venues operating with limited budgets. While neighboring counties do not impose an admissions tax, Richmond faces specific financial demands, requiring a balance between economic needs and cultural support.
If elected, I will lead a thorough review of the admissions tax in partnership with city council and key stakeholders, assessing its effects on smaller arts venues. We will explore both short-term relief, like a potential tax moratorium, and long-term, equitable solutions that nurture our arts sector sustainably. My administration will work toward a balanced approach that fosters Richmond’s creative community while remaining fiscally responsible.
Maurice Neblett:
Richmond’s smaller arts venues are vital to our culture, yet it’s challenging for them to compete with larger venues exempt from admissions taxes. I support exploring a moratorium on admissions taxes for smaller operators to provide an immediate boost. A business resource center could also help venue owners navigate tax implications and grow their businesses. Given the budget surplus, we can consider a fairer approach that still supports city resources. Pending a thorough audit, I’d also explore reopening the Coliseum, which, with its 13,500-seat capacity, could host larger events, boosting Richmond’s economy and arts.
Harrison Roday:
I am open to studying the admissions tax so that I can better understand the impact it has on smaller operators. I hope that over time, this tax could be reduced or eliminated for small venues. While we have seen budget surpluses, we still have many serious problems that we need to address—from investing in affordable housing and our schools to tackling major infrastructure issues such as the combined sewer overflow—on top of needing to deliver core city services to Richmonders across the city. We need to maximize our resources to invest in these priorities, which—at the end of the day—directly impact these businesses and their employees.
Question two
A “listening bar” envisioned by the owners of the Cobra Cabana restaurant and venue had to wait more than a year for their special use permit to be approved – many point to this as an example of a dysfunctional city process. What specific steps would your administration implement to remove entrepreneurial barriers like this within the community? How will you help streamline the process?
Andreas D. Addison:
The implementation of the Richmond 300 Master Plan outlines a path to create a beautiful, thriving, and vibrant new city. Key to this process is our zoning rewrite which will update our very outdated zoning code. It is my vision that this will remove several of the barriers that exist in our current zoning that create burdensome bureaucratic processes. It will be my focus to not only implement a comprehensive new zoning code but also deliver on the framework of the Richmond 300 Master Plan, this includes streamlining special use permits and other exception processes to allow for creative and new businesses and spaces across our city.
Danny Avula:
Fixing City Hall operations, especially its public-facing operations, is one of my top priorities as mayor. Early in this campaign I released a detailed plan for doing just that. One of the key priorities in this area is revising our cumbersome permitting process. We must improve transparency to the applicant by outlining a clear stepwise process for approval, expected turnaround times for each step, and communicating where in the process an application currently is. This will require improved coordination within City Hall among the various departments that touch the permitting process, and the investment in a tracking system that the applicant can use to see where in the process a particular application is, and that City Hall can use to hold itself accountable.
Michelle Mosby:
Extended-permit wait times pose challenges for Richmond’s small businesses, particularly within our arts and cultural sectors, which add vibrancy to our city. My administration will focus on streamlining Richmond’s permitting process to support these businesses more effectively. Collaborating with city departments and the arts community, we will identify bottlenecks, establish processing timelines, and improve digital access to applications and tracking.
A key reform will be a unified online portal, centralizing permits in one place to reduce delays, eliminate redundancies, and enhance transparency. We’ll implement a fast-track review for businesses aligned with Richmond’s cultural goals, providing clear timelines, automated updates, and pre-application guidance to simplify the process.
Maurice Neblett:
The wait time for a permit shouldn’t be a year—that’s frustrating for local businesses. To streamline this, I’d implement clear timelines and introduce a ‘fast-track’ option for arts and cultural projects. Establishing a business resource center would provide entrepreneurs a one-stop shop for permits, financing, and resources. Expanding Richmond Technical Center would further support hands-on training for entrepreneurs. Richmond should be a city where creativity thrives, and I’d prioritize removing these barriers.
Harrison Roday:
Our goal should be to create an environment where every small business wants to operate and flourish, and that starts with lifting up and supporting small businesses, not overburdening them. Businesses and entrepreneurs rely on the city to follow through on its obligations no matter how big or small. This can range from ensuring that city services and utilities function reliably to delivering exceptional customer service to all Richmonders. But it also means removing unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurship and success. We have to make sure that interfacing with City Hall is easy for businesses, that communications are clear and accurate, and that we are uplifting entrepreneurs.
At the end of the day, in order for Richmond to be a city that works for everyone, we need to build a City Hall that works for everyone. Change management is hard and it starts with the basics: auditing for accountability and goal-setting while working together with our frontline workers. My first action as mayor will be to conduct a top to bottom review of every department with a clear goal: providing results and setting the stage for accountability. Out of this process, we will develop a five-year operating plan for every facet of our government and deliver quarterly progress reports to the public to provide enhanced transparency around performance data.
A crucial part of this review will be to examine the strengths and areas for improvement when it comes to City Hall’s customer service, the delivery of core city services, and operations. In doing so, we will actively engage and partner with our workforce to create the tools, systems, and structure needed to get results. It is vital that we work with our city workforce to identify the challenges they face in their jobs, implement the changes needed to improve City Hall’s efficiency, and meet clearly defined goals and deliver for Richmonders across the city.
Whether it is ensuring the effective delivery of basic city services or strengthening the responsiveness of City Hall to its review of applications and permits, all Richmonders deserve a City Hall that is efficient, transparent, and works for everyone.
Question three
Without affordable housing and studio spaces, artists are leaving Richmond. How will you address the crisis around affordable housing and its tangible effect on the Richmond arts community? Please be specific about the plans you would implement if elected.
Andreas D. Addison:
A key facet of my housing policy is to create a new housing conservancy, based on the model in Washington, DC. This nonprofit will engage with existing landlords and property owners to purchase our existing affordable housing and multi-family units. Their focus is to maintain their current pricing of apartments. Since they are not controlled by federal or state incentives, their ability to invest to preserve our existing affordability will be key. Another vital step would be to create grants for our creative artists and residents to allow them access to capital to open a studio, gallery, or other business with funding assistance to get them started and off the ground to strengthen our arts and culture community across the city.
Danny Avula:
As a 20-year resident of Church Hill, I’ve experienced first-hand the joy of living in a community that’s affordable to people across the socioeconomic spectrum—and I’ve walked with longtime neighbors who were displaced because they can no longer afford to live in the neighborhood they call home. One of the primary reasons I decided to run for mayor is to combat this injustice.
Affordable housing is a vexing issue with many underlying and historically unjust causes that challenge easy solutions, and despite Richmond’s current approach, we are experiencing a deepening housing crisis. We need a comprehensive plan to ensure that Richmond’s communities are a rich tapestry knitted together with a wide diversity of people and families, and this is why one of my cornerstone policy plans is my Plan to Meet Affordable Housing Needs in the City of Richmond.
Here are just a few of my plan’s top-line initiatives to fight our housing crisis through affordable housing:
· Fight displacement of long-term residents and expand the supply of deeply affordable housing for low-income and working residents
· Dedicate significant and ongoing resources to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust, and lead the region to create more housing options—especially long-term affordable units, for every income level
· Break the cycle of evictions that keeps many families locked in poverty by strengthening protections and resources available for our most vulnerable residents
· Commit to sustainable growth that addresses the financial, social, accessibility, and emotional needs of our populations with strong public amenities, like parks, public transit, and safe streets. Prioritize infill development, redeveloping aging commercial areas, and preserving and expanding green spaces—not only for recreation and relaxation but for community resilience.
The Richmond Arts Community is one of the subpopulations we must prioritize housing for, as they make such an important contribution to the City, and we must ensure that artists can flourish here by supporting access to housing and studio space.
Michelle Mosby:
Access to safe, affordable housing is a right for every Richmond resident. As mayor, I am committed to addressing our city’s housing needs, ensuring that families, seniors, young professionals, and artists can find homes within their means. With rising housing costs, Richmond must expand affordable options across all demographics.
I will prioritize initiatives such as the Maggie Walker Land Trust, which I helped establish, to widen access to affordable housing citywide. My administration will also promote mixed-income developments and encourage affordable units in new projects to support our arts community. We’ll pursue artist-specific incentives that maximize state and federal funding, advancing mixed-use affordable housing with creative spaces.
Maurice Neblett:
Artists are essential to Richmond’s identity yet rising housing costs threaten this vibrancy. I’d advocate for affordable homeownership through micro-communities tailored to artists’ needs, providing live-work spaces at accessible prices. Rental caps with income requirements would offer stability for artists and other low-income renters, while a property tax review could make homeownership feasible. A business resource center would guide artists through available resources, and institutions like VMFA, VMHC, and BHMVA would engage as part of a supportive network.
Harrison Roday:
Let’s start with some simple truths. The majority of Richmonders are renters. We don’t spend nearly enough time talking about how to protect those residents who are increasingly being priced out, with many living in poor conditions. A priority for my administration will be to create a tenant advisory board and hold bad actors accountable as well as invest in eviction prevention initiatives.
The rising cost of housing in Richmond is one of our biggest problems. As Richmond grows, we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past and leave members of our community behind. I’ll work with local community leaders and businesses to address the housing crisis facing our community. We have not invested enough in growing the supply of affordable housing – and we can do more than the commitments that have been made in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
My administration will invest $100 million in housing in the next four years. This money will go towards eviction prevention and incentives for the building of new homes that are genuinely affordable. Let’s create a housing fund that attracts hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. This has been done in other cities and we can do it here. We need to financially incentivize the creation of affordable units. There are several existing programs administered by state and local entities to incentivize the creation of affordable units, including the Affordable Housing Performance Grant Program, which is a collaboration between the city and Economic Development Authority. We must continue to leverage these programs as well as create public-private partnerships with flexible capital, including municipal dollars, that support the growth of affordable housing. This has been proven to be successful across the country, and I have seen firsthand that this model works. It’s the model that I used to start the nonprofit Bridging Virginia, which provides long-term loans for small businesses, and it has the potential to attract significant private dollars.
Furthermore, Richmond has a tremendous opportunity to reimagine zoning across the city and make serious progress toward expanding the housing supply. We must use this opportunity to move away from the restrictive, outdated zoning policies that have impeded growth, forced Richmonders to become over-reliant on the special-use permit process, and exacerbated disparities throughout the city. Within this rewrite, we should focus on changes that will increase density around transit corridors and Priority Growth Nodes to facilitate effective economic and housing development in these areas.
Secondly, we need to allow for less-restrictive zoning, such as expanding the zoning of single-family housing to zoning that allows for a greater number of units in places that make sense to balance development with preservation of neighborhood character.
Thirdly, we should find opportunities for more mixed-use developments that align with neighborhood housing, commercial and recreational needs. Throughout all of this, we must continue to engage with the public and ensure Richmonders living in impacted areas of change are part of an open dialogue so that we can simultaneously preserve historical and community character, prevent the displacement of long-term community members, and grow our housing supply. At the end of the day, we can both grow and preserve a neighborhood’s character, because it is a balance, not either or.
Finally, lowering the cost of housing also requires lowering the cost to build. I am committed to improving the performance of City Hall operations and services, particularly when it comes to addressing permitting and inspections. When these processes cause unnecessary delays, it can drive up the costs of projects and make it harder, or even less desirable, to build in Richmond.
Question four
In 2022, the arts community generated $329.9 million in economic activity for the city. Given that fact, several people within the arts community have suggested that the City of Richmond establish an arts and culture czar, a person within the mayor’s office who could help both nonprofit arts organizations and smaller for-profit venues and attractions. Would you support the establishment of such a position and what role would you envision for an arts czar in your administration? If not, why not?
Andreas D. Addison:
Absolutely! A key focus of my administration will be on economic development, which is driven by our strong arts and culture scene. This is a core part of our attraction of people to visit Richmond and we need to be as supportive as possible. Creating an Arts & Culture Czar is a great place to start and will be launched in my Office to create and strengthen our organizations support in a new official capacity that will permanently support our arts and culture community. We need to showcase our amazing public art and create nationally recognized events that bring people from all over the country to see our vibrant creativity.
Danny Avula:
Certainly, the arts are an important component of Richmond’s vibrancy, and I’m committed to helping the arts community continue to thrive. If elected, I plan to convene a diverse working group of leaders and stakeholders from the arts community to help inform and remain in dialogue with me and my administration concerning how best to support the arts, and we will start that dialogue during the transition period.
If those conversations establish the need for a new staff position in City Hall to provide support to the community, then I will make sure to advocate for that. As with any new position there needs to be discussion concerning exactly what the role will entail, and whether the position will be most effective within the mayor’s office or somewhere else in the organization. However that works out, I am committed to being in direct dialogue with the arts community, starting in the transition and throughout my term.
Michelle Mosby:
Richmond’s arts and culture sector is central to our economy and community life. Currently, the city has a public arts coordinator, but establishing an independent, cabinet-level Office of Arts and Culture could further enrich our cultural support. However, first, we must carefully assess the existing role’s responsibilities, limitations and impact.
Through this evaluation, we can ensure consistent, collaborative support for the arts, potentially positioning Richmond as a premier cultural hub. This careful consideration will reinforce the city’s commitment to arts and culture, sustaining their role in Richmond’s growth and community wellbeing.
Maurice Neblett:
An arts and culture czar in the mayor’s office is an excellent idea I fully support. This role aligns with our planned business resource center, providing resources and support to local businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. The arts czar would connect Richmond’s arts community to funding, partnerships, and resources, ensuring representation in city planning. They could lead initiatives like rental support, micro-communities for artists, and advocate for expanding resources at the Richmond Technical Center, supporting both long-standing and emerging artists.
Harrison Roday:
I would support the establishment of a position that is focused on strengthening partnerships between the city and the arts community at large. However, I don’t believe that hiring one person or establishing one position is necessarily the key to affecting sweeping change.
Throughout city government, we need to strengthen a culture that is focused on the arts as a very central aspect of Richmond’s culture, and look for opportunities across departments, initiatives, and programming to partner with the arts community, address its concerns, and advance the arts and culture scene. So, while I think designating an arts and culture czar would be a positive step forward and would allow someone to be consistently focused on how to best support the arts community across city departments, our priority should be to instill a culture of uplifting the arts and recognizing the cultural importance of the arts and its economic impact across all of city government.
Question five
The mandated percent for arts funding that allocates 1% for the arts from CIP projects over $250,000 has not adhered to the 1% allocation and has instead been given a flat amount for the next 5 fiscal years, according to the adopted FY 25 budget. What would you do as mayor to ensure the correct amount is allocated in the budget each year and to ensure that this money is not taken away (as it was in 2018 by council)?
Andreas D. Addison:
My administration will explore ways to implement national best practices to support more public art and funding. We will also explore ways in which to identify new spaces, places, and opportunities to showcase our artists’ work and make Richmond a destination for people to explore our city’s creative expression of art. It will be my goal as mayor to create a strong pipeline of public art projects that support all types and sizes of art all over the city. Let’s not just focus on the 1%, let’s think as big as we can about how to best showcase our artists and find creative ways to best support their creativity.
Danny Avula:
I support the 1% arts mandate for CIP projects over $250,000 as specified in the Public Art Commission’s Percent-for-Art Program, so I would restore that practice going forward in budgets that I submit to city council. Since council holds final say in ratifying budgets, the mayor cannot literally “ensure” that the money is not taken away by council; what I can ensure is that I will advocate for the proper arts and culture funding during the process, emphasizing the economic and quality-of-life benefits that our arts and culture sector brings to Richmond.
Michelle Mosby:
The 1% Capital Improvement Project (CIP) allocation for arts funding is crucial to Richmond’s cultural vitality. As mayor, I will advocate for this commitment, collaborating with city council and finance officials to secure funding through each budget cycle. Transparency in fund allocation will be key, allowing residents to see how these resources support arts projects across the city.
My administration will ensure that the Public Arts Commission aligns with the Public Art Master Plan, reflecting our community’s diversity and goals. We will streamline processes, reinforce CIP funding, and seek additional investments through public-private partnerships, like the Diamond project.
Maurice Neblett:
Maintaining the 1% arts funding is essential for Richmond’s creative community. I’d work to guarantee this percentage is consistently honored, avoiding reallocation. With community support, like the Richmond Technical Center’s work in training creatives and developing micro-communities for affordable artist housing, our arts sector would thrive. Reliable funding ensures growth in our arts education, infrastructure, and economy.
Harrison Roday:
A budget is an affirmative statement of our priorities, and I am committed to following through on the percent for arts funding as it is mandated in our code. As mayor, I will allocate the correct amount in my introduced budget and will work with the City Council to ensure that it is included in the final budget. The arts are a central part of what makes Richmond such an incredible city, and we do ourselves a disservice when we do not fully support opportunities for it to flourish.
Question six
Arlington, like other cities, has a requirement for developers to contribute to a Public Art fund that supplements city funds for the arts. Would you consider a requirement or incentive for developers to help fund arts and culture?
Andreas D. Addison:
Yes. Arlington has several programs and initiatives that are directly supportive of public art and affordable housing. My vision to implement the Richmond 300 Master Plan is to create Revitalization Zones for each of the priority growth nodes that will allow for the city to focus key outcomes in each new neighborhood. Each priority growth node will need green space, parks, public art, and more. Planning for these new spaces and places will be vital to include funding and locations. As new development and investments are made in each area, funding will be directly allocated towards funding public art and supporting our new green spaces. Let’s create and build a beautiful new thriving neighborhoods across this city together.
Danny Avula:
Yes, I would strongly consider this. As someone with a long history of crafting effective solutions through collaborative processes, I would prefer to pursue the “incentive” route as opposed to the “mandate” route, including both artists and developers to create a policy that has the best chance of success.
Michelle Mosby:
Arts and culture play a vital role in Richmond’s appeal, and public-private partnerships can broaden their impact. I am dedicated to fostering collaborative opportunities that support the arts, particularly with developers and local stakeholders. Cities like Arlington have successfully integrated developer contributions into arts funding, and Richmond can explore adopting a similar strategy.
However, we must balance the needs of the arts community with development interests. By working with city council and engaging developers, we can craft policies that promote fairness and feasibility.
Maurice Neblett:
Yes, I would support policies that encourage developer contributions to Richmond’s arts and culture, through either a public art fund or incentives for affordable artist housing in new developments. With developer contributions, we could support micro-community initiatives, establish fair rental terms, and potentially reduce property taxes in select zones, making Richmond a vibrant hub for art and culture, where the arts and business sectors work hand-in-hand to benefit the community.
Harrison Roday:
I would certainly consider an incentive for developers to fund arts and culture in order to better meet the funding needs for public art. The impact of the arts on Richmond’s culture, character, and economy are profound, and we should embrace opportunities to increase the available funds for the arts.