Welcome to Thursday! Governor Northam is expected to announce new restrictions today to try and curb the rise in COVID-19 cases across Virginia. It is still unclear what those restrictions will be.
You can also take a deep dive through some of Petersburg’s rough travels since 2016. The city was on the verge of bankruptcy before slowly digging out of the hole. Many residents in the city today are still not happy with the lack of oversight from state leaders.
Plus there is a lot of news related to the Gubernatorial race! Read more below:
As Petersburg tries to move forward, residents want more accountability – Virginia Scope
Meanwhile, Petersburg residents say they feel unheard and overlooked. “We don’t care nearly as much about yet another rule broken by ‘bad boy’ Fighting Joe as we do about getting even a spoonful of attention to the many Petersburg problems that have been referred to the state judicial establishment over the past 5 years,” said Barb Rudolph, a community activist in Petersburg. “Whether it’s Petersburg, Chesterfield, Richmond, or New Kent, Commonwealth’s Attorneys are state-funded, constitutional officers and the conduit to the investigative firepower of the Virginia State Police. No one outside of here seems to really want to turn over all of the slimy rocks in Petersburg.”
Petersburg has experienced a tumultuous ride in the last five years. The city teetered on the brink of bankruptcy in 2016 before bringing in outside consultants, the Robert Bobb Group, to help the city recover. At the time, the city was facing over $18 million in bills and their budget was experiencing a $12 million shortfall. The city manager Steve at the time, William Johnson, was facing sharp scrutiny and calls for his resignation for allowing the city to reach such a low point financially.
State GOP leaders fear Chase might be face of the party – Virginia Mercury
By Roger Chesley
It’s obvious the state Republican Party has little faith the bulk of its followers will — as the saying goes — “do the right thing.”
Why else would the leadership get twisted up in knots during debate about its gubernatorial nominating process for 2021, all so it could hamper state Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Trumpville?
McAuliffe launches campaign for governor at Richmond public school, pledges $2B per year for education – Richmond Times-Dispatch
by Mel Leonor
Outside Richmond’s Miles Jerome Jones Elementary School during a chilly fall morning, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced he would seek another term, promising “big, bold” plans to rescue the state from its pandemic perils.
The first of those plans is anchored on education and McAuliffe announced it at a Richmond public school. He pledged to champion a $2 billion per year investment in education if elected governor, to boost teacher pay and address inequities.
Former state Sen. Bill Carrico of Grayson County opts not to run for governor, endorses Del. Kirk Cox – Roanoke Times
by Amy Friedenberger
Bill Carrico, a former state senator from Grayson County, said Wednesday he will not run for governor and is backing former Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox.
Carrico, a former Virginia State Police trooper, announced his endorsement along with an intent to rally support for Cox’s plan he rolled out focused on public safety, which includes raises for law enforcement.
Del. Lee Carter, the General Assembly’s lone elected Democratic Socialist, preps potential gubernatorial campaign – Virginia Mercury
by Ned Oliver
Del. Lee Carter, D-Manassas, filed paperwork this week establishing a fundraising committee for a gubernatorial campaign, but says he’s not yet decided whether he’ll enter the race.
“I’ve still not 100-percent made a decision as to where or not I’m running, but I did go ahead and file that paperwork — just because we need to keep that option open,” Carter said, citing the looming General Assembly session and a ban on fundraising by members while the body is meeting. “If I don’t do it now, a lot of admin stuff would have to wait until after the legislative session.”
Northam’s endorsement in the primary would be big for candidates – Virginia Scope
After talking to multiple people with knowledge of the information, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has become a highly sought-after endorsement for 2021 Gubernatorial candidates. According to sources, the Governor’s approval rating among Democratic primary voters is very high, surpassing 90%, with favorability numbers just a few points lower.
“After Trump, it seems that now, more than ever, partisans are happy to forgive ‘their guys’ if they deliver on policies and political victories,” said Richard Meagher, Associate Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College. “Still, Northam has always been a beneficiary of the increasingly blue demographics of the state, as well as the anti-Trump wave that has driven Democratic activism and turnout over the past few years.”
Charlottesville selects firm to lead city manager search – Daily Progress
by Nolan Stout
Charlottesville has selected a firm to lead the search for its next city manager. The city signed the $42,500 contract with Ralph Andersen & Associates of Rocklin, California, on Wednesday.
The firm will lead the search for a successor to former City Manager Tarron Richardson, whose tenure ended on Sept. 30 after he and the City Council mutually agreed to part ways. He received a lump-sum severance payout of $205,000, equivalent to one year’s salary, and will have city health insurance for another year, unless he finds another job in that time.
In Chesterfield state of county address, Administrator Joe Casey touts business success despite COVID – Richmond Times-Dispatch
By Jessica Nocera
Priding itself as a “business friendly environment,” the annual Chesterfield State of County Address recalled how the locality supported businesses when the coronavirus pandemic hit Virginia.
The county turned “its focus to safely reopen where and whenever possible,” during conversations with business leaders to be able to support them, County Administrator Joe Casey said during the address Wednesday night.
Developers say Virginia Beach Convention Center is missing something: A hotel next door – Virginian-Pilot
by Alissa Skelton
Private developers would like to partner with the city to build a hotel, apartments and a parking garage next door to the convention center near the Oceanfront.
C. Torrey Breeden, executive vice president of Breeden Investment Properties, and Norman Jenkins, president of Capstone Development, proposed building a hotel with 250 or more rooms on land located on the east side of the convention center between 19th and 21st Streets, and Cypress and Parks Avenues.
Virginia Scope is an independent news publication that is funded largely by donations and subscribers. As local newsrooms are losing writers each day, we are trying to fill the void to ensure that the public is informed and that leaders are held accountable for their actions.