significant event occurred when the
council hired someone who was not educated or trained as a
local government manager to serve in that capacity. He
replaced a top pro who was contentious and cranky, but who has
followed his tenure in Richmond with other top placements in
the country. What has followed is a sea change in city
leadership, an overhaul of the top layers of administration,
and a series of embarrassments and illegalities that many
believe led to the voters of Richmond last fall to pass by 80
percent a referendum asking to change their charter to allow a
strong mayor as opposed to city manager/council form of
government. The legislature approved this change.
One of the persons involved in that referendum movement
may very well become the next mayor of Richmond. He is
the grandson of slaves, the first African American Governor of
any state in this country, and a former legislator and state
legislator. The Honorable L. Douglas Wilder is giving the
Richmond political establishment a run for their money.
While this is news to Richmond politics, we cannot stress
this enough: it should resonate with local government
managers
Could the man in the middle become
Richmond’s new popularly elected mayor? If so, how
could this historic election change local government in
Virginia as we know it? From (l to r), Chesterfield Board
of Supervisor Dickie King, former Governor Doug Wilder, and VR
Publisher Roger Habeck compared notes on the region at a recent
event.
