The questions below were sent to each candidate competing in the race for City Council.
Nicole Jones
What does your district need most right now — and how will you help?
What my district most needs right now is thoughtful policies that can unlock the potential of the 9th to encourage the growth of affordable housing, new business and jobs, and safe infrastructure to create a quality of life that supports the health and well being of our residents.
How will you engage your constituents on policy issues?
Through continuing outreach through monthly district meetings, policy focused meetings with other residents and city leaders, and my district newsletter. I will continue to find innovative ways to bring together 9th district residents for not only updates on policy issues but also to be together and build community amongst each other.
What's your top citywide priority?
When I am talking to residents the constant thing I hear revolves around public safety. That takes shape in many forms from safe roads and intersections, gun violence prevention, and mental health. My priority is to look at how we can take a creative, holistic approach at how we continue to provide and increase interwoven services and interventions that keep residents safe.
How can you help restore trust in the city and its services?
The best way to support the restoration of trust is to first acknowledge the issues that our residents have shared with us are real and have an impact on their quality of life. The next step is to create pathways for residents to be heard and issues to be addressed efficiently.
What steps can council take to ensure more affordable housing — not just publicly subsidized housing — is accessible to residents?
We must continue to take bold action to preserve our current inventory of units, induce the development of new units, and ensure that we maintain affordability and reduce the number of evictions. This can be accomplished by partnering with our Richmond Delegation of the General Assembly to enhance the tools available to the City to develop affordable housing incentives including; performance grant agreements, working with Virginia Housing on programs and tax incentives for apartment preservation projects, and creating pipelines to affordable homeownership with local partners through the City of Richmond's Department of Housing and Community Development's entitlement programs.
What's your perspective on term limits for council representatives?
I am open to exploring term limits by looking at other cities that have implemented them on their city councils. From there we can bring information to our constituents to work together and make an informed decision.
Stephanie Starling
What does your district need most right now — and how will you help?
For decades, the 9th District has been a symbol of unmet needs within the city. Improving infrastructure, particularly in transportation, public services, and truly affordable housing are things I see are needed in my district right now. I am committed to working tirelessly with local officials and community leaders to advocate for funding and resources to address these needs. I will also prioritize working with stakeholders to develop long-term solutions that will benefit the entire community and not just a select few. Additionally, I will make sure every voice in the district is heard and constituent concerns are addressed through meaningful policies that will improve our overall quality of life. My goal is to transform the 9th District into a place where affordable living and accessible services are available to all residents regardless of transportation challenges.
How will you engage your constituents on policy issues?
I will actively involve constituents in policy discussions by hosting monthly town hall meetings and outreach. The 9th district is a highly diverse community where residents often feel marginalized in decision-making processes. To address this, I will establish and maintain open lines of communication with residents through various social media platform. Additionally, I will utilize the district’s website and email notifications to share information with residents about policy matters before council. It is my belief that community input is vital in shaping decisions that impact our district. Therefore, I am committed to ensuring that residents have several opportunities to voice their opinions and concerns on important issues during council and other meetings.
What's your top citywide priority?
My top citywide priority is to address the affordable housing and homelessness crises we are currently facing. I strongly believe that everyone deserves access to safe and affordable housing, and it is imperative that we tackle the issue of homelessness in the process.
How can you help restore trust in the city and its services?
To help restore trust in the city and its services, we must establish a culture of transparency and accountability. I am committed to ensuring that information regarding city decisions, expenditures, and policies are readily accessible to the public. I will actively challenge any attempts to deny constituents’ access to information on how their tax dollars are being utilized. This includes publishing meeting minutes, budget information, and other key documents on the city’s website. Moreover, I will hold myself and fellow council members responsible for their actions and choices while serving in their elected capacity. I will continue to lead by example and demonstrate a commitment to ethical behavior in all aspects of my role as a city council member.
What steps can council take to ensure more affordable housing — not just publicly subsidized housing — is accessible to residents?
To ensure that more affordable housing options are accessible beyond publicly subsidized housing, council must implement policies and programs such as expedited permitting and tax incentives to encourage developers to include affordable housing units in their projects. In addition, a comprehensive review of the zoning processes is necessary to update them to make it easier and cost-effective for developers to build affordable housing, especially considering that our current regulations date back to 1976. While Special Use Permits may offer a quick solution for developers to initiate construction based on specific parameters, they should not serve as a long-term fix. City Council should set limits for their use to prevent them from remaining a permanent feature of the land-use process.
What's your perspective on term limits for council representatives?
In any elected position, I believe term limits are necessary to encourage new viewpoints and prevent career politicians from becoming entrenched in their positions. Like mayor, city council should also have 2-term limits in our form of government so a diverse group of candidates are able to run for office during each four-year period. This will enable a wider pool of candidates to run for office and increase each district’s diverse representation on council.
