Vinay Pimple, City Council Candidate

Vinay Pimple was born in Mumbai, India, but moved to New Jersey in 1993 to pursue a PhD in English Literature with a focus on women’s studies at Rutgers. He moved to Richmond in 2010.

Pimple, 50, was appointed to Richmond City Council in 2015, soon after receiving his U.S. citizenship, to fill a vacancy made when Tom Butt was elected mayor. He wasn’t re-elected for the spot during the 2016 election, but says on his campaign website that his brief time on the council was “one of the most phenomenal experiences of my life.”

A lawyer and software engineer, Pimple is focused on numbers. A main issue for him is the city’s finances.

“We can’t deliver services like better community policing, code enforcement, clean and safe parks, better streets, etc. without sound finances,” he said.

Pimple regrets that in 2015 he didn’t “convince the rest of the council to pass a balanced budget, and issue a financial forecast,” which he attributes to Moody’s downgrading of the city’s credit rating, which raised its interest rates on debt. After the downgrade, though, he was able to convince the council of the seriousness of the city’s financial issues, which he claims led to a balanced budget in 2016.

He is also proud of supporting the Richmond Promise, a scholarship fund that gives up to $1,500 per year to Richmond students pursuing college education. Pimple says the program creates a college-going culture in Richmond, but notes that only one-third of eligible students use the scholarship. He aims to improve community outreach for the program if elected.

Going forward, Pimple wants to limit city expenses and raise its revenue by encouraging economic development. He’s primarily focused on the potential development of Hilltop Mall into housing units. “I will leverage this development for good jobs, increased revenue, and for housing for all income levels,” he said. Pimple says he will also strengthen Richmond Works, a job training program, to help residents become competitive in sectors like construction.

Pimple said his favorite part of Richmond is the city’s culture of volunteerism, but he wants to encourage even more residents to increase their community service. He is proud of his own time volunteering with Richmond Trees and the Richmond Museum Association, along with the teaching he does for Writer Coach Connection.