People of Richmond: What would you do if elected to City Council?
on October 24, 2024
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity.
Q: If you were on Richmond City Council, what one thing would you try to change or improve?
Lyz Luke
“If there’s one thing I could change about City Council, it’s how they fund the arts in the city of Richmond. I run a nonprofit, and we do a ton of great public performances in Oakland, but I can’t bring those performances to Richmond because there’s just not funding for it. There’s no grants available. We are in 11 schools in the city of Richmond, but we don’t have any public performances.”
Janet Johnson
“I would improve Carlson Boulevard. I would prioritize traffic calming measures on Carlson because people die there. … The speed limit is 30 and people do 55. And it’s very dangerous to cross. … I live in the Annex and this has been a concern in the Annex for, I want to say at least 20 years.”
Christie Look
“I would like the police to be more interactive with the neighbors. … There was a concerted effort here about 20 years ago to do that, to do more community policing, and I don’t know if it’s still happening.”
LaMarla Guillory
“I would try to improve economic development. I think being in District 1 and having a business myself and working with a lot of entrepreneurs, I think economic development and working with entrepreneurs is important, so that people will want to start their businesses and keep their businesses in Richmond, and figure out how to go from there.”
Wesley Alexander
“Prioritization of business development in the communities, primarily the Black and brown in the highest numbers, to ensure that 1) people are encouraged to start their businesses and establish business here. But also to attract the financial resources that are necessary for small businesses to grow in scale, so that they can be the solutions to workforce development opportunities, internships, apprenticeships.”
Karen Schell
“Homelessness, that’s a biggie, that and crime. Those are the only two things that I’m really upset about around here. Everything else is improving.”
Miracle Williams
“I would clean up the streets, like all of the trash and stuff. Just mainly help the homeless people, like build another shelter or something. Have more government programs.”
Marilyn Langlois
“Looking at the most vulnerable people in our community and addressing the issue of the unhoused. And I know that there have been a lot of good initiatives happening already, but I would want to continue and build on that, expand the collaborations to address the issue of the unhoused people who have no place to live.”
Cordell Hindler
“One thing is reducing the crime rate. … We need some good officers that are fully trained in dealing with conflict.”
Clarence Ware
“I would like to see more support for small mom-and-pop landlords, as the current system largely favors tenants, even when they’re in the wrong. Many landlords are pulling out of the market because tenants abuse the system.”
Giorig Buggs
“If I were on Richmond City Council, one thing I’d focus on is creating more and more programs for at-risk youth, especially those without fathers at home or who are dealing with homelessness. By giving them programs that show them a different path, they’d be more successful. If we don’t, what else do they have to turn to but the streets?”
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