It will take an extra $19 a year tacked onto Richmond property owners’ tax bills to help keep the city in compliance with federal and state clean water regulations.
So say Contra County officials, whose new fee plan the Richmond City Council endorsed this week. Officials say the county needs to nearly double the amount of money it’s collecting, totaling an extra $12-$15 million annually, to stay in compliance with federal and state stormwater runoff regulations.
Thirteen Contra Costa County cities participated in the third annual Mayors’ Healthy Cook-Off on Saturday in Clayton. The event encourages friendly competition and is a way for area cities to show their commitment to healthy eating.
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Police Chief Chris Magnus pledged Tuesday to crack down on any banks that are neglecting foreclosed properties in the city. And they said they’ll push harder to enforce a city ordinance that fines banks $1,000 a day for vacant properties with code violations. At a meeting at the Nevin Community Center, Magnus said empty, foreclosed houses have become havens for crime and that the banks and mortgage companies that own them are deliberately obscuring their…