RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT)—In a unanimous decision, all nine city council members voted to approve RVA Stay, a tax relief program targeted to help those in most need.
“I am grateful to the team here at city hall, led by CAO Lincoln Saunders, who were very innovative in creating some financial solutions to our ongoing housing crisis right here in the city,” Mayor Stoney said in a press conference Wednesday.
The program is designed to freeze real estate taxes for seniors and those permanently disabled, give $200 per month for 6 months to residents spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs and give a one-time four-cent rebate to those who own a home.
However, this plan isn’t good enough for some city council members. Reva Trammell, representing the 8th voter district, passionately fought to pass a permanent four-cent tax cut. Believing the RVA Stay plan would only provide Richmond residents with temporary relief. Several of her colleagues agreed,
“I, too, have heard the grief and frustration of homeowners here in our city,” said Vice President Ann-Frances Lambert. “They want some relief.”
“There are 3,000 people that are six months delinquent in their real estate taxes,” said 6th voter representative Ellen Robertson, “So in the next six months, we could lose 3,000 homeowners due to tax delinquency.”
CAO Lincoln Saunders explained why he believed the RVA Stay was better than permanently cutting taxes by four cents. He said the targeted approach would help more Richmond residents and keep the city financially responsible.
After much debate, council members voted on the permanent tax cut; however, the measure failed in a 5-4 vote.
If you need relief and want to know your eligibility, click here to learn more.
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Read More: Mayor Stoney applauds approval of real estate tax relief plan
