All Access

Richmond city spokesperson Petula Burks abruptly resigned Monday evening, 30 months after being hired to lead a communications and community engagement office created by Mayor Levar Stoney. In an email to the city’s executive team provided to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders said Burks had “decided to pursue other opportunities.” The resignation announcement came as The Times-Dispatch raised questions regarding the use of Burks’ purchasing card to obtain nearly $100,000 worth of services from consulting and advertising firms operated by her former business partner. Burks is also named in a $250,000 whistleblower lawsuit by Connie Clay, who was dismissed in January as the city’s Freedom of Information Act officer. Clay said in her court filing that the city’s “process for handling FOIA requests was chaotic and mismanaged” when she was hired and that Burks told her to “withhold information” when responding to filings.

A Lynchburg school board member who was recently reappointed for his third term by the Lynchburg City Council has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to city council campaigns over the past two years, both personally and through his company. Atul Gupta, who served as chairman of the board for the fiscal year ending June 30, has contributed more than $40,000 to city council campaigns in his own name and through his business since 2022, according to campaign finance records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Most school boards in Virginia are elected. Among the 12 school divisions that had at least some appointed board members for the year ending June 30 — which include Roanoke, Salem, Galax, Martinsville and Lexington — VPAP records show only a handful of members who have made recent contributions to state or local political campaigns.

At picnic benches in a South Side art studio, dozens of community leaders and activists met Friday afternoon to brainstorm how $3 million of city funds should be allocated. The meeting is one of many scheduled following the launch of the Richmond People’s Budget, which will see each city district receive $200,000 apiece to go toward projects directly pitched and voted on by residents and an additional $1.2 million to be spent in communities with greater need.

The Roanoke City Council on Monday voted to nearly double the salaries for the next mayor and council. The General Assembly in April granted cities the size of Roanoke the ability to increase annual salaries for mayors and city council members to $47,000 for the mayor, and $43,000 for council members. There was some dissension among council members as to whether a public hearing should have been held. Technically, it is legal for cities to approve such ordinances without a public hearing, city attorney Tim Spencer said. The law itself only says that counties cannot pass ordinances without prior notice and a public hearing, and makes no mention of cities. Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said Roanoke’s decision to move forward without a public hearing makes the decision seem “sneaky,” considering that it “directly affects the pocketbooks of the citizens.” “Nobody is saying you don’t deserve or need a raise,” Rhyne said. “I’m just saying it impacts the budget, which impacts the public.”

After an hour of testimony from six witnesses, Judge Gene Woolard dismissed a misdemeanor assault and battery charge against Spotsylvania County School Board member Nicole Cole in Spotsylvania General District Court on Monday morning. Cole was accused of slamming a door into the shoulder of fellow board member Lisa Phelps during a May 20 meeting and extending her leg to cause Phelps to trip. The incident stemmed from a closed session portion of the meeting. Cole, who is the vice chair, was serving as the chair because Lorita Daniels had not yet arrived. The board was entering closed session to discuss a reprimand of Phelps that was approved during a previous meeting. It was overturned that night. Woolard, who is a visiting judge from Virginia Beach, entered the trial with no knowledge of the school board or its well-documented issues but said it is apparent there is hostility. “Chaos is a good word,” he said. Woolard compared the case to domestic issues he often encounters in the courtroom. He said he always reminds parents with children that the kids should be the primary focus.