Nicole Jones was appointed in December by Richmond’s Metropolis Council to fill its ninth District seat, which was vacated by Michael J. Jones (no relation) upon his election to the 77th District seat within the Virginia Home of Delegates. Jones, a New York native and a Richmond resident for greater than 20 years, will function an interim council member by Dec. 31. She was beforehand a member of the Richmond Metropolis College Board, the place she had served since 2021. The brand new councilmember talks right here about her background and what she hopes to realize throughout her time period.
Richmond journal: What led you to becoming a member of the Richmond Metropolis Council?
Nicole Jones: I’m a longtime resident of Richmond’s ninth District and a nonprofit govt for ART 180, an area group that promotes the humanities for younger individuals in Richmond. I’m additionally the proud mom of two Richmond Public Faculties graduates, which led to my involvement within the parent-teacher affiliation and finally to function the ninth District College Board consultant.
RM: Are you able to describe your philosophy on management?
Jones: I imagine within the energy of listening deliberately to those that I serve and welcoming new methods of approaching the issues of the day. In my time as a nonprofit govt and as a group chief, I’ve discovered that creating this supportive surroundings and house for the contribution of others empowers them to faucet into their management potential as we work towards the shared objective of bettering our communities. I plan on bringing this spirit of participative management into my position as a council member.
RM: Having served as a college board member, how do you need to enhance faculties?
Jones: I perceive deeply the significance of investing in our faculties. I sit up for the upcoming price range season and dealing to make sure that our faculties are totally funded. I additionally sit up for working with the incoming College Board member on artistic options for the ninth District group.
RM: What do you hope to realize throughout your time on the council?
Jones: The ninth District is an extremely numerous part of town with equally numerous wants. I goal to create an surroundings of citizen empowerment for all residents and to work collaboratively with the administration to fulfill their wants. I may even use my expertise as a confirmed changemaker and consensus builder to work to deal with urgent points current throughout town however more and more so within the ninth District, resembling pace mitigation, deconcentration of poverty, infrastructure enchancment, inexpensive housing and actions for younger residents.
RM: What particular issues do younger residents face, and the way do you intend to repair them?
Jones: I imagine that the issues of the younger residents of the ninth District stem from the consequences of poverty. It’s clear that we’re all experiencing the stretch of inflation and monetary stressors. Dad and mom are having to work a number of jobs to make ends meet. No little one ought to need to marvel the place their subsequent meal is coming from or face the specter of experiencing homelessness, but for a lot of younger residents throughout town and on the South Aspect, that is very a lot a actuality. How can anybody moderately count on a pupil to achieve success at school with so many exterior stressors weighing on their minds?
My objective is to be a conduit for all residents of the ninth District to make sure that they’re nicely linked to the assets obtainable to them. In the course of the upcoming price range season, I plan on working with my colleagues to ensure that our metropolis price range continues to completely fund Richmond Public Faculties.
I additionally sit up for working with the Division of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Amenities to develop low-cost programming that can present younger individuals with a artistic outlet. Moreover, I sit up for working with native builders to ask not solely inexpensive housing into the ninth District but in addition quite a lot of financial growth initiatives.
RM: Richmond restaurant homeowners have been concerned in a years-long forwards and backwards with town’s finance division over meals tax funds. Do you’ve any plans to deal with meals tax points and make the modifications restaurant homeowners are in search of?
Jones: Small companies and eating places are the spine of town, and the cases of inconsistent or unclear communication relating to how town points tax payments are regarding. We ought to be doing all that we will to make sure that Richmond continues to develop as a major vacation spot for eating places and all method of companies. I’m assured that the administration is working diligently on this matter, and I sit up for working collaboratively on an answer for future tax payments and serving to those that are at present going through late-payment charges.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.