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Mayor to deliver State of the City address Feb. 11

Jeremy M. Lazarus | 2/11/2021, 6 p.m.
First, let’s get the vaccine out to everyone so we can get rid of the virus and the disruption it ...
Mayor Stoney

First, let’s get the vaccine out to everyone so we can get rid of the virus and the disruption it has caused.

Then, let’s craft a recovery that promotes healing and unity and pursues social and economic equity.

That’s the message Mayor Levar M. Stoney plans to deliver in his State of the City address, the first of his second term, according to a City Hall official who spoke with the Free Press on the condition of anonymity.

Now fully recovered from his personal battle with COVID-19, Mayor Stoney is scheduled to deliver the virtual address 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. His speech also can be viewed on the city’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The mayor was scheduled to deliver his address late last month but had to postpone it when he tested positive for the coronavirus and had to go into a 14-day isolation.

According to the official, the mayor will emphasize that the pandemic remains the city’s top priority and that the current focus is on ensuring that vaccines are available in every part of the city as well as assisting residents and businesses while the pandemic continues.

The mayor also will call attention to the city’s coming ef- forts to ensure that Richmond recovers the right way, with an emphasis on equity, the official said. That will include plans to improve accessibility to public transit and to tackle climate change, the official said.

The official said the mayor also will announce the creation of a City Hall office of public engagement to improve the city’s outreach to residents. The goal will be to increase opportunities for citizens to weigh in on everything from police reform to city services, job creation, police-community relationships and affordable housing development, the official said.

The official said the mayor views this speech as an important platform through which to deliver a message of hope and to an- nounce actions that show the city has learned from the pandemic and the calls for racial justice.