RICHMOND, Va. — Since the water crisis began less than a week after former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney’s term ended, some CBS 6 viewers have asked why we haven’t questioned him about it.
The answer is: we have. Stoney, who is currently running for lieutenant governor of Virginia, has declined our multiple requests for interviews.
CBS 6 started asking Stoney’s campaign manager for interviews on Jan. 13. We asked again on Jan. 15, Feb. 28 and March 4.
Some of the topics we’re interested in discussing with Stoney are:
- Requests for project bids to make improvements at the water plant that were not completed during his term.
- The resignation of the former DPU director April Bingham, an appointment from his administration.
- A report that found systemic issues within DPU related to training failures and preventative maintenance failures, which some council members have said likely date back many years.
On March 5, Stoney’s campaign manager Zach Marcus told us he wasn’t sure they’d have time to talk about the water crisis. We asked if that meant he won’t ever have time and Marcus said, “Not any time in the near future.”
Marcus shared a statement that says:
“Budgets Mayor Stoney proposed and city council adopted included funding for needed maintenance updates to the century old water plant. For example, his last budget (FY 2025) included more than $13.2 million in the CIP budget for the water plant for fiscal years 2025-2029, in addition to other public utilities projects. The FY 2024 budget included $56.6 million for the water plant. That said, the mayor did not and would not be involved in any procurement decision per the Virginia Public Procurement Act. Ultimately, solutions for aging water infrastructure throughout our Commonwealth will require real, sustained federal and state investment in addition to local and regional partnerships.”
Marcus added that Stoney was no longer in office on Jan. 6, so he has no knowledge of the events or decision making of city officials other than what has been publicly reported.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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