Richmond Council Divided Over Spending on Chevron Settlement Funds

Richmond City Council members clashed with outgoing City Manager Shasa Curl over budget concerns. The city's finance staff warned that overspending on daily operations could deplete the Chevron settlement funds, which total $550 million.

Curl said that the city can't confirm how much of the settlement will be available for discretionary spending due to potential use in closing a budget gap.

The council ultimately voted 4-1 to continue community engagement discussions for the project. However, they also approved 55 council-directed projects without pausing any, and instructed staff to come back with a prioritization plan later this year.