Joel Umanzor

1 week ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

The Richmond City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved giving the Pogo Park group $3 million to help finish their Harbour 8 project, but the decision didn’t come easily. There was a tense discussion of whether the city should help pay for it and what the funding conditions should be.

2 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

Edgar Rosales couldn’t believe what his family member was telling him. Rosales, a Richmond native, had just moved back to the East Bay in 2022 after working at the U.S. House of Representatives and state Assembly. He checked in with a relative, an undocumented Richmond woman who told him she was happy just to have a job.

2 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

After a week of unrest over federal raids in Southern California and ICE arrests that shut down immigration courts Tuesday in Concord and San Francisco, immigrant communities in Contra Costa County are bracing for what might happen next. Tensions are high as Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump square off over the deployment of the National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles. The state has filed a lawsuit contending that the deployment is unconstitutional, and a hearing is set for Thursday.

3 weeks ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

How will Richmond spend an additional $50 million in revenue — a boost mostly coming from its first Chevron settlement payment? The answer depends on the decisions Richmond city officials will make as they start reviewing the city’s proposed $644 million 2025-26 budget on Tuesday amid looming federal funding threats. The proposed budget includes $257.7 million in general fund expenses, a 3.4% decrease from the current year, while revenues are projected to increase 22.3% to $306.2 million.

1 month ago | richmondside.org | Joel Umanzor

Controversy continues to surround Richmond’s Community Police Review Commission (CPRC) amidst its efforts to strengthen its oversight of the police department. On Tuesday the council will consider a proposal to investigate past allegations of misconduct. During the May 6 Richmond City Council meeting, Mayor Eduardo Martinez’s effort to form an ad hoc committee to review 13 recommendations by the CPRC was rejected by the council.