That part of Thompson, Thompson Street all the way from Ellwood to Monument Ave. is a nightmare. It's such a high traffic area due to the I-195 to 95/64 on-ramp and the ramp just around the corner on Cary for the Powhite. Why isn't it a priority for repaving?

-- C

Jemila M. Woodson, public information assistant for the City of Richmond Department of Public Works, answers:

Considering this is a high traffic area, it is definitely priority for repaving and other maintenance improvements. One improvement in particular is the current utility work along Thompson Street. Crews are performing work on a water valve box and gas line renewal that is expected to be completed within the next few months. Both Cary Street and Thompson Street will be resurfaced when these projects are completed.

Why does Richmond / Henrico reuse street names? Just North of the Richmond border off of Brook road exists another Chamberlayne Ave and Seminary Ave. The problem is some of the house numbers for this Chamberlayne Ave fit into the numbering scheme for the Route 301 Chamberlayne Ave.

This is a major problem for USPS mail delivery, UPS and FedEx and other delivery people. I constantly get the wrong mail and FedEx can not find the "other" Chamberlayne to save their lives. I would hate to think that emergency vehicles (fire and rescue) would have a call on Chamberlayne Ave and report to the wrong road. This is a MAJOR problem that needs to be taken care of. How about "Old Chamberlayne Ave?"

-- Old Chamberlyne

Tim Foster, assistant director of Henrico County Department of Public Works, answers:

In August 1985 the County of Henrico adopted the County Ordinance for Street Names and Property Addresses. Subsequently, all new street names must be approved by the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, which acts as a clearinghouse for this information. The RRPDC ensures that there are no new street name duplications in the Richmond metropolitan area (that includes Charles City, Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland, New Kent and Powhatan Counties, the City of Richmond and the Town of Ashland.)

Similarities in street names do occur because prior to 1985, there was no formal coordination between the city and county. So, it is imperative that home owners use the correct suffix for their street. In the example given by the writer, they note the confusion with Chamberlayne Avenue.

The writer indicates that it runs through the City as Chamberlayne Avenue and continues as it enters the County. Chamberlayne Avenue actually terminates at the city/county line. Route 301 in the County is named Chamberlayne ROAD. However, a Chamberlayne Avenue does exist in the County, east of Brook Road generally between Wilkinson and Hilliard Roads. That is why it is important for residents to know and use the correct suffix.

Also, when some of the streets were named, they may not have seemed to be in the same geographical area. For example, there are two Mill Roads in Henrico County, both very old roads and approximately 20 miles apart. A long time ago, I am sure those two roads seemed very far apart, though they aren’t now.

Names may be used up to three times. So, using the name Maple as an example, it is permissible to have a Maple Street, a Maple Lane and a Maple Court. No other variations can be used once the name has been used 3 times. (Previous policy allowed the use of a name unlimited times but was changed to 3.)

All street names and property numbers that existed prior to August 1985 were allowed to continue to be used in the County. The Planning Department and the Police Department (who operates the Emergency 911 System in the County) worked together to ensure that all existing property numbers would work within the E911 system, with no delayed response. (With the implementation of the County GIS system and the installation of computers in emergency vehicles, response accuracy has greatly improved.)

As new subdivisions are developed and new roads built and addressed, the County Planning Department notifies numerous agencies including the United States Postal Service, utility companies (Virginia Power, cable and telephone companies, E911, UPS) and many others so that they can update their databases.

There is a process by which a property owner can change a street name. A petition must be presented to the County and must be signed by every property owner it will affect.

Finally, if a citizen is having trouble with the delivery of mail to the correct address, they may contact the Planning Department and we will work with our contact the Post Office to help resolve the problem. Problems with other delivery services should be addressed with the individual company, verifying the correct street name and suffix.

Why -- okay really this is a what … What is coming to Cox and Broad? It appears a restaurant and maybe some shops. Any word?

-- Tom

Silver Diner, First Community Bank and Richmond Decorating are confirmed retailers for the Wilton Square retail center.

What is the total tax burden on a typical family in Richmond vs. the same in the county? I live in the city and there seen to be city based taxes added to everything. Power, water, phone. Everything. What would the total city/county tax burden be for the average family in the average house, with average bills?

-- K

Steven R. Skinner, public information manager for Richmond City Council, answers:

[Editor's Note: this response was edited significantly due to length.] While seemingly so, the questions are not as simple as one would imagine -- so, in response, I will attempt to answer the questions as honestly and thoroughly as possible.

With regard to a fair comparison of "same" tax benefits/levels between Richmond and surrounding counties -- this presumes all things being equal and that they all require, receive and are provided the same level/types of services/benefits/Returns on Investment, which is not true.

Some major differences include: the size/geography, age/amount of infrastructure, population/densities, available contribution levels/tax base, day populations, crime, and demographics. Also, as a city rather than a county, a higher number of services are required by law and/or are needed than in a county. For example, services like trash pick-up, sewage removal, neighborhood street cleaning, water and mass transit/bus service are not provided/required for all county residents as they are in Richmond.

As an example of providing public transportation, this year Richmond funded/subsidized the costs GRTC Transit Services by $10.7 million. This was an increase from $9 million in previous years due to increase in fuel costs and ridership rates. In contrast, Chesterfield County does not fund public transportation and Henrico County provides approximately $5 million.

A number of Richmond's physical infrastructure differences include significantly aging pipes, city/school buildings, and roads that are more than a hundred years old and require much more care and upkeep than newer roads in the counties. There is also a major difference in the way roads are maintained. For example, Richmond has 1,883 lane miles of city paved roads, 758 miles of sidewalks, which are maintained by the Richmond Department of Public Works. In contrast, most of the roads in Chesterfield County are maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and in Henrico County, VDOT maintains about 25 percent of them.

Added to this is the daytime population of Richmond which swells by the tens of thousands due to commuters and visitors from the counties and elsewhere. This places additional stress on roads, response agencies and other public services and requires such additional things as parking enforcement.

Attempting to provide a fair comparison of "same" tax benefits/levels of a "typical' or "average" family is also difficult, as "average" families are different with regard to city and county. For example, in Richmond the median/average household size is 2.21 people and median family size is 2.95; in Henrico it is 2.39 for household and 2.97 for family, in Chesterfield County, it is 2.73 and 3.11.

In terms of income: the average/median income for a Richmond household is $31,121 and for a family is $38,348; in Henrico a household is $49,185 and family is $59,298; and, in Chesterfield County, the average household is $58,537 and family is $65,058.

Also, regarding the wide differences in attempting to compare average families, in Richmond only 46 percent of families own homes compared to Henrico County at 68.2 percent and Chesterfield County's 79.8 percent. Another family indicator is poverty rates. Richmond has four times the poverty, at 20.8 percent, as Henrico, at 4.9 percent, and Chesterfield County, at 5.2 percent.

Now, as the Governing Body of the City of Richmond, two of the major duties of Richmond City Council are to set the Real Estate Tax and decide how city government funds are to be invested on behalf of all citizens.

Accordingly, Richmond’s 2009 Fiscal Year (FY) Total Budget (which runs July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009) is $1,488,752,425. This includes the General Fund, Capital Improvement Plan, Special Funds, Enterprise Funds, Internal Service Funds, and a portion for Richmond Public Schools. The Richmond General Fund represents general city services and is often referred to as the “city budget”.

For FY 2009, the General Fund budget is $655,071,987. This is used to pay for the following: General Government $75,868,779; Safety and Judiciary $168,359,269; Public Works $46,707,998; Human Services 76,304,318; Culture and Recreation $20,907,849; Debt $57,995,095; Richmond Public Schools $160,870,229; Non-Departmental/other $48,058,450.

Of these sources of revenue, the largest single source comes from the Real Estate Tax. This is a tax based on the assessed fair market value of all individual and commercial real estate in the city. By state law, every year an appraisal of properties is done to establish value. Each year, Richmond City Council sets a tax rate per every $100 of assessed value. It is currently $1.20 per $100. Council reduced the rate by $.03 last year and, over the past 20 years, has reduced the rate a total of $.30. The current real estate tax rate in Henrico County is $.87 and Chesterfield County is $.95.

Regarding comparing the sources of funds raised by individual real estate taxes, the counties have larger populations and more houses than in Richmond. The median single-family house price in Richmond (for second quarter of 2008, according to the Richmond Association of Realtors) was $129,000 in Richmond, $190,000 in Henrico County and $142,000 in Chesterfield County. Thus, the contribution levels are spread over a larger group in the counties and, as values are higher, at higher per capital levels per household.

With regard to other sources of revenue such as user fees on water and other utilities. These fees are assessed according to paying for the cost of purchase and delivery of these products and services. These are not taxes and only apply to a person if they use the service. For example, not everyone heats their home with gas, many use electric heat. Phone and cable fee structures are established at the federal and state level as a license cost for doing business. Cable companies specifically line item these things out separately on bills for effect, while in actuality, it is part of the license cost that grants them the right to do business.

Once again, not all these services are provided to County residents. To contrast, Richmond operates the regional wastewater treatment plant, Henrico County and Chesterfield County do not and Henrico County purchases its water (at wholesale) from the city. In terms of public utilities such as gas, Richmond operates the public utility for Richmond, which is one of the largest municipal utility services in the United States. There again, many County residents have/use well water.

Also, cities and counties receive different amounts of state and federal funding. All of which is generated from different state and federal taxes, levies and user fees, but provided in different amounts to different localities based on any number of different factors.

So, as there are diverse/dissimilar amounts of needs/services provided/ required by a city over a county, in terms of economies of scale and available individual contribution levels, there are going to be differences in service and funding levels. This being said, attempting to provide a fair comparison of "same" tax benefits/levels of a "typical" or "average" family between Richmond and a county is not truly possible.

Something that the Richmond City Council Finance Commitee is currently working on is a model of individual contribution levels of Richmond citizens to attempt to holistically assess what these levels are. This work began in September and will continue for the next few months.

So what do you want to know, Richmond? Send questions to: karri.peifer@corp.richmond.com with "Why Richmond, Why?!?" in the subject line or leave your question in the comments sections below. And if you want to read all the old "Why Richmond, Why?!?" columns, you can always check out last week's or read the "Why Richmond, Why?!?" archives.