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Ellen Robertson

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District 6

It's been humbling, but a privileged pleasure to serve for 20 years as your 6th District Richmond City Council member.  The voters and stakeholders of the 6th District are very engaged in civic duties and have high expectations of me and the leadership of the City.  I am honored the citizens have elected and re-elected me through six elections.  I  pledge and remain committed to continually work to sustain your trust and vote of confidence. I live in the North Highland Park neighborhood.

As the 6th District Councilwoman, I dedicate my service full time to represent the citizens. The 6th District is the most diverse in the City of Richmond. I represent the interest of the highest number of very low-income families living in public housing, the highest level of poverty, the largest share of the first historic neighborhoods,  corporate, entertainment, and government downtown district, all bridged by the James River connecting to the restored post-industrial to the new millennial urban core surrounded by post-WWII annexed rural family communities.

 

Major accomplishments have been achieved in the past 17 years, but much remains to be done.  With compassion and creative ambitious leadership, I  worked to bring community policing to the city when the murder rate was the highest in the State, to address a lawsuit against the City for incarcerated people in an overcrowded, unsafe jail.  A new justice center was built with a commitment to reduce incarceration by employing alternative strategies.   

 

Before being elected, after earning a BS Degree in Urban Studies and Planning, I started a community and housing development corporation that provided the down-payment grants to assist first-time home-buyers.  More than 300 low to moderate-income families became first time owners.  I am the first African American female to serve as Chair of the City's Planning Commission.  This background experience prepared me to pass legislation to create the Office of Community Wealth Building - committed to drastically reduce poverty.  I also started an Affordable Housing Trust Fund which creates new housing for the working poor and moderate-income.  Homelessness is a social emergency and I passed legislation that now has a plan to correct the need. 

 

Youth, education, and seniors are my priority.  All of my policies and services are governed to be inclusive. The businesses and developers are never overlooked. I fight to make the City a "choice place" to do business and to work. 
 

I have served on countless boards, commissions, and organizations.  I recently served as Vice President of Council and on the Land Use and Transportation Committee, Finance, and Economic Development Standing Committee, Richmond Tourism and Visitors Board, Chair of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board, Chair of the Office of Community Wealth Building Maggie L. Walker Citizens Advisory Board and Chair of the Alternatives to Incarceration Board. 

 

Most important of all, the citizens are my top priority. Nothing would have been achieved without their/your support and hours of dedicated service - working together to ensure what we do what is right and is done the right way, and includes all.  It's my pleasure to work in partnership with great citizens, including my family who stands by me and allows me to serve.

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I am blessed!

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Thank you,

Ellen 

 

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