Posted on Thursday, April 1, 2007

CITY BEAT
Leaders' Tiny Cars Mirror Spending

Richmond has entered a new era of financial stability. If you don't believe it, check out the parking lot at City Hall.

Former City Manager Isaiah Turner liked to do things in a big way. He had a big personality, he oversaw a big city deficit and, of course, he drove a big car. To accommodate his Chrysler 300 (which gets 14 miles per gallon), Turner had his City Hall parking space widened (and for appearance's sake, he also widened the mayor's space immediately next to his).

Turner left the city suddenly in late 2003 claiming poor health and, just a few weeks after he navigated his Detroit parade float out of its elephantine space for the last time, the city discovered it was knee deep in a jumbo-sized, $35 million budget shortfall. The city's new era of financial prudence finds its perfect expression in the two modest cars that now occupy those immodest parking spaces.

City Manager Bill Lindsay's blue 2001 Volkswagen Jetta (30 mpg) and Mayor Gayle McLaughlin's silver Honda Hybrid (50 mpg), look as though they are swimming in Turner's extravagant, double-wide legacy. [emphasis added]

Eric Kurhi and John Geluardi contributed to this column.