Skip navigation

Safeguarding Richmond’s Sanctuary City Status

Richmond is a Sanctuary City—What does that mean to us?

How do we help people in our community feel safe? What are some ways to support undocumented members? We need to be proactive and thoughtful. What might we propose?

We had the great pleasure of learning about this very critical and timely issue from our own Marisol Cantú. She explained the ins and outs of being a sanctuary city as well as the "Know Your Rights" program to inform immigrants. Cantú has already given workshops and training on these topics throughout Contra Costa County, and she will continue to teach through Reimagine Richmond.

Read more

Celebrating Outgoing and Incoming Leaders

"We will reflect the sunlight directly and make this city shine," declared Mayor Eduardo Martinez as he acknowledged that a historic supermajority of women will now lead the Richmond City Council. The swearing in ceremony took place on January 7, 2025.

Jamelia Brown (District 1), Sue Wilson (District 5), and Claudia Jimenez (District 6) were met with warm applause—while outgoing councilmembers Gayle McLaughlin (District 5) and Melvin Willis (District 1) expressed heartfelt thanks for the opportunity to serve.

Pastor Eric Morris led a rousing invocation, followed by honors for Councilmember McLaughlin and Councilmember Willis by local leaders and community-based organizations. Alicia Jimenez, Daughter of Vice Mayor Jimenez, delivered a Spanish translation of the oath of office to the incoming council.

Read more

A Call to All Federal Income Taxpayers in the Greater Bay Area and Northern California

Join Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG)

A Call to All Federal Income Taxpayers in the Greater Bay Area and Northern California

On December 19, 2024, more than 500 federal taxpayers across 10 Northern California counties, represented by Szeto-Wong Law, filed an unprecedented class action lawsuit against their Congressional Representatives Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson. The lawsuit charges that Rep. Huffman and Rep. Thompson illegally abused their Tax and Spend authority when they voted to allocate $26.38 billion in military aid to Israel on April 20, 2024. They did this in the face of overwhelming evidence of genocide in Gaza and overwhelming opposition by their own constituents. By doing so, the lawsuit alleges, they violated the U.S. Constitution, the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, and U.S. federal laws such as the Leahy Law. The full legal complaint is posted here.To see the video footage of the press conference click here. For media coverage and other TAG resources, click here. Since the Dec. 19th press conference, the NorCal class membership has grown to more than 800 people and continues to grow daily.

Sign Up Here

Read more

Richmond Secures $9.5 Million for Safer Streets

Rep. John Garamendi, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, and City Manager Shasa Curl Announce over $9 Million Federal Grant for Safer Streets 

Representative John Garamendi, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, and City Manager Shasa Curl announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $9,559,482 grant through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program to implement complete streets improvements that mitigate barriers to mobility and connectivity, making our community safer and better connected.

Read more

Meeting Highlights, Community Events, And More

Latest News From Richmond City Hall

Catch up on hot items from the last Richmond City Council meeting below. If you're interested in making public comments as a member of RPA or getting involved, contact us. Meetings are primarily held on the first, third, and fourth Tuesday of each month at 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804.

Read more

Capital Improvement, Beautification, and More

Happy Holidays District 6 residents! I hope you are all enjoying these last few weeks of 2024. As we wrap up the year, I want to thank you once again for re-electing me to represent you on the City Council. I look forward to continuing to represent you and our shared vision for a brighter, more equitable Richmond for all.

¡Residentes del Distrito 6 felices Fiestas! Espero que esten disfrutando todas estas últimas semanas de 2024. Al concluir el año, quiero agradecerles una vez más por reelegirme para representarlos en el Concejo Municipal. Espero seguir representándolos a ustedes y a nuestra visión compartida de un Richmond más brillante y equitativo para todos.

Read more

RPA Updates from City Council

Catch up on hot items from the last Richmond City Council meeting below. If you're interested in making public comments as a member of RPA or getting involved, contact us. Meetings are primarily held on the first, third, and fourth Tuesday of each month at 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804.

The Richmond City Council addressed significant topics during its December 17, 2024 meeting, including selecting a preferred developer for Nystrom Village, discussing updates to council rules, and receiving the annual State of the City address.

Read more

Richmond’s State of the City

Richmond, CA – Mayor Eduardo Martinez will present Richmond's State of the City address at the upcoming City Council meeting on December 17, 2024. The event will take place at Richmond City Hall, starting at 6:30 PM.

In his address, Mayor Eduardo will highlight Richmond’s achievements over the past year, discuss ongoing projects, and outline future initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for all Richmond residents. Key topics will include economic development, public safety, the city’s finances, and community engagement.

“This is an opportunity to reflect on our progress and share our vision for the future,” said Mayor Eduardo. “Richmond has made significant strides in various areas. I am excited to share the state of our city with our community and how we can build on our successes and lessons learned for the betterment of Richmond.”

Read more

Updates from Richmond City Council

Latest News from Richmond City Hall

Catch up on hot items from the last Richmond City Council meeting below. If you're interested in making public comments as a member of RPA or getting involved, contact us. Meetings are primarily held on the first, third, and fourth Tuesday of each month at 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804.

Read more

Interview with Gayle McLaughlin

Championing Change in Richmond

By Steve Early

This article was originally published on https://www.californiadsa.org/news/rpa-2024-interview

In 2006 Richmond, California became the largest city in the U.S. to elect a Green Party member as its mayor (a record it still holds). The successful candidate, who served eight years in that office, was Gayle McLaughlin, a leading critic of Chevron Corporation, the city’s largest employer and biggest polluter. McLaughlin co-founded the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) and is now an East Bay DSA member as well. 

Read more