Profiles & Entities

During his tenure as the Mayor of Richmond (2017–2025), Levar Stoney was involved in several high-profile controversies, political pushbacks, and municipal scandals that drew significant media attention: 1. The Firing of Chief Administrative Officer Selena Cuffee-Glenn (2019)One of the most direct ethical scandals inside City Hall during Stoney’s administration involved Richmond's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Selena Cuffee-Glenn. An independent Inspector General investigation revealed that five of Cuffee-Glenn's relatives were hired into well-paying municipal departments that she directly oversaw. Stoney initially defended her, stating that hiring protocols were followed, but after immense pressure from the public and local media, he fired Cuffee-Glenn in September 2019. Critics heavily scrutinized Stoney for being inattentive to nepotism occurring directly beneath his administration. 2. High-Profile Failed Development and Casino DealsStoney faced immense political blowback for backing multi-million dollar economic projects that critics labeled as out-of-touch with everyday city needs:The Navy Hill Project: Stoney heavily championed a controversial $\$1.5\text{ billion}$ downtown redevelopment plan known as Navy Hill, which included building a new coliseum. Critics argued it favored wealthy developers over the city's underfunded school system. The Richmond City Council ultimately killed the deal in 2020.The Richmond Casino Referendums: Stoney relentlessly pursued a resort casino project for Richmond. After city voters narrowly rejected the casino referendum in 2021, Stoney pushed to put a second casino referendum on the ballot in 2023. Voters rejected it a second time, fueling public frustration that the administration was wasting resources and ignoring the community's explicit wishes. 3. Response to the 2020 Protests and Monument RemovalDuring the social unrest of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, Stoney faced intense pressure from both sides of the aisle regarding his handling of civil unrest and the city's historic Confederate monuments: He faced sharp criticism from civil rights advocates when Richmond Police used tear gas on peaceful protesters gathered around the Robert E. Lee monument before a city-mandated curfew had begun. Stoney publicly apologized and ultimately forced the resignation of Police Chief Will Smith. Conversely, conservative organizations and political opponents (such as the Republican Party of Virginia) called for Stoney’s resignation, accusing him of mismanaging the riots, allowing "looters to take control," and failing to support local law enforcement.Stoney utilized emergency powers to bypass standard protocols and order the immediate removal of all city-owned Confederate monuments, a move that drew praise from supporters but swift legal challenges from opponents. 4. The Richmond Water Crisis (2025)Just as Stoney was transitioning out of the mayor's office, major structural and administrative failures at Richmond's water treatment plant spilled into the open, resulting in widespread safe drinking water disruptions. Richmond voters heavily blamed the Stoney administration's oversight and infrastructure neglect for the crisis. Political Fallout The cumulative impact of these controversies directly hindered Stoney's statewide political ambitions. When he ran in the June 2025 Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, a massive "visceral reaction" and collapse of support from his own hometown voters in Richmond ultimately cost him the race. While he ran a tight campaign across the rest of the Commonwealth, Richmond voters overwhelmingly rejected him at the polls, leading to a narrow primary defeat.

Brint Martin holds this position (sometimes listed as Deputy Director of Communications and Marketing). She appears in official city staff directories, council meeting attendee lists, and city communications (e.g., State of the City events) https://www.nnva.gov/directory.aspx?EID=631 She is explicitly listed as a Board Member on the organization's site https://portwarwick.com/port-warwick-foundation/ She held leadership roles there (e.g., Director/Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs, involved in programs like Forty Under 40, and coached the Ebony Fire dance team). In 2024, she transitioned internally at Hampton to a deputy director role in Athletics before moving to the City of Newport News position (timing aligns with recent years). https://home.hamptonu.edu/blog/2024/03/22/hampton-university-appoints-three-esteemed-alumni-to-key-leadership-positions/

The Port Warwick Foundation is a public non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization with the purpose of organizing and managing regional arts and entertainment events located at Styron Square in Port Warwick, Newport News, Virginia.

The Facebook page titled “Commissioner of the Revenue - Tiffany Boyle” appears to commingle official government communications with campaign-related activity for the Vote Boyle campaign. The page regularly posts content using official governmental language, including references to “our office,” “my office,” “our team,” tax assessments, government services, COR staff, and the hashtag #nnvacor. Simultaneously, it promotes or links to campaign emails, Eventbrite campaign events, early-voting outreach, and campaign-authorized graphics. A notable example is a tax-related post that was paid for and authorized by the Vote Boyle campaign, yet presented information as coming from “my office” and invited residents to submit property assessment or business tax questions directly. This raises questions about whether constituents are engaging with an official public office, a political campaign, or a hybrid platform. Campaign Finance Observations The Vote Boyle campaign’s January–March 2025 report reflects $3,052.18 in filing-fee payments made to the City of Newport News. The subsequent report lists the City of Newport News as a Schedule A contributor for the identical amount, without a corresponding Schedule C entry for a refund or rebate. This treatment warrants clarification or correction, as it currently appears to report a potential fee refund or reversal as a campaign contribution. Additionally, campaign events such as “Roll to the Polls” and “Game Night with the Commissioner” have been promoted through the Commissioner-branded Facebook page. However, corresponding campaign finance reports show limited expenses and no recorded in-kind contributions for certain periods, raising questions regarding the funding of venues, prizes, food, platforms, promotional materials, and any donated support. Private Business Interest Campaign records link Tiffany Boyle to Emerge the Magazine, and her economic interest disclosure lists Emerge Initiatives as a business interest. Further review is needed to determine whether her official title or government platforms are being used to advance this private enterprise. Overall Assessment These findings indicate potential public integrity concerns involving the commingling of official and campaign resources, possible inaccuracies or misclassifications in campaign finance reporting, and the potential use of public office for private brand benefit. While no definitive conclusions of illegality are drawn at this stage, the available records present sufficient questions to merit additional examination and clarification.