Council Orders Immediate Community Input on $550M Chevron Settlement, Pauses Data Centers

Richmond's City Council defied its own staff Tuesday night, voting to launch community engagement on how to spend a half-billion dollars in Chevron settlement funds — even as finance officials warned that the city's operating budget is running a $9.8 million structural deficit beneath the surface. In a separate public hearing that drew more than 40 speakers, the council adopted a 45-day moratorium on new data centers, joining a growing wave of California cities pushing back against AI-driven industrial expansion.

• Council votes 4-1-2 to begin community engagement on $550M Chevron settlement spending immediately, rejecting staff's recommendation to wait for labor negotiations
• $9.8M structural deficit revealed once $50M in annual Chevron settlement revenue is excluded; personnel costs up 53% in five years
• 45-day data center moratorium passes 6-0-1 as urgency ordinance, with more than 40 speakers — overwhelmingly in support — citing energy, water, and health concerns
• $2.2M in settlement interest earnings approved unanimously to fund Richmond Promise scholarships for approximately 1,300 students
• Police union president confronts council over rejected armored vehicle request, weeks before officers came under fire during Key Boulevard active shooter incident
• Interim city manager negotiations authorized as outgoing City Manager Shasa Curl faces pointed questions over fiscal strategy