First-term City Councilmember Ann-Frances Lambert says she hopes her experience as a former council liaison and senior policy analyst for the City of Richmond’s Intergovernmental Relations Department will aid her in her new role.
City Councilmember Ann-Frances Lambert represents Richmond's 3rd District. (Photo courtesy Ann-Frances Lambert)
She spent 10 years in California before returning to her native Richmond to start a drone photography and videography company. She is also the daughter of the late State Sen. Benjamin Joseph Lambert III. She won election to the 3rd District seat on City Council on November 3, 2020, and was sworn in to her seat on January 4, 2021. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
RM: Can you tell me a bit about your 3rd District listening tour?
Ann-Frances Lambert: It’s been great. I’m still going over the results. I had a survey as well as six stops addressing various groups in the 3rd District such as the faith leaders, the business owners, the residents in Gilpin [Court], the seniors and civic association leadership. I got some really good feedback. One of the takeaways is that a lot of folks need to be educated on certain processes and practices that the city offers. The city just revamped the 311 [customer service and response] system, so we need to explain to folks the importance of using it. That helps us to track the requests, so we know the city is on top of their services. I got a lot of feedback, from sidewalks to hearing gunshots and [other] public safety concerns. There’s a lot of trash in the housing community area. The listening tour brought me up to speed on what's really going on in the district. I got a lot of good information that I’m still sorting through.
RM: With projected budget shortfalls for the next few years, what is your vision for budget priorities during your term?
Lambert: The City Council came up with our priorities when we had our retreat a couple months back. Dealing with the affordable housing crisis is a priority for us as a council. Addressing the homelessness issue is another priority for the council in addition to jobs. The pandemic has really put a light on where we are lacking in those services, and it’s also putting the light on disparities and why we need reform across the board. This is my first budget session, so what I’m learning [is that] typically we have funds to work with. We just had a budget session a couple days ago, and pretty much all of our budget amendments can be funded at this point.
RM: What inspired you to take the next step and run for public office?
Lambert: My father has a building right at the southern tip of the 3rd District; it’s right in the North Jackson Ward area, and my brothers and I have been doing some improvements to the building. I’m always out front picking up trash. Doing that every day, I started to talk to the people passing me, and I just started asking questions. When I started to hear that there was a health center in that area [that] was only open one day out of the week, I just said, "What? What do you mean one day out of the week?" I started to ask questions, and that’s what really inspired me to run. My dad's building has been there since 1966, and the area still looks the same from when I was growing up as a little girl; nothing has changed. No resources have come back into the community. I decided to run based off of the people in the community of North Jackson Ward. They needed representation. If you know your history here in Richmond, what I ran on was Apostle Town. Folks don’t understand how this highway impacted the Black community so bad. Today you see why it is the way that it is, why we have a food desert. Those are things that I’ve learned but also just being in a community and talking to folks.
RM: How do you feel about proposals to bring a casino to Richmond?
Lambert: I hear folks saying, "We don’t want it." Well, that's fine and dandy, but the process that’s set up right now is an evaluation committee, and then it comes back to us on council. I can't say yea or nay until I know what the [panel] decides. We’re still negotiating as a city, and I’m not trying to jeopardize our negotiations by coming out and saying yea or nay. I want what’s best for the city all around, and that’s why I’m trying to educate folks. This isn’t Navy Hill. I know that process was screwed, and people don’t trust [Richmond Mayor Levar] Stoney. Again, this process for this casino is what the state set up, so we just have to follow the process. I guess one of my main concerns is why the Coliseum wasn’t put into the mix of the development proposal locations for the casino. That right there would solve so many issues. Since they didn’t, we have this big gaping hole in the middle of our downtown, I can’t really say anything about this until the evaluation [committee] makes their recommendation. From there, I’ll hold a meeting with my district to find out if people really want the proposal that was chosen.
RM: What is your perspective on the dispute between the council and the school board on school construction issues?
Lambert: Individuals just have their own agendas that are not in line with the city's agenda. We just have to be better leaders and communicate and not make this into some temper tantrum. We’re adults here, and I came on this council to say, "Hey, we have to move forward." I just think that people need to get over themselves and take themselves out of the equation. Right now I don't think that's the case, and that's why the school board is dealing with this decision they made, which really isn't the best choice for the city right now. Why would you change your procurement process? Why are we hindering George Wythe [High School] from being built, just because you don't like the contractor that was on the project? Those are things that could've been ironed out in ways other than the way they went about it. At the end of the day, they’ll have to come back to us for funding, and you may not get the funding for something that is unfeasible to do. The longer we wait, costs go up.
RM: Back in January, you expressed hesitation about the COVID-19 vaccine, especially given the history of race in public health in the U.S. How do you feel about the vaccine rollout in Richmond, and do you feel more comfortable getting a vaccine now?
Lambert: Yes, I have been vaccinated. I got the Johnson & Johnson shot on April 1. It just goes to the fear when it now comes out that the Johnson & Johnson vaccinations had some blood clot issues. Right now, I see why people don’t want to get it. It’s stuff like that that doesn’t help. The state and the city, everyone is doing a great effort, and there's a lot of people getting vaccinated because when I went, it was about an hour from start to finish. It’s just that fear because you don't know. People need to be educated more on exactly what it's going to do to your body. And that’s why I said that in January, we really got to look at people's fears, and it doesn't help when the medical community puts something out that hasn’t been tested. I know I have to be in the public, but I'm all for virtual [meetings]. I’m all for vaccinations, but I think we [need] to have a better effort with educating and community outreach.
RM: How do you hope to carry on the legacy of your father?
Lambert: Well, I have some pretty big shoes to fill, but how I can carry on my dad’s legacy is just being the person that I am. Folks that know me know that I am a giver, I’m someone that's patient, but I'm also one that cares and really wants to make sure we are providing for everyone, not just a certain group. My dad was very instrumental in working across the aisle, and those are things that I want to continue. I think to be a public servant, you have to be of service, so that's how I carry on my dad's legacy, [by continuing] his example of service.
