Catie Ratliff, Author at C-VILLE Weekly

News

Charlottesville is gearing up for its first election using ranked choice voting

Charlottesville’s experiment with proportional ranked-choice voting is swiftly approaching, with the Democratic primary for City Council set for June 17. The new (to Charlottesville at least) voting system was adopted on a trial basis in a 4-1 split vote by City Council on September 3, 2024. In the months leading up to the primary, city […]

Catie Ratliff | March 28, 2025

News

UVA releases heavily redacted reviews of 2022 shooting on Grounds

On March 21, the University of Virginia released the long-promised external reviews of the November 13, 2022, shooting that killed students Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis, Jr., and D’Sean Perry. The findings of the two reports provide limited insight into the murder of the three UVA football players and Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr., the gunman. Rather […]

Catie Ratliff | March 26, 2025

News

UVA hires Ryan Odom to lead men’s basketball team

The University of Virginia men’s basketball team welcomed Ryan Odom, its new head coach, to John Paul Jones Arena on March 24. Odom is no stranger to Charlottesville or UVA basketball, having served as a ball boy for the Cavaliers during his father’s time as assistant coach from 1982 to 1989. He credits his dad, […]

Catie Ratliff | March 26, 2025

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Next steps for community partners unclear amid shuttering of UVA’s DEI office

Almost two weeks after the University of Virginia Board of Visitors issued a resolution dissolving the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, there are more questions than answers about what comes next—even for community partners. The Center for Community Partnerships at UVA was created as part of the university’s effort to be a “good neighbor” […]

Catie Ratliff | March 19, 2025

News

Albemarle County weighing two tax increases

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is in the midst of budget season, with a draft budget of $642,386,163. To balance the budget for fiscal year 2026, the county has proposed increases to its real property and personal property taxes. Under the current FY26 budget, the real property tax (also known as the real estate […]

Catie Ratliff | March 19, 2025

News

Ron Sanchez not returning as UVA men’s basketball head coach next season

The University of Virginia men’s basketball team will be under new leadership next season, with the athletics department opting not to retain interim Head Coach Ron Sanchez, as announced March 12. Sanchez was thrust into the job on October 15, when longtime head coach Tony Bennett retired months after signing a contract extension. Sanchez led […]

Catie Ratliff | March 19, 2025

News

City Council discusses Parks & Rec Master Plan

Charlottesville City Council took a break from the FY26 budget at its March 17 meeting to review the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. The agenda will inform what the city does for the next decade, with the first financial allocations expected next year. Community feedback and demographic research was prioritized in the master plan, created […]

Catie Ratliff | March 19, 2025

News

Draft city budget prioritizes education, affordable housing, and transportation

The (projected) numbers are in. Under the draft proposal presented to City Council on March 4, Charlottesville’s budget will total $264,474,183 for fiscal year 2026. Despite a nearly 5 percent increase from last year’s budget, no tax increases were needed to balance the draft budget this year. Any potential tax increases have been pushed off, […]

Catie Ratliff | March 12, 2025

News

UVA BOV dissolves Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

During a March 7 meeting, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted unanimously to dissolve the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and its Center for Community Partnerships. The two-page resolution cites both a January 21 Trump executive order “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” and communication from the U.S. Department of Education as […]

Catie Ratliff | March 12, 2025

News

City and county schools hold firm on inclusionary policies despite federal pressure

Charlottesville City and Albemarle County Public Schools remain committed to their current curriculum, despite federal pressure to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Opposition to DEI has emerged as a cornerstone of conservative policymaking, and has been frequently used as a justification for sweeping change by the Trump administration. Courts are weighing the legality of […]

Catie Ratliff | March 5, 2025