In Office Again, Wilder Lays Out Richmond's Path

Entertainer Bill Cosby, left, and U.S. Judge Roger L. Gregory, far right, applaud Richmond's new mayor, L. Douglas Wilder. "You've elected someone into office who does not fool around," Cosby told the audience. (Cindy Blanchard -- Richmond Times-dispatch)

RICHMOND, Jan. 2 -- Former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder was sworn in Sunday as the city's first elected mayor in nearly 60 years, promising to turn the struggling capital into a "model city for the commonwealth" as he makes his return to politics.

Almost 15 years after he took the oath as the nation's first elected black governor, Wilder, a Democrat, promised in a 20-minute speech full of the populist ideals that underscored his fall campaign to address the city's problems.

"It is a special moment for me as we embark on a new course -- a new day -- in our city's rich history," Wilder told hundreds of well-wishers who jammed the downtown convention center. Referring to his home town's struggle with crime and job loss, he added: "We begin a new form of government at a time of many serious challenges and even greater opportunities. I accept the task ahead."

Wilder was sworn in by his former law partner Judge Roger L. Gregory, the first African American to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond, and he was introduced by entertainer Bill Cosby, a longtime friend who informally campaigned with the candidate during the summer.

"You all have done a wonderful thing. . . . You've elected someone into office who does not fool around," Cosby said in his introduction.

The remark seemed to capture the mood of the crowd. Many of the new mayor's supporters say the capital needed a comprehensive political shake-up. Wilder, who received 80 percent of the vote Nov. 2, is one of the most outspoken politicians in recent Virginia history. He had a hand in his election, pushing for a city charter change that allowed Richmond residents to elect the mayor. Since 1948, the mayor had been chosen by the City Council.

"He's the man for the job," said Missy Duncan, 59, a Richmond native who attended the inauguration. "It isn't going to be easy. We've got some problems here. . . . But he'll keep the train moving, I'm sure of that."

Wilder faces vast challenges. Richmond is the nation's ninth most violent city, and public school test scores, though improving, are still well below those in surrounding jurisdictions.

"We have much to do, and the goals we seek will require the energies of us all," Wilder said in his speech, which did not outline any specific policy initiatives. "Jobs must be created. . . . Corruption must be eliminated."

And to no one's surprise here, Wilder, who will turn 74 on Jan. 17, has begun his new political venture with a flurry of activity. As mayor-elect, he issued orders to city staff and made demands of council members. He decried the actions of leaders as "intolerable" and "wasteful."

And in one of his sharpest interchanges with the council since his election, he made it clear that he will not rehire the city manager, Calvin Jamison, who was hired by council members.

The council awarded Jamison a $175,000 severance package, and Wilder called it a golden parachute. He said the council overstepped its bounds and took the city to court, dubbing his action "the people's lawsuit."

Wilder lost the suit just before Christmas, but he has laid out an anti-cronyism and anti-corruption bill that he said would prevent such actions by the council.

"Richmond has never seen anything like this. . . . Usually, change is slow to come around here," said John V. Moeser, a professor of government at Virginia Commonwealth University who has written about the city and its history.

While Wilder, who began his political career 35 years ago as a state senator, has been busy taking shots at the Richmond establishment, he already is taking a few shots himself.

Wilder is also a professor of government at Virginia Commonwealth, and some opponents have said that he now has a conflict of interest. The university is a major player in the redevelopment of the city's struggling downtown, and opponents suspect that it could have an advantage in contracting with the city. Wilder and his aides have brushed off those concerns.

Observers expect that Wilder's tenure in the mayor's office will be just as unpredictable and controversial as his four years in the governor's mansion, when he squabbled with the legislature and members of his own party and launched a short-lived campaign for president.

Cosby, in his remarks, gave a playful warning to the crowd:

"Don't be surprised if he fires the entire city."