A few weeks ago, when Gov. Glenn Youngkin threatened to withdraw state funding from Richmond over unpaid restitution to Marvin Grimm, a man wrongly convicted in 1975, questions piled up.

Why hadn’t the city already paid him? Why did officials seem surprised to learn of the debt? And where would Richmond find the $5.8 million it owed? 

We addressed another question in this space: Since when did the governor become so concerned with justice for the formerly incarcerated? As we said then, we’re glad he has decided to join the social justice movement, and we hope his concern extends to people who don’t look like they’re part of his political base. 

But back to the money. The question of where the city would find it was answered when officials announced there was $9 million sitting idle in something called a “delinquent tax sale fund.” That didn’t sit well with some city council members. 

“We talk about being short on funds, but when there’s $9 million sitting in a cushion somewhere, something’s not right,” said Kenya Gibson of the 3rd District. 

Another councilor raised the possibility of what could have been done with some of the funds if the council had known they were available. 

“If you had told me there was $9 million hiding in a pot, I think we could have done some really incredible things,” said Sarah Abubaker of the 4th District. 

We agree. And we’ll go a step further: If the city can suddenly shake loose millions to settle an old debt, then its cries of poverty on schools, housing and public safety ring hollow. Finding money between the cushions while telling taxpayers there’s not much left is not the way to govern. 

The Marvin Grimm settlement exposed this problem by accident. It makes you wonder how much more of the city’s cash is tucked away in dark places where people haven’t thought to look. 

Richmond shouldn’t need gubernatorial threats to do the right thing. And it certainly shouldn’t take a high-profile settlement to show