Did 9th District Councilman Michael J. Jones misinform City Council in seeking permission to use city funds to send a direct mail card to his constituents?

While Dr. Jones insists he did nothing wrong, the mailer, itself, appears to contradict what he told the council it would contain.

Dr. Jones said he wanted to send the oversized postcard to constituents about resources available to those impacted by COVID-19. He said many of his constituents are senior citizens or Latinos without access to social media, making mailers his main method for reaching them.

Before the unanimous vote on April 27 approving the $2,415 expenditure, Dr. Jones was asked by a council colleague if the mailer would be strictly informational and would not “contain any photographs or anything that could be perceived as campaigning.” He responded, “Yes.”

However, the mailer sent out during the first week of May is dominated by a photograph of a smiling Dr. Jones, who plans to seek re-election to a second term this year. The mailer contains no mention of the election or his plans.

The informational section of the mailer is a message from Dr. Jones that encourages recipients to cover up coughs and sneezes, to regularly wash their hands and to stay home. It also states that he and his aide, Summer Morris, are available to help those who might need them. It urges them to call for assistance and lists their phone numbers and email addresses.

The only COVID-19 related resource mentioned on the mailer is RVAStrong.org, a city website, with the advice to visit “and find more information about local health resources, resources for individuals and resources for businesses.”

The mailer has left some council members feeling deceived. “I would not have voted for using scarce city funds to pay for any mailer during a time of crisis that gives the appearance of support for any candidate,” said 2nd District Councilwoman Kim B. Gray.

Dr. Jones’ mailer is different from the emails 6th District Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson is sending to her constituents on COVID-19. The emails do not include her picture, but do contain public information ranging from food resources to housing and virus testing sites.

When reached for comment, Dr. Jones dismissed the concerns. He called the mailer “consistent with previous mailers, which have always included my photograph.”

He said he supports City Council’s efforts to restrict members from using district funds for electioneering. He said he needed council’s permission only because the payment would have pushed the vendor handling the design, printing and mailing over the $5,000 limit for total payments by a council member to one company.

Dr. Jones said he is focused on distributing food and, in coming days, would be engaged in distributing 10,000 donated disposable face masks to residents of the 9th District. He is partnering with donors Charles Willis of United Communities Against Crime and Jong Lim, owner of Beauti-Full beauty supply store, as well as city schools, a city agency and others on the distribution, according to a news release his office issued Tuesday.