New Richmond City
New Richmond | |
|---|---|
City and capital of the NRR | |
 Flag | |
| Nickname: "Wrythe of New Virginia" (archaic) | |
| Mottoes: Montani semper liberi (Latin: "Mountaineers are always free") | |
| Country |  New Richmond Republic |
| Established | 16 August 2013 (as Crown Dependency) 7 September 2014 (became Town) 9 January 2017 (became City) 11 February 2020 (became Capital of New Virginia) 2 August 2021 (1 RY) (became Capital of the NRR) |
| Government | |
| • Congress Delegates | K. Riley Hewitt Charles Kitchen |
| • Mayor | Charles Kitchen |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi) |
| Population (2022 (1RY)) | |
| • Total | 11 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 |
| Website | New Richmond City page, NRR OGWP |
New Richmond, often called New Richmond City to avoid confusion, is the capital city of the New Richmond Republic. Originally established as a Crown Dependency of the Empire of Austenasia on 16 August 2013, the territory transitioned into a Town on 7 September 2014. It was granted city status on 9 January 2017, and seceded from the Empire of Austenasia as the de facto capital city of the Commonwealth of New Virginia on 11 February 2020. It was a hotbed of revolutionary activity during the New Virginian July Revolution, and its residents and political leaders led the secession of the Greater Richmond area to establish the New Richmond Republic, with the city lending its name to the new nation.
New Richmond City is the most highly populated local administrative division of the NRR, with eleven residents living in three different boroughs. As the constitutionally-designated capital of the Republic, is the formal seat of the Central People's Government (though the Office of the Prime Minister and some ministries are headquartered in other regions). The Palace of Red July in Friedecksburg Borough, NRC, is the formal meeting place of the Congress of People's Councils and is the current home of the Office of the People's Commissioner of the Republic. New Richmond was also a major administrative center during the city's time under Austenasian and later New Virginian sovereignty. Charles Kitchen is the fifth and incumbent Mayor of New Richmond City, leading the local government and presiding over the City People's Council - the supreme organ of power within the city.
Etymology
New Richmond is named for the Commune of Richmond in the defunct Union of Libereco, a reflection of the Amagerian history and cultural influence found in the city.
History
New Richmond was established on 18 August 2013 as a Crown Dependency by Imperial Decree of Emperor Jonathan I. Vera Hewitt was appointed the first and only Governing Commissioner of New Richmond. Following establishment, the Crown Dependency was formally designated as the "Dominion of New Richmond" and eventually a local constitution was enacted. Unlike most Crown Dependencies wherein the Governing Commissioner exercises near-autocratic rule in the name of the Monarch, the Dominion had a local legislature - the Dominion Assembly - presided over by the Governing Commissioner's deputy, termed the Lord Lieutenant.
Following the acquisition of Saint Josephsburg by the Dominion from the Ashukov Federation, the Governing Commissioner requested that Parliament elevate the Dominion of New Richmond to the status of a Town. Parliament concurred and New Richmond was made a Town by Parliament on 7 September 2014. The former Governing Commissioner, then Lady Dux Vera Hewitt, was appointed Acting Representative of the new Town. New Richmond was, along with Shineshore, one of the first two towns in the Empire of Austenasia to not be located in the British Isles.
Following several territorial changes and a vast increase in population, New Richmond became the second City of the Empire on 9 January 2017. Countess Victoria of Sydney was elected the first Mayor of New Richmond soon after. On 12 June 2019, the Borough of North New Saint Josephsburg was separated from New Richmond by an Act of Parliament, becoming the Town of Augusta.
On 11 February 2020, New Richmond seceded from Austenasia alongside Terentia and Augusta as the Commonwealth of New Virginia.
Administration
New Richmond City is represented in the Congress of People's Councils - the supreme organ of state power - by two delegates elected by the City People's Council, which exercises supreme administrative authority within the city insofar as its actions do not contravene national law. Any adult resident of the City who is a member of the Blair Mountain League is permitted to attend, vote, and propose new laws at sessions of the City People's Council.
New Richmond is administered locally by the Mayor who, among other duties, presides over the City People's Council. The office of Mayor of New Richmond is held by Comrade Charles Kitchen, who additionally serves as a Congress delegate and as a guard commander in the Corps of Revolutionary Guards. Public safety falls under the jurisdiction of the city's detachment of the Appalachian Revolutionary Guard, a unit of the CRG. As with all administrative regions of the NRR, New Richmond does not have a local court and all civil and criminal cases are heard by the national People's Tribunal.
List of Congress Delegates and prior equivalents
| Number | Name | Political party | Took office | Left office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representative, Empire of Austenasia | ||||||
| 1 | HIH Lady Admiral Vera Hewitt, Duchess of New Virginia | Imperial Party | 7 September 2014 | 11 February 2020 | Acting until 12 October 2014. Oversaw Town Council elections and annexation of West Richmond. Presented Act of Parliament allowing the Emperor to make former, current and future Governors and Governing Commissioners subjects. Presented the Speaker of the House Act 2014. Appointed Chancellor on 17 October 2014. Elected Prime Minister on 4 March 2015, and re-elected on 1 March 2019. Oversaw New Richmond's change from Town to City. Served until the Secession of New Virginia. | |
| Burgess, Commonwealth of New Virginia | ||||||
| 1 | Dame Vera Hewitt DNVI (as Provisional Councillor) |
Independent | 11 February 2020 | 1 August 2020 | Elected prior to New Virginia's secession on 20 January 2020, took office on 11 February 2020. Left office following his election as President. | |
| 2 | The Hon. Charles Kitchen BP | Free Democrats | 1 August 2020 as Provisional Councillor until 22 August |
6 May 2021 | Elected as acting Provisional Councillor following President Hewitt's election, confirmed as burgess in the 2020 general election. Did not seek re-election in the 2021 New Richmond by-election. | |
| 3 | The Hon. Sir K. Riley Hewitt KNVI | Free Democrats (until 29 July 2021 (1RY)) 29th of July Movement (until 2 August 2021 (1RY)) Blair Mountain League |
6 May 2021 | 2 August 2021 (1RY) | Elected in the 2021 by-election. Former burgess for Augusta before it was re-integrated into New Richmond City. Ceased to hold office following the secession of the NRR. | |
| Congress Delegate, New Richmond Republic | ||||||
| 1 | Comrade Vera Hewitt | Blair Mountain League | 3 August 2021 (1RY) | 24 March 2022 (1RY) | Elected following the enactment of the Basic Law. Resigned following the First Amendment to the Basic Law affirming the right to representation for the District of Fayette in which she resided. | |
| 2 | Comrade K. Riley Hewitt | Blair Mountain League | 3 August 2021 (1RY) | Incumbent | Elected following the enactment of the Basic Law. | |
| 3 | Comrade Charles Kitchen | Blair Mountain League | 24 March 2022 (1RY) | Incumbent | Elected following the resignation of Vera Hewitt. | |
List of Mayors
| Number | Picture | Name | Political party | Took office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria Hathaway, Countess of Sydney | Imperial Party | 9 February 2017 | 15 April 2018 | Elected following New Richmond's elevation to City-status. Did not seek re-election in the April 2018 local election. | |
| 2 | Captain William Hewitt | Independent (considered conservative) |
15 April 2018 | 24 April 2019 | Elected in the April 2018 local election. Later resigned for personal and work reasons. | |
| 3 | Major General The Hon. Alex Francis | Imperial Party (until 11 February 2020) Independent |
24 April 2019 | 19 October 2020 | Appointed Acting Mayor following the resignation of his predecessor; elected to the position proper on 21 May 2019. Continued to hold office following the secession of New Virginia and the enactment of the Constitution. Did not stand for re-election. | |
| 4 | Her Honour Senator Savannah Wellman | Independent (until 29 July 2021 (1RY)) 29th of July Movement (until 2 August 2021 (1RY)) Blair Mountain League |
19 October 2020 | 3 August 2021 (1RY) | Elected in the October 2020 mayoral election. Resigned following her move from the city to a newly-established commune post-secession. | |
| 5 | Comrade Charles Kitchen | Blair Mountain League | 24 March 2022 (1RY) | Incumbent | Elected following a nearly eight month-long vacancy. |
Boroughs
New Richmond City consists of three non-contiguous pieces of land known as boroughs. The boroughs do not have their own local administrations and are directly administered by the city government.
| Name | Established | Population | Area (acres) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Montania | 24 December 2016 | 2 | 10.6 ac | Home of the Baronial Residence (the home of the former Austenasian Baroness of New Richmond). Named for the defunct micronation Montania in which many New Richmonders resided prior to the establishment of the Austenasian Town of New Richmond. Largest borough by land area. |
| Saint Josephsburg | 7 September 2014 | 5 | 1.13 ac | Oldest borough. Former home of the now-defunct Saint Josephsburg Economic Pact. Most populous borough. |
| Friedecksburg | 9 January 2018 | 3 | 0.28 ac | Home of the Palace of Red July, the seat of the Congress of People's Councils and home of the Office of the People's Commissioner. Formerly known as Augusta. Borders Fraternitas, New Virginia to the east, making it the only land claim of the Republic to border a nation other than the United States. |
Culture
New Richmonders overwhelmingly identify as an Appalachian people, and their culture is best summarized as one rooted in Central Appalachian culture with other influences reflective of its micronational history - namely, the cultures of Amager, Austenasia, and New Virginia. Typical New Richmonder cuisine is similar to traditional U.S. Southern comfort food. New Richmond's athletic culture is dominated by American football and basketball. Kentucky bourbon plays a significant role in culinary culture in the city - in some homes, it's traditional after a large family dinner or special occasion for adults to enjoy a glass. New Richmond is home to a small music scene, consisting of classically-trained musicians, hip hop producers and recording artists, and a small number of bluegrass banjoists.