The city of Richmond has rolled out a new Web site highlighting the views and activities of Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, including a recent TV appearance in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Wilder spokesman Linwood Norman said it's appropriate for the city-funded site to include links to the political talk show "Face the Nation" because Wilder's appearance put Richmond in the national spotlight.

"It's not the topic. It's the fact that Richmond is being recognized through the mayor being featured on this program," he said.

The Web site www.RichmondsMayor.com debuted about a week ago and includes photos of Wilder, plus his statements on various city issues.

"It's a way to get his information straight to the public," Norman said.

Richmond continues to offer its main government Web site, www.RichmondGov.com. The new site includes a blog with links to video segments from last Sunday's "Face the Nation." On the program, Wilder offered views on the presidential race and was identified as a supporter of Obama.

Paul Goldman, a former adviser to Wilder who is now running for mayor, said linking such political material from a taxpayer-supported Web site is at least ill-advised.

The Richmond City Code prohibits "electioneering in any city office, building or premises" and it makes the offense a misdemeanor. Goldman said a city Web site could be construed as a "virtual building."

"It makes perfect sense that you're not going to use the city's resource . . . in any way for electioneering purposes," he said.

Kevin O'Holleran, campaign manager for mayoral candidate Dwight Clinton Jones, a state delegate, said the links should not be used unless Wilder went on TV to talk about his work in Richmond.

"It's kind of inappropriate for a taxpayer-funded Web site to be used for political purposes," O'Holleran said.

City Council President William J. Pantele, who has not announced whether he'll run for mayor, said he doesn't have heartburn over the links but he does object to the site as a whole. He said it's part of an excessive public-relations effort on behalf of the mayor in recent weeks.

"There are matters of scale and appropriateness," he said. "I think we're well past that."

Wilder has not indicated whether he'll seek a second term in the Nov. 4 election. The filing deadline is June 10, about four weeks away.

"This will be a site for the Richmond mayor -- whoever that is in the future," Norman said.

He said he does not know how much the city has spent on the new Web site because it was prepared by a private designer under an existing contract with the city's Department of Information Technology. He said his office has not clarified what content would be permissible if Wilder decides to seek a second term.

"But we will as the need arises," he said before emphasizing "if the need arises."
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.