Richmond Mayor announces reforms to build ‘transparent, accountable’ city

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- City of Richmond Mayor Danny Avula has announced several reforms to build a more "transparent, accountable and thriving" city after several audit reports detailed issues with its budget management.

On Tuesday, Sept. 2, Avula announced "a series of process improvements" to respond to audit findings, fix outdated processes and deliver better outcomes for residents.

Revising the budget process

According to a release sent by the city, the mayor's office participated in a Budget Task Force with several city leaders this summer to revisit the city's budget development and proposal process to improve the budget process.

8News has covered several city audit reports, which revealed many issues, including how the city has reportedly spent residents' taxpayer money through an employee fleet fuel program and how its budget department has failed to establish a centralized grant management system, among other concerns.

"The Budget Task Force’s goal was to examine existing procedures and identify enhancements that would give more time for meaningful discussion, feedback, and input," the city said in a release.

The city said its revised process will ensure more transparency and a stronger focus on aligning resources with community needs, with the Budget Task Force having the following recommendations:

• Early collaboration: The mayor and council hold a public budget kickoff to establish a shared understanding of the budget process timeline and later meet for a facilitated discussion on top budget priorities
• Restructured timeline: move up the timeline for the mayor’s budget submission
• Efficient work sessions: reorganize budget work sessions around four City of Richmond portfolios -- Human Services, Finance and Administration, Planning and Economic Development and Operations
• Standardized amendment procedures: implement a standardized amendment process
• Enhanced public engagement: conduct additional public hearings before the mayor’s submission of his budget and on councilmember budget amendments
• Annual review: reconvene annually for continuous improvement

The city said the Budget Task Force will present their recommendations, and then the administration and Richmond City Council will work together to develop Standard Operating Procedures, draft any necessary legislation and communicate changes broadly.

Overhauling grant-making for non-departmental funding

The city said it currently administers grants to more than 70 community-based organizations through its non-departmental funding process.

City staff reportedly manage every stage of the funding process from requests for proposals to outcomes monitoring -- a process that requires significant staffing capacity and lacks centralized policies, according to officials.

In February of this year, an audit found that, during the 2023 fiscal year, the city awarded over $1 million to charitable organizations that did not meet its own criteria — while also denying $2.4 million in requested funding to those that did -- with auditors expressing concern that taxpayer dollars were not appropriately spent.

On Aug. 28, Mayor Avula announced a new plan to implement an intermediary organization model across four focus areas: Economic Mobility, Children and Education, Arts and Culture and Health.

According to the city, overhauling the grant-making process addresses the recommendations in the February audit report.

Strategic Action Plans

The city said its agencies have completed their Strategic Action Plans, which serve "as the foundation for accountability and transparency in city government."

Mayor Avula will then finalize and introduce his Mayoral Action Plan (MAP) later this fall.

"The MAP is built around seven pillars for a thriving Richmond and will guide the administration’s approach to policy-making and daily operations," the city said in a release.

According to the city, the "seven pillars for a thriving Richmond" are:

• A Thriving City Government "that gets things done"
• Thriving Neighborhoods "that meet our housing needs"
• Thriving Families "where every child succeeds"
• A Thriving Economy "that leaves no one behind"
• A Thriving and Inclusive City "where everyone’s rights are protected"
• A Thriving and Sustainable Built Environment "planned for future generations"
• A City that Tells its Stories "and tells the truth about its past"