With a little more than 60 days left in office, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said the city is on the right track, despite mayoral candidates calling for an overhaul of City Hall.
In a press conference earlier this week, Stoney highlighted improvements made based on a 2017 performance review he commissioned during his first 100 days of office.
“City Hall and [its] services are not the top three issues in the city of Richmond right now,” Stoney said. “It’s affordable living, affordable housing, public education and public safety.”
Stoney said residents aren’t calling for dramatic changes within City Hall, as opposed to before he took office in January 2017.
Previously, he said, “people truly did ring the bell on services because their roads weren't getting paved, the grass wasn't getting cut, those basic core services were not happening.”
According to the mayor, the disconnect could be a result of who candidates are engaging with.
“Are they spending time in areas where people are struggling economically, where they've seen improvements and investments in their neighborhoods?” Stoney said. “Or are they spending a lot of time in the areas where they have the privilege to show up in the middle of an afternoon and tell you what they think is wrong with the City of Richmond?”
He also questioned if the race for mayor is truly a change election: “Why are people, you know, ringing my phone asking for my consideration as we wind down this campaign cycle?”
Stoney added that he hasn’t decided whether to endorse a mayoral candidate before Tuesday.
Implemented improvements
James Burke and Linda Pierce of TEOconsulting conducted the 2017 review and were paid just under $50,000 by the Stoney administration to produce a 2024 follow-up.
The initial review called for improvements in the city’s financial controls and reporting, hiring processes and career development, procurement practices, and upgraded and integrated technology. As a result, the review focused on the city’s finance, human resources, procurement and IT departments.
For the 2024 review, the consultant team sent a survey to department directors to ask if the 2017 recommendations had been implemented — then followed up with interviews.
The directors reported that out of 228 recommendations, 90% were either fully or partially implemented — or, in some cases, an alternative solution was found.
“This is important, because we need to know as residents what's going on in City Hall, where's progress being made, and where [it is] still yet to be made,” Burke said.
Pierce said the city’s HR department has been completely revamped. Procurement underwent “extreme” changes, mostly technology driven, and implemented purchasing cards — or p-cards.
P-cards were at the center of finance department issues this summer after the Richmond Times-Dispatch uncovered a series of employee violations. Stoney told VPM News in August that only a small number of people violated p-card protocol, but that “99% of the 300-plus employees who have access to a p-card — a purchasing card — are in good standing.”
In addition to p-card issues, VPM News reported earlier this year on irregularities in how the department handled the city’s meals tax — prompting complaints from restaurant owners — and personal property tax assessments.
In August, fired finance employees told WTVR's Tyler Layne that they were working under chaotic conditions and were not properly trained for their positions. These employees said they worked processing meals and personal property taxes and business license applications.
In her report to TEOconsulting, Richmond Finance Director Sheila White said future initiatives for her department include becoming fully digital and implementing an enterprise risk management strategy.
A vibe shift at City Hall
Burke said there is a culture shift happening in City Hall: “It may not be super scientific, but the vibe that you get in City Hall is different from the one that we experienced in 2017.”
The 2024 report said more informal meetings are held to find collaborative solutions, rather than to assign blame when issues arise.
Additionally, the Office of Strategic Communication and Civic Engagement, which was started in 2021 and led by former city spokesperson Petula Burks, has helped improve communication within and outside City Hall, the report said.
But the consultants said more collaboration is still needed: “We would suggest that the next administration continue the culture shift away from blame and toward even more open and honest dialogue.”
Urgency was not in City Hall’s vocabulary in 2017, Burke said.
“Things would get done eventually,” he said. “Building a culture where there is some urgency and there is importance was critical. We have seen that happen.”
The report said this was not easy given the turnover in some departments — most notably finance, HR and police.
But despite the turnover, Burke said the city is attracting staff with improved work culture, collective bargaining agreements and health clinics for employees.
“All these things are going to create a feeling of value among employees. These are significant things,” Burke said. “This builds the kind of culture that you want for the city to attract your qualified people.”
Focus on retaining staff
The 130-page report also recommends areas for continued improvement for the city’s incoming mayor. One of the key recommendations is retaining existing staff.
“We would suggest that a lot of time has gone into hiring good people,” Burke said. “I would not recommend changing anybody on the decks right now.”
Each of the five mayoral candidates have said they plan to rebuild the finance department — with three calling for a new chief administrative officer.
Stoney said he hopes the follow-up report will help the incoming mayor focus on critical areas at City Hall, instead of reinventing the wheel.
