Incredible!

Mayor Danny Avula today announced the City of Richmond’s significant progress in addressing audit recommendations. For the first time since 2019, the City has fewer than 100 outstanding recommendations, reflecting the Mayor’s commitment to partnering with the Office of the City Auditor (OCA) to “Look for it, find it, fix it”.

The City began the reporting period with 109 open audit recommendations across 38 total audits. Eleven recommendations from two additional audit reports were added, bringing the total to 120 recommendations across 40 audits. According to the preliminary Auditor’s Office report, 23 recommendations have been closed and 1 was removed. Pending the Auditor’s final report out, 96 recommendations remain.

“We’re a long way from perfect, and there is still a lot of work to do, but we're heading in the right direction. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: improving the delivery of core services is a long, slow process. It takes deep work within the departments and sustained effort over time. That consistency is what will build trust and helps ensure Richmonders are getting the high-quality services they should expect from their local government,” said Mayor Danny Avula .

New centralized audit intake and tracking system

The City has taken meaningful steps to strengthen how audit recommendations are managed and addressed. Under the leadership of CAO Donald, the City has established centralized audit oversight through the CAO’s office, developed and implemented an intake and tracking system, and standardized the process for closing audit recommendations.

Since FY26, the CAO’s office has facilitated one-to-one meetings between every department with open recommendations and the Office of the Auditor to support progress on closing audit recommendations. These efforts have increased visibility into longstanding issues, clarified accountability, and helped identify recommendations where corrective actions occurred but documentation was still needed to validate and formally close findings.

“Continuous quality improvement is the focus of our ‘look for it, find it, fix it’ approach. For the first time in nearly a decade, the City has fewer than 100 total findings,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald, II . “A well‑run government isn’t one where issues don’t exist; it’s one that confronts them directly. The measure of our success is the continued progress towards resolving structural, long-standing, and high‑priority issues for the benefit of all Richmonders and the services they receive.”

Progress on overhaul of grant-making program

One example of the progress the City is making is the overhaul of the Richmond Thrives Grants Program. This program represents a significant transformation in how the City awards funds to non-profit organizations serving Richmond residents, and it replaces the former non-departmental grant program. The Richmond Thrives Grants Program manages an open, competitive application processes across the City's four priority areas: Arts & Culture, Children & Families, Economic Mobility, and Health. Six of nine audit recommendations associated with the program have been closed, with the remaining three on track for closure in November. 

"The new Richmond Thrives Grants Program is measurable results, impact, and best practices in action. Completing six of the nine audit recommendations marks significant progress, and we will continue that work until we have closed the remaining three,” said Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services Amy Popovich . “Our goal is to ensure that grant funding is administered effectively and equitably to reach the people and places that make Richmond thrive.”

Comprehensive streetlight improvement plan 

The City has concurred with the streetlight report from the Auditor’s office and is pursuing a comprehensive plan to implement the recommendations. Those recommendations include completing an inventory of city streetlights, and evaluating processes and systems for work orders, billing, and maintenance. The City will hire a vendor to help support this work. 

Continuing to Look for it, Find it, Fix it

The Richmond Thrives Grants Program and Streetlight Program are two areas where the City is working to actively address long-standing challenges identified by the Office of the City Auditor. Some are close to being fully resolved while others will require more time and changes to systems and processes. 

Mayor Avula’s administration will continue to work closely with the Office of the City Auditor and all departments to build on this progress, resolve remaining recommendations, and strengthen the delivery of services for Richmonders.

Recordings and reports from the Office of the City Auditor can be found here.

https://www.rva.gov/index.php/office-city-auditor/mission

https://www.rva.gov/index.php/office-city-auditor/reports-issued