RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond’s Finance Director Sheila White has resigned, a city spokesperson confirmed to CBS 6 Thursday.
According to an email sent by the city’s Procurement Director Rene Almarez, White is leaving her role “for another opportunity.”
Her last day will be July 25.
“Sheila’s unwavering dedication and exemplary leadership have shaped the financial stability of our city. Through countless budget cycles, challenging fiscal climates, and ambitious projects, her integrity and vision have guided us toward responsible stewardship and sustainable growth,” Almarez wrote in the email.
The email continued, “As Senior Director of Finance, Sheila was instrumental in achieving the City’s first-ever AAA credit rating from Fitch, revised tax relief programs for older adults, and streamlined payment processes to better serve our community. We extend our deepest gratitude for her service, mentorship, and tireless pursuit of excellence, and wish her happiness and fulfillment in all their future endeavors, confident that her positive impact on our city will endure.”
White joined the city as a deputy director in 2020 and became director in 2021.
Her resignation comes on the heels of many recent controversies within the department and complaints of dysfunction, inefficiencies, and outdated systems. White has previously stated those issues pre-dated her time due to a history of leadership turnover, lack of accountability, understaffing, paper-based systems, and a culture of silos among employees.
Some of the significant problems that impacted taxpayers during her tenure included the 2024 meals tax fiasco in which dozens of restaurant owners said they were unfairly hit with significant surprise late fees due to poor communication and collection practices on the city’s part.
Inaccurate personal property tax bills, accounting errors, confusion over taxpayer credits, and a broken cash reconciliation process were also subjects of internal audits and inspector general investigations in recent years. Last month, CBS 6 reported on an unreleased Inspector General report which found the Finance Department kept more than $3 million in excess business taxes without notifying taxpayers they were due credits or refunds.
Additionally, earlier this year, the department issued thousands of incorrect rebate checks and failed to develop standard operating procedures before initiating the process and mistakenly issued real estate tax bills due to a system error.
White told the City Council last year replacing her as director would “certainly disrupt the work in progress and revert the to the dysfunction the city has experienced in the past.”
At the time, White said she had taken many steps to address the department’s shortcomings including initiating a reorganization, increasing staff capacity, developing new standard operating procedures, automating systems, and expanding customer service. She also launched employee monitoring controls and continuous auditing to track the progress of ongoing changes.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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