RICHMOND, Va. — A consultant hired to observe Richmond’s finance department has delivered a final report, citing a culture of poor performance and accountability as the city’s finance director prepares to depart.
Anne Seward, a subcontractor with Davenport Public Finance, was brought on in March of last year following the meals tax fiasco, when dozens of restaurant owners expressed concerns about what they called unfair and inaccurate late fees due to the city’s poor communication and collection practices.
Her job was to assist Finance Director Sheila White in identifying the root cause of customer service complaints.
She found “a long history of deficient work practices and a lack of technology that led to poor data quality” during her observation period of more than a year.
The report highlights ongoing cultural deficiencies across all staffing levels, including management. These issues include “a lack of service commitment, non-compliance with directives, and lack of accountability for job performance.”
“Far too many instances of missed deadlines, poor work product and inadequate work volumes have been experienced and documented during the engagement,” the report said.
According to Seward, staff members did not demonstrate critical thinking or resolution skills, with instances of sabotage and insubordination observed routinely.
To address performance issues, the report states that numerous management tools were deployed, including the development of 71 standard operating procedures, system upgrades, and automation of processes.
Seward emphasized that the department’s future success will depend on management’s willingness to implement these tools.
The city was invoiced nearly $500,000 for Seward’s consulting services.
During a city council committee meeting on Wednesday, Sheila White said she would not have been able to make the necessary process improvements without Seward’s help.
Some of the wins she pointed to included the implementation of RVA Pay for personal property taxes, the development of an online business tax portal, eliminating manual paper processes that leave room for error, and improving quality control measures.
White presented data showing customer service satisfaction has gotten better. In 2024, 44% of survey respondents reported being highly satisfied with the finance department’s services. In 2025, that number has grown to 56%.
“It will take time to complete the work, and at points, it’s going to feel like we’re going backwards. I promise you that that is not the case,” White said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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