Mayor Danny Avula announced on April 13 that he has introduced an ordinance aimed at improving the City of Richmond’s payment reporting system. The proposed changes come after a review of city workflows and follow a commitment made in March to address longstanding issues with the current payment registry requirement.
The initiative seeks to enhance public access to information about city spending while ensuring compliance with privacy laws. The ordinance aims to make the system more practical and accurate for both residents and city staff.
Avula said, “On March 26, I said we were taking a hard look at how the City delivers payment registry data. We did that work, and now we’re acting on it.” He added, “My ordinance gives the public the information they have a right to have about how taxpayer dollars are spent while creating a system that can actually work the way it was intended.”
If adopted, the new rules would require Richmond to publish key details such as who is being paid by the city, how much is being paid, and which department authorized each payment. At the same time, payments restricted by privacy laws—including certain social services benefits and tax refunds—would be excluded from public reports.
According to Avula, “This is about delivering better, more usable information to the public. It means stronger transparency, smarter operations, and helping residents clearly understand how public dollars are being spent.”
The ordinance also supports broader efforts by city leadership to modernize government operations and increase accountability. Recent initiatives include launching TechDesk for IT support services, updating procedures for affordable housing funds, passing legislation related to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests through a new library resource, and making improvements in business-related online services.
