On July 21, 2025, the City of Richmond provided a memo to the City Council Finance and Economic Development Committee detailing immediate actions and future steps regarding its Purchasing Card (P-card) Program. This follows an April reset of the program.
The memo from Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald outlined several actions already taken. These include interim controls, suspension of non-essential P-card activity, structural reforms with clear separation of duties in card management, updates to the City’s travel policy, and development of a discretionary spend policy.
“Richmonders deserve a government that operates with transparency and integrity,” stated Mayor Danny Avula. “We’re taking a hard look at the problems, finding what’s not working, and fixing them. This work is about restoring trust and making sure our systems work the way they’re supposed to.”
Odie Donald emphasized commitment to progress by addressing issues, improving policies, and strengthening internal controls: “Beyond these initial actions, we remain laser focused on building a strong organization that residents can rely on.”
In early May, the number of City purchasing cards was reduced by over 80%, limiting purchases to essential public health and safety needs or where no other payment methods exist.
An independent assessment by the National Institute for Public Procurement is underway to provide recommendations. The City Auditor has also contributed recommendations following an audit.
Next steps in Richmond’s process include continuing assessments, strengthening policy based on auditor recommendations, finalizing an updated Purchasing Card policy, implementing training tools, and completing the reset.
A one-stop track for all program rebuild news will include announcements and status updates on key reform processes such as recruitment efforts for new personnel and updates to training materials.
Further information can be accessed through their P-card tracker at https://www.rva.gov/procurement-services/p-card-progress
