RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Mayor Danny Avula is proposing changes to how Richmond shares its payment records after the city went years without publishing them. What he calls a win for transparency, a city councilwoman is calling a breach in public trust.
Since 2015, under its city code, Richmond has been required to release a payment registry — or a granular list of city spending — on a monthly basis to promote transparency. However, until recently, the city hadn’t released such a registry in several years.
In late March, following pressure from Richmond city councilwoman Kenya Gibson, Avula broke that streak and published the city’s payment registry for all of fiscal year 2025…