Richmond, VA — Today, Dr. Danny Avula, candidate for Mayor of Richmond, released a plan to transform City Hall, the first of a series of white papers detailing his priorities as Mayor.
Dr. Avula said, “I believe in transparency — in showing residents what I plan to accomplish. So, today, I begin my rollout of specific policy initiatives by issuing a white paper on transforming City Hall and how Richmond’s local government can better serve the needs of its people and institutions. I have spent my career managing and leading local, regional, and state government organizations, and I will bring that experience in public administration to running City Hall. My experience and track record make me the only candidate who can be trusted to accomplish these plans.
“I also believe that organizations should work to serve their members who, in this case, are Richmond residents. To that end, I’ve been meeting with and listening to Richmonders and will continue to do so over the course of this campaign and as Mayor.
“As Mayor, I will take personal responsibility for improving the functioning of our local government.”
You can find the detailed, six-part white paper on DannyForMayor.com. Highlights include:
- Improve the performance, effectiveness, trustworthiness, and accountability of Richmond City government operations. Danny will prioritize the financial responsibilities of a high-functioning agency. Danny will regularly attend City Council meetings to update the Council on the city’s progress and answer questions. He will also meet regularly with residents to hear their concerns.
- Undertake a comprehensive assessment of leadership and personnel — starting at the top. Danny will not hesitate to make necessary changes and hire top-quality professionals to run City Hall. Moreover, he will be hands-on, engaging directly with department heads regarding key decisions and interacting regularly with all City Hall employees.
- Demand transparency in decision-making. Members of Danny’s leadership team will be expected to clearly define and justify the issue at hand, do their research, make timely, researched-based decisions that take public input into account, and communicate those decisions promptly and clearly. Danny will hold himself to these same standards.
- Improve the core areas of government: human resources, information and technology, procurement, and finance. Implementing technology that effectively meets Richmond’s needs, making sure employees are well-trained, and creating a professional climate and compensation structure will make the city a competitive and positive place to work.
- Elevate the Office of Performance Management. Led by a Chief Transformation Officer, this office will undertake assessments of departments, oversee audit responses, and work to drive transformational change throughout the organization. This will allow real-time information about challenges on the front lines to be communicated regularly to senior leadership.
- Mandate city agencies to publish detailed plans, which outline goals and include specific information such as personnel needs, numerical targets, and budgets. This transparency will drive accountability, management, and accessibility. The public should be able to see and understand how their tax dollars are being deployed.
- Support and uplift employees. Danny will follow both the letter and the spirit of the city’s collective bargaining agreements while continuously working to improve salaries and the work environment at City Hall. When employees are happy and feel valued, their service delivery is better, and their interactions with the public reflect that.
“In my years of leading large government agencies, I have learned what works and what doesn’t. I have the organizational skills, the interpersonal skills, and the determination to build a stronger, healthier Richmond — and it starts at City Hall,” Dr. Avula concluded.
View the press release: https://dannyformayor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/20240620_Policy-White-Paper-Press-Release.pdf