Post to the www.TimesDispatch.com re: City Auditor's Policies

Here is a comment I left on an article in today's Times-Dispatch regarding their article " City Auditor’s work won’t be as publicized " about City Council devising a policy to prohibit the City Auditor from announcing the completion of audits and investigations.

My comment:

Ineptitude at City Council should hardly be surprising. Open government and transparency are best practices in the field of government. It leads to accountability. When the public can see how decisions are made, they can understand why decisions were made and WHO is accountable for the decisions made.

I asked Council members earlier in the year if they supported open government and many of them did not seem familiar with the concept, though they said they said they supported it.



Since when should our government seek to emulate the government of Chesterfield and Henrico.

Especially, when what you seek to emulate is keeping information secret. The City Auditor works for the citizens of Richmond; not the City Council or the Mayor.

The news coverage of city government is already apathetic. Press releases from the Auditor's Office help inform the public. It cost relatively nothing for the auditor's office to email press releases and even to hold a press conference to allow the City Auditor to explain the findings to the media, who need all the help they can get. City Council members should also try to attend City Auditor Press Conferences, so they will know the questions from the media and know more directly the results of Audit Reports.

This article comes on the heels of tomorrow's interviews with appointees for the GRTC Transit System Board. See the Times-Dispatch article, "GRTC board appointments a point of contention" Oct. 2, 2009,

By WILL JONES

Published: October 2, 2009

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones wants one of the city's new administrators to help run the GRTC Transit System.

But City Councilman Bruce W. Tyler is pushing back and expressing concern over a role the city could play in a sale of GRTC's coveted headquarters property near the Fan District.

Jones wants the 6.8-acre site to go to the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority for private development guided by the city through a review of proposals.

The council is scheduled to appoint three members to the GRTC board this month. This week, the list of 13 applicants was pared to eight finalists, including Peter H. Chapman, the city's new deputy chief administrative officer for economic and community development.

Another is former Chief Administrative Officer Sheila Hill-Christian, who has worked as a consultant to the Jones administration. She previously held executive positions with GRTC and RRHA.

Tyler said he's concerned about the possible appointments.

"I don't believe it should be anybody from the administration or with close ties to the administration," he said. "That body needs to be independent and it needs to report to council."

The Jones administration sees no conflict and nothing unusual in having one of its members on the GRTC board, said Tammy D. Hawley, the mayor's press secretary.

"Our motive is to have the highest amount of experience to move the transit system forward," she said.

John M. Lewis Jr., CEO of GRTC, said residency from the appointing locality is the only requirement for the GRTC board. While directors have historically been local civic and business leaders, many public-transit agencies are governed by elected and appointed officials, he said.

Chesterfield County, which owns GRTC with the city, also is set to make its three appointments to the six-member board.

The city's other finalists for appointment are the current representatives -- Linda G. Broady-Meyers, James M. Johnson and Michael Rohde, as well as Robert P. Englander Jr., a real estate developer and principal of The CathFord Group; Mark Romer, president of James River Equipment Co.; and Grindly Johnson, chief of business and employee opportunities for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Tyler said he's bothered that candidates recommended by him -- developer Paul W. Kreckman [Editor's note: the same fellow from Highwoods Properties that was pitching the stadium in Shockoe Bottom], architect Robert C. Burns and attorney R. Webb Moore -- won't be interviewed. The council's Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee will meet Monday to conduct closed-door interviews.

Chesterfield County Administrator James J.L. Stegmaier had no comment on the city appointments or on how the GRTC property might be developed.

"We think it's important that the property be sold at fair market price and those resources be used to enhance the quality of public transportation in the region," he said.

The property, at 101 S. Davis Ave., has been appraised at more than $5 million but could require substantial environmental cleanup.

Tyler said he sees no reason for the city and RRHA to play a prominent role in the site's future. He said the city has a poor record of guiding development and cited several projects, including the city-requested and now-withdrawn proposal offered by Kreckman's firm for a ballpark in Shockoe Bottom.

Tyler said the city would be able to control whatever happens on the GRTC site because the council's approval would likely be needed for any development.

GRTC is expected to vacate the property by early December when it moves to a new operations and maintenance center on Belt Boulevard in South Richmond. Lewis said no sale offers are pending, and there's no timetable for a decision.

"That's up to my board of directors," he said.

Council has said it would be a closed door session on Monday Oct. 5, 2009 from 8 AM to 10:30 AM -- though I can't understand the grounds for closing the meeting to the public. All candidates have received the questions in advance. This is not a discussion of discipline, legal issues, or discussion about employment.

This is about appointing members to a public board that deals with the City's bus system and future development of a light rail system. The term is for one year.

What are you afraid of City Council? People deserve to know what you are doing on our behalf and in our names. You represent us and we deserve to know how and why you make decisions. This is known as Open Government.

-Silver Persinger

Below, watch the last Governmental Operations meeting of September 24, 2009 where the proposed policy was discussed.

Governmental Operations Discusses Auditor's Reporting Policies - Sept. 24, 2009 from Silver Persinger.

Below, watch the July 23, 2009 Governmental Operations meeting where the policy was first discussed.

City Auditor's Office Policies Discussed at Governmental Operations - July 23, 2009 from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.

Information about Betty L. Squire, Council's selection for 7th District

Below are reprinted my reply's on Church Hill People's News post entitled "Council goes for Squire?"

February 4, 2009 8:02 pm

Here are the materials submitted by Mrs. Squire to the City Council.

If anyone one is interested in seeing the same materials submitted by another candidate please let me know which candidate and I’ll upload it as soon as I can. This material was publicly available at this past Monday’s Organizational Development meeting (02/02/2009) before they went into closed session.

The best thing about Mrs. Squire is her forthrightness in her application about not wanting to run for election. She wrote, “I have no intention to run. I believe that the ‘appointee’ should serve for a specified period of time only. After that time, I feel that the citizens should be able to elect a person of their choice to fill the remainder of the unexpired term.”

February 4, 2009 8:12 pm

What this whole exercise demonstrates is the Council’s comfort with conducting business behind closed doors because they feel they are acting in the citizens’ best interests. Talking to Council members before the meeting it became apparent that a few of the members don’t seem understand the important concept of “Open and Transparent Government.”

Watch the video here.

This should serve as a warning to citizens and motivate us to criticize how Richmond City Council conducts its business.

Lack of Open Government, Again?

"Out of their own mouths shall they be condemned."

Listen to this amazing exchange of our city government . The laughter at the beginning is because President Kathy Graziano said "we are going to be interviewing candidates for Ellen's seat" instead of correctly saying Delores McQuinn's seat. Give it a listen, it's just under 15 minutes. This is from today's informal session which began at 3:17 pm, this portion of audio comes from two hours and 12 minutes into the meeting. At forty seconds into this recording Valerie Salaam, Council policy advisor (one of Council's four policies advisors), describes the process that will be used to select the next Council person from the 7th District. Ms. Salaam delivers the bombshell at 2:40 in the recording, "The interviews, as well as any further discussion and consideration of candidates will all be held in Closed Session." The supposed reason for this according to President Graziano (6:00) was that since the same questions would be asked of each candidate there was a chance for a later candidate to get the questions in advance. It is possible.

Then Mr. Bruce Tyler said that Council members should return the draft questions which had been circulated among Council members five minutes before and President Graziano agreed and told Council members not to share the questions.

Mr. Chris Hilbert (8:20) said, "I find this whole process to be distasteful. No one in the 7th District elected any one of us. I find it particularly awkward to have to pick a representative for the residents of that district.... This process is going to be rife with potential pitfalls and pratfalls. And to the extent that it is closed we are going to invite that much more abuse to be heaped upon us. I would say that I rather this process to be open."

President Graziano defended her position (9:50) by saying that such political appointments are "made in backrooms, with no interviews, no questionairres" and cited recent national events such as the Rod Blagojevich scandal.

I would counter, there is not much difference in a decision made by one person or eight people, it is simply undemocratic. And why would you want to obscure citizen participation in the process and the desireable goal of open government. President Graziano says she wants to put the candidates on a level playing field. Why not provide all questions to all candidates. That would test a candidate's ability to prepare and find information. A valuable skill for a politician. If you want to make it more difficult give it to them 24 hours before, so they can cram like students before a final exam.

Mr. Hilbert asked "Is this the only discussion we are going have on the process?" (11:10) President Graziano said it was unless he wanted to have a special meeting. Mr. Hilbert started to offer a motion, but Graziano interupted and offered to do a poll -- 3 polls were performed at the informal session today. Turns out only Mr. Hilbert and Mr. Charles Samuels were the only individuals on City Council who supported an open process. I wonder if the people of the 7th District would prefer? If you live in the 7th District, leave a comment.

Mr. Marty Jewell, my Councilman, said, "It's not going to trouble me one way or the other, I'm just curious about the rationale for the open process."

Mr. Hilbert responded, "I think there's been all sorts of discussions about some kind of backroom deal and blah, blah, blah ... I would rather us just have an open meeting about it... under the principle, Let's be as transparent as we possibly can be about this indelicate situation."

Mr. Jewell doesn't mind the task at hand because "we've a process that appears to me to be a lot cleaner than what we're looking at nationally. So, I'm alright with it."

Mr. Tyler chimed in, justifying that this was the same process he (as former-chair of Governmental Operations along with Mr. Doug Conner and Mr. Jewell) used in the selection of the members to the Charter Review Commission, another public body operating nearly in secret in plain sight and open to the public. He also used the lame defense about the last person to interview having the opportunity of taking notes while others were answering questions (13:40).

Do you know what is seriously lacking in decisions such as this and other Council matters? There are discussions that go on where there is absolutely no opportunity for citizens to tell the Council members where they are going wrong. Without the benefit of public comment, they are neither called out nor held accountable for actions that involve more than just themselves. This is a fundamental flaw in our government and as it is stated I hope others will become aware of the problem.

Well citizens of the 7th District, you certainly don't deserve this.

Public or Private: Richmond Mayor Elect Dwight Jones Gets Personal

I called the Richmond City Clerk's office about two weeks ago to ask about Mayor Elect Dwight Clinton Jones' swearing in. Though the Clerk's office was not organizing the event, Mrs. Sears-Thomas offered that they had heard that it would be held on December 31 but that it would be a "private" event. The Times Dispatch reported the private swearing ceremony on Dec. 9, 2008.

At the time, it struck me as unusual that the swearing in of an elected public official would be a private ceremony. I paid it little mind and thought it would get straightened out in time for the actual event. I called the Clerk's office again today [4:49 PM] to see if they could provide any additional information regarding the swearing in. The clerk's office told me that there would be a public swearing in on Jan. 10. I asked, "What about the swearing in tomorrow?" and Ms. Craighead responded that it was going to be "private." I asked, "Isn't that unusual?" She responded she wasn't sure because this would be her first time going through the process. She offered to give me the number of the Mayor Elect's transition team.

I called the number she provided at 4:51 PM, and it was answered by Margaret Pugh who is serving on the transition team. I asked about the swearing in and she told me about the event on January 10. I asked, "What about the swearing in tomorrow?" To which Ms. Pugh responded that was "more of a personal type of event." I was shocked and said that it was unusual for a publicly elected official to have a private swearing in. I asked if the Press would be permitted to attend because I would be much more interested in reporting the event than criticizing it as being closed to the public. I left my name and number and Ms. Pugh said she would talk with the Mayor Elect's assistant.

Could this be a sign of another secretive and privileged administration? Can you imagine if President Elect Obama proposed holding a private swearing in ceremony? Why not hold the mayoral inauguration in Council Chambers in conjunction with Council's ceremonies on Friday, January 2, 2008 at 10 AM? What better way to demonstrate a willingness to work hand in hand with the Council?