Richmond mayor slashes city credit card use after scandals
Mayor Avula announced Wednesday that he's cracking down on how government employees use city-issued credit cards following some questionable purchases.
Why it matters: Avula has previously acknowledged wanting to rebuild the fractured public trust in City Hall, which has stemmed partly from how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Driving the news: In a release, Avula said the number of city-issued credit cards (known as p-cards) will drop from 320 to about 60 by next Friday.
The only allowable purchases, per Avula, are those needed for public health and safety reasons.
That means no food, Amazon or travel-related purchases while the city figures out how to "reset" the p-card program.
Flashback: A city watchdog report last fall found Richmond's elections office wasted nearly $500,000 in taxpayer money through p-card purchases that included remodeling the office, buying lingerie and helping pay for two workers' college tuition.
And just this week, the RTD reported that a former employee is under investigation for allegations that he racked up nearly $40,000 on his p-card for his own company.
What's next: Avula says the city plans to redesign the program over the next two to three months "in an effective way that really serves Richmonders" before relaunching it.
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