New CAO promises focus on ‘nuts and bolts’ of city government

As he settles into his new role as the top unelected official at City Hall, Richmond’s new Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II says he’s gotten the message that residents want “top notch service” from City Hall.

“I think that’s number one for me,” Donald said Monday as he and Mayor Danny Avula held an introductory news conference. “You’ll get more than tired of hearing me say people first and people always.”

Donald — who started his work in Richmond on July 7 after Avula hired him away from his former job serving as chief of staff to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens — said he’s been on a “full-blown listening tour” to understand what people want from the city and how that compares to what they’re currently getting.

Asked when residents can expect to see tangible results, Donald said he expects the city government to “get on track very quickly,” adding that progress is already underway.

“From day one, we've already started to make some improvements in the areas in which there are challenges,” Donald said. “Long before I got here, the mayor has been focused on improving water services and resolving some of those issues.”

Making the billing process easier and more accurate is also a major priority, Donald said. As he’s been out in the community, he added, he’s also heard a desire for more streamlined permitting and business license services.

“We want to make sure that not only the big issues that you guys are going to be covering get the attention that they need, but also the nuts and bolts of government get the attention they need as well,” Donald said.

Donald said his definition of “nuts and bolts” means access to services and “understanding how to access something, how to pay for things, how to receive your service in a very quick and easy way.”

Monday’s event was the mayor’s first new conference with the newly hired CAO, whose appointment was announced and confirmed by the City Council in early June. Donald’s arrival in Richmond is a key step for the Avula administration, which took the reins of city government at the start of the year but inherited several top administrators from former Mayor Levar Stoney’s era.

Avula said he’s “thrilled” to have Donald in Richmond.

“Obviously, it took a little longer than we were hoping,” the mayor said. “I wanted to have somebody in the seat by April or so. But Odie being an incredibly loyal person there were some important things in Atlanta that they had to get through, including their budget in May. But we found our person, and we knew they were worth waiting for.” 

Donald has already gotten involved in some key Avula initiatives, such as the planned overhaul of the city’s purchasing card system after an internal audit found overly lax controls over how city officials make small purchases.

In a memo released Monday outlining steps to tighten control of purchasing cards — such as suspending purchases in “high-risk” categories like food, Amazon items and travel — Donald said the changes “signal a shift in the city of Richmond’s governance culture.”

While immediate controls and process improvements are critical, the focus of the administration is to build a foundation of positive stewardship across all departments,” Donald wrote in the memo.

When asked at the news conference for his initial impressions of the city government that’s now under his day-to-day control, Donald said “no government is perfect.” But he said his prior experiences in Georgia — such as helping build out the newly created city of South Fulton and holding a high-ranking position in a big city like Atlanta — make him a good fit for a city like Richmond.

“I’m aware of the problems,” he said. “Don’t ever think that I’m not.”

Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org