September 10 12, 2015 issue

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A mountain of problems uncovered in city finance division By Jeremy M. Lazarus

nance Department and its accounts payable division. In a stinging, 23-page report issued Tuesday, City Auditor Umesh Dalal found plenty wanting in the operations of the division that is responsible for paying for everything from employee wages to city purchases, amounting

to $1.4 billion a year. According to the report, accounts payable has problems due to “inadequate staff, lack of proper oversight and lack of formal processes.” While Mr. Dalal did not find any evidence Please turn to A4

Richmond Free Press © 2015 Paradigm Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

VOL. 24 NO. 37

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

www.richmondfreepress.com

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Unpaid bills piled up and bank statements went unreconciled for months, creating uncertainty in the cash flow. Then after half the staff left, temporary workers had to be hired to try to clear the

backlog of unpaid invoices from vendors who begged to be paid. Finally, management decided payments could be made without any check as to whether the ordered goods had arrived or services completed. Welcome to the City of Richmond’s Fi-

SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2015

$6.4M to Freddie Gray’s family Baltimore agrees to pay before trials of police officers Free Press wire reports

BALTIMORE Baltimore city officials on Wednesday approved a $6.4 million civil settlement to the family of Freddie Gray, whose death from an injury in police custody triggered protests and rioting. The unanimous vote by the Board of Estimates comes ahead of a Thursday hearing on moving the trials of six police officers charged in Mr. Gray’s death out of the city. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a member of the financial control panel, said the payment would resolve any related civil claims against Baltimore and avoid possibly years of federal litigation over Mr. Gray’s death. “This settlement is about making the right fiscal decision for the city of Baltimore,” she said at a news conference. Mayor Rawlings-Blake said the settlement bore no judgment on the guilt Mr. Gray or innocence of the six officers. The mayor also extended her condolences to the Gray family. “Money cannot bring back a ... loved one but I hope it will bring some measure of closure,” she said. Mayor Rawlings-Blake rejected criticism of the deal from the Fraternal Order of Police, saying the settlement meant the charged officers would be protected from any civil suit. The Fraternal Order of Police criticized the settlement since no civil suit had been filed and said it could sour relations between officers and City Hall. A settlement before the trials “is obscene and without regard to the fiduciary responsibility owed to the taxpaying citizens of the city,” the union said in a statement. City Solicitor George Nilson said the settlement negotiations lasted three and a half months. The $6.4 million payment Please turn to A4

Morrissey pulls out of Senate race By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

High-five for the new school year Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Dana T. Bedden greets third-graders at J.B. Fisher Elementary School on South Side with high-fives on Tuesday, the first day of school. RPS officials reported a mostly smooth back-to-school launch for the nearly 24,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grades. Readying for the new school year, hundreds of students were outfitted with new shoes Monday at Second Baptist Church on South Side. Please see photos on B5.

Richmond schools to close, modify schedule for bike races By Joey Matthews

Less than a month after announcing that Richmond schools would be open during the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, the district has backpedaled. Richmond schools will close two hours early Thursday, Sept. 24, and remain closed Friday, Sept. 25. The School Board voted 7-1 at its meeting Tuesday night to back Superintendent Dana T. Bedden’s recommendations on the closures.

The board additionally gave Dr. Bedden permission to consult with the Virginia Department of Education on Wednesday about possibly modifying Richmond Public Schools schedules Monday, Sept. 21, through Wednesday, Sept. 23. After those consultations, it was determined “there will be no additional changes to the district’s calendar for that week,” Cletisha Lovelace, an RPS spokesperson, told the Free Press. The world championship bike races will be held throughout the Richmond area

from Saturday, Sept. 19, through Sunday, Sept. 27, and are expected to disrupt travel, work and education schedules throughout the region. Henrico and Hanover counties announced early last month they are canceling classes Wednesday, Sept. 23, when the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial is scheduled to traverse their locales. “We are uniquely impacted the most by the races,” Dr. Bedden told the board,

Petersburg state Sen. Rosalyn R. Dance may have an easier road to victory on Election Day in November in her bid to win Please turn to A3 her first full four-year term representing the 16th Senate District, which includes most of Richmond’s East End. Her only opponent, independent candidate Joseph D. “Joe” Morrissey, ended his campaign this week due to a medical issue, a paralyzed left diaphragm, which interferes with his breathing. While Mr. Morrissey told the Free Press Wednesday that he was withdrawing from the race, his name will still be on the ballot in the six localities that comprise the SenMr. Morrissey ate district. Along with Petersburg and part Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press of Richmond, the district also includes parts of Hopewell and Motorists on northbound Interstate 95 will notice the new Richmond sign near Downtown and eastbound Interstate 64. Chesterfield, Dinwiddie and Prince George counties. The upgrades and changes around the city and metro area, including school closures, are in anticipation of the UCI “It’s too late to remove his name. We’ve already printed the Road World Championships bike races. ballots,” said Richmond Voter Registrar Kirk Showalter, now preparing for the start of absentee voting next Wednesday, Sept. 16, or 45 days before the Free Press wire reports “But I have nothing to lose.” Nov. 3 election. NEW YORK CITY Serena entered Tuesday’s match with a 15-11, head-toHowever, when asked if Serena Williams is now two wins away from complethead advantage over Venus. But Serena’s high number he would serve if elected, Mr. ing an historic calendar year Grand Slam. of losses to her 35-year-old sibling represented the Morrissey quoted Gen. WilShe kept her bid alive by outslugging older sismost posted by any opponent against Serena, who liam T. Sherman, who once ter Venus 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in a power-packed, is ranked as the world’s No. 1 player. She knew famously said when asked to 98-minute quarterfinal at the U.S. Open she was in for a tough fight. run for president, “If nominated, on Tuesday. Well-known people, such as Donald Trump — who I will not run; if elected, I will When it ended, they met at the was booed when shown on video screens — Oprah Winnot serve.” net for a hug, with a smiling Vefrey and Kim Kardashian dotted the teeming stands, Mr. Morrissey suspended nus wrapping both arms around and the action under the lights in Arthur Ashe his campaign last Friday and Serena at the massive Arthur Ashe Stadium often was of high quality. again traveled to the JFKStadium. The 33-year-old Serena, winner of 21 Johnson Rehabilitation Insti“She’s the toughest person I’ve grand slam singles titles, took charge of the tute in Edison, N.J., to consult ever played in my life and the best opening set by securing service breaks in with doctors. He returned to person I know,” Serena said afterward the fifth and seventh games of a match Richmond during the Labor in an on-court interview. that felt like a heavyweight title bout Day weekend. “It’s going against your best friend after a brilliant start by Venus. “Suffice it to say that the and, at the same time, going against However, Venus looked more like most important things are my the greatest competitor for me in women’s the player who has claimed seven family and my health,” said tennis.” grand slam singles titles in the Mr. Morrissey, who will celNext up for Serena will be unseeded Italian second set, unleashing her power ebrate his 58th birthday later Roberta Vinci in a semifinal match Thursand drawing groundstroke errors this month. “Elections take a day, Sept. 9. Vinci earlier defeated France’s from Serena for two service breaks distinct lower priority.” Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. that sent the match to a third set. He said, however, he would “She’s the favorite. Maybe she’ll feel the Serena seized control early in the continue to represent clients of pressure,” Vinci said. “It all depends on her. If decider and rode the momentum to the his law practice, and he did she serves well, she’s tough to return.

Serena beats Venus to move to semifinals

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Robert Deutsch/USAToday Sports

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