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City introduces 4 new executives

3/29/2019, 6 a.m.
Four people have been named to executive positions at City Hall, including one charged with ferreting out fraud, waste and ...

Sharon Ebert

Sharon Ebert

Douglas Dunlap

Douglas Dunlap

Valaryee Mitchell

Valaryee Mitchell

Four people have been named to executive positions at City Hall, including one charged with ferreting out fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Richmond City Council on Monday appointed the new corruption watchdog, James Osuna, a former inspector general for the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, while Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced last week an overhaul of the management of the city’s development operations with three appointees.

Mr. Osuna, who is to start June 24, will a fill the newly created post of inspector general that City Council has spent at least two years creating, including securing a General Assembly-approved change in the City Charter. Previously, the city auditor, also a council appointee, reviewed spending practices and investigated allegations of fraud and waste.

City Council is paying a high price for the inspector general. Mr. Osuna is to receive a $170,000 annual salary and benefits, including starting pay of $143,000, in running an office to look into allegations of misuse of funds in city government.

Both the current city auditor, Louis G. Lassiter, and the past city auditor who secured council approval to launch the inspector general’s office, Umesh Dalal, have turned up little in fraud and waste, despite long-standing suspicions by city residents and past council members.

Most of the findings in the published inspector general reports have involved a few low-level employees finding ways of padding overtime, using city vehicles for personal matters or receiving pay for time they didn’t work, but with only small amounts of money involved.

Meanwhile, Mayor Stoney named Sharon Ebert as the new deputy chief administrative officer for economic and community development, including the anti-poverty Office of Community Wealth Building.

Ms. Ebert, whose annual salary is $160,000, takes over from the interim DCAO, Douglas Dunlap, a 19-year City Hall veteran who filled in after the departure of Lee Downey and who will now serve as director of the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Ms. Ebert, who has a background in architecture, brings more than 25 years of experience in state and local governments, the mayor stated. She previously held positions in New York and Yonkers, N.Y., Philadelphia and Bridgeport, Conn. Most recently, she served as director of community development in Johns Creek, Ga.

Mr. Dunlap, whose new position comes with a $135,000 annual salary, previously served as deputy director of the Department of Planning and Development Review. Before coming to City Hall, he oversaw the Better Housing Coalition’s home ownership program for Cary 2000 in the West End and Jefferson Mews in the East End.

Separately, Valaryee Mitchell, who has 18 years of experience in workforce programs, was named director of the Office of Community Wealth Building, with an annual salary of $120,000. She will report to Ms. Ebert.

Ms. Mitchell had been serving as interim director in recent months after the former director, Reginald Gordon, was promoted to deputy chief administrative officer for human services. — JEREMY M. LAZARUS