HillChristian

Sheila Hill-Christian's sudden resignation as Richmond's chief administrative officer this week came two days after a budget meeting that she was not part of.

The 20-minute meeting Monday was part of efforts to resolve an extended fight over the city budget, and it brought together six representatives of Mayor L. Douglas Wilder's administration and four City Council staffers, said Daisy Weaver, who was present as the council's chief of staff.

The administration representatives included Chief Financial Officer Harry E. Black and senior policy adviser Kim Neal but not Hill-Christian, Weaver said.

"I would say the fact that she was not at the budget meeting was probably a sign that she was not being included in everything," City Councilwoman Kathy C. Graziano said yesterday of Hill-Christian.

"A person who took her job as seriously as she did -- if she was invited, she would have been there," Graziano added.

Hill-Christian was advised of the meeting in advance by Black and was asked whether she planned to attend, Wilder spokesman Linwood Norman said. He said he did not know how Hill-Christian responded and added that it was "just a meeting to schedule future meetings."

"The real key is to contact and speak to Ms. Hill-Christian to avoid further unfounded speculation" about her resignation, Norman said.

Hill-Christian has not explained her departure beyond an e-mail sent to news reporters Wednesday afternoon. In it, she said she was quitting, effective yesterday, because her ability to do her job had been compromised.

Hill-Christian has not responded to phone messages or other attempts to reach her in recent days. She was named in October after the council had twice blocked Wilder's attempts to promote Black to chief administrative officer last year.

Wilder, who has five months left in his mayoral term, plans to have the city run jointly by two deputy chief administrative officers -- Black and Director of Public Utilities Christopher Beschler -- despite a City Charter requirement that an acting chief administrative officer be named upon the resignation of the chief administrative officer.

Council President William J. Pantele said yesterday that he did not know whether Hill-Christian's resignation is related to her absence from Monday's budget meeting.

"One would have thought that the chief administrative officer of the city would have been there," he said, "but I don't think it's fair to put two and two together to get five. There's no way to know."

The meeting was set up after Wilder and council members agreed to try to resolve their differences without a lawsuit over the budget. The city has been operating under Wilder's proposed budget since July 1, after the mayor declared the council budget invalid. The council and City Attorney Norman Sales insist the council budget was adopted properly.

Graziano wondered whether the absence of an acting chief administrative officer could halt any hiring or firing by the city, and perhaps interfere with Wilder's plan to have a new police chief named before he leaves office.

Graziano called Hill-Christian a longtime friend but said she has not communicated with her about her resignation.

"I think a person of her character has said all she's going to say," Graziano said.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.