The special Richmond City Council committee set up to investigate the attempted Richmond Public Schools' eviction from City Hall last year has stopped its work for now after being told it would get no more answers from the city's chief administrative officer.

As a result, committee members voted to compile and present a report of the information they do have to council next month and let the full council decide what the next step should be.

Councilman and committee chairman Chris Hilbert (3rd) said during the committee's meeting today that chief administrative officer Sheila Hill-Christian told him Wednesday she would not be answering the committee's questions sent to her in a letter last week.

That news came Wednesday in a conversation between Hill-Christian and Hilbert, he said, and comes after the committee requested that four city administration officials voluntarily come before the committee to answer questions.

Though Hill-Christian said initially she had no problem with the employees doing that, she later changed her mind, writing to Hilbert that, "the spirit of cooperation is being strained" by council president Bill Pantele's (2nd) comments to the media about money laundering. She called the committee's request "subterfuge."

In the letter, Hill-Christian wrote she would prepare a written response to the questions, but indicated to Hilbert that she changed her mind because of the "current atmosphere in City Hall."

Tensions have flared between the city's legislative and executive branches recently after councilwoman Ellen Robertson (6th) was quoted in Style Weekly calling Hill-Christian a "criminal" for her actions related to payments for the first lease at 3600 W. Broad St., which was later declared illegal. That location is where the administration tried to suddenly move the school system on Sept. 21 before a judge put a halt to it.

Hilbert wouldn't say if he was surprised at Hill-Christian's decision, but repeatedly said he was "extremely disappointed" given that she said she would answer questions before. The committee's questions focus on who authorized the money transfer from the Hurricane Ernesto repayment fund; who orchestrated the move; and if any legal advice was sought for the lease at 3600 W. Broad St.

The committee acknowledged that it did receive some information from the administration early on, which showed that $762,008 of taxpayer money was used during the attempted eviction and lease, including $45,000 monthly rent payments made after the lease was deemed invalid.

Committee members, which include Hilbert, Robertson and Kathy Graziano (4th) all pointed out what they had learned, which included:

• How much money was spent on the attempted move;
• That the initial lease created to move the schools to 3600 W. Broad St. was illegal;
• That monthly rent payments were made even after the lease was deemed illegal; and
• That the mayor never asked for any budget amendments or appropriations needed for such expenditures.

"The legislative body (City Council) approves the budget for money to be moved," Graziano said, "(It) brings into question to me if the administration is not going to abide by ordinances or the budget, what control does the legislative body have over administration, as is our charge?"

The committee will present its findings to the full council at its April 7 organizational meeting and to the public at its April 14 meeting. The report will not include a recommendation, but may include suggestions, members said.

It will then be up to the full council, Hilbert said, to decide whether the committee's work is done or if more action is needed.