Richmond has lost its third controller -- the top official responsible for accurately reporting its financial position -- in less than two years.

Antonette Sommerville left the city's service last week, Chief Financial Officer Harry E. Black said yesterday, adding that "things just didn't work out."

She was hired for her $110,000-a-year position this year.

Sommerville was hired after a nationwide search to replace Anica Ashbourne, who was hired last year to replace Stacey Fayson.

"It's just a very hard job," Black said, asked if the recent turnover in the post means the city's finance department has problems.

He said he could not elaborate on the reasons for Sommerville's departure because it is a personnel matter. Sommerville does not have a listed phone number and could not be reached immediately for comment.

The city's outside auditors found "material weaknesses" in the city's financial reporting after reviewing its fiscal year 2006 annual report, while last year's audited financial statement disclosed a series of multimillion-dollar reporting errors. They date from before Sommerville's arrival.

Black said he has informed the city's outside auditors about Sommerville's departure and said he expects no problems closing out accounts and completing the annual report for fiscal year 2008, which ended yesterday.

"There's been a lot of turnover in the finance department, and that's a great concern," said City Council President William J. Pantele.

Pantele said he and other council members have been getting more and more complaints about problems with city bills and payments, though Mayor L. Douglas Wilder has said there have been only a handful of complaints.
Contact David Ress at (804) 649-6051 or dress@timesdispatch.com.