Former Mayor Dwight C. Jones left City Hall at the end of 2016, but his final actions in office are still looming over his successor and the new Richmond City Council.
In late December, Jones handed out $1.9 million in bonuses to city employees. Because the sum was not set aside in the city’s budget, the city attorney has said, Jones lacked the authority to spend the money without first seeking council approval — something Jones' press secretary disputed. A week or so later, news broke of $166,000 in severance payout to four of Jones’ political appointees. The move raised eyebrows, but was technically allowed under a 2004 policy.
Mayor Levar Stoney’s administration has said it can’t reverse the severance payments. Jim Nolan, Stoney’s spokesman, says in an email the mayor’s administration is “carefully reviewing the existing city council ordinance governing severance and any subsequent amendments made by council to the existing law."
Regardless of their legality, the pair of actions were met with frustration and outright anger among some council members, who must hammer out their first budget with Stoney this spring.
“[Jones’ actions] put us in an impossible position, an untenable position,” Council President Chris Hilbert says in an interview. “It was wrong and disrespectful to the new people to do it so intentionally and lump it on top of one another.”
A month later, council members are still mulling the best course forward.
While no one has put forth an ordinance to amend or repeal the current policy on severance payouts, a majority of the members expressed openness to taking up the issue.
Kimberly Gray, who represents the 2nd District on council, said she believes the city’s severance packages are “more generous” than other localities or the state offer to employees. Current city policy allows for one month of pay for each year of employment with the city for up to seven months.
“We need to take a hard look at the policy and make sure we’re doing what’s best for the citizens,” Gray says. “That’s not always going to align with what’s best for the employees.”
Andreas Addison, who represents the West End 1st District on council, says council should assess the scope of the problem facing the city before deciding how to proceed.
“We could make a reactionary decision to what we’re talking about now with what the mayor did and come into conflict with current contracts and employees,” Addison says. “I want to make sure we don’t do something reactionary that could have bigger consequences later on.”
Michael Jones, who represents South Richmond's 9th District on council, says the problem extends beyond the former mayor’s decision. Last year alone, the city spent more than $300,000 in court costs fighting claims brought by former employees who did not receive severance payments.
“My concern is that everyone has made this about the outgoing administration, and it’s bigger than that,” Jones says. “We have to look at the [severance] process as a whole and change it if we can’t afford to keep doing it.”
