Richmond City Council quietly approved severance packages totaling more than $97,000 for three departing council employees even as council members expressed shock and dismay over similar payments to four departing employees of former Mayor Dwight C. Jones.

The hefty packages were provided to the aides or liaisons of former Council members Jonathan T. Baliles, 1st District; Kathy C. Graziano, 4th District; and Michelle R. Mosby, 9th District. The aides lost their jobs when the three council members did not seek re-election and left office Dec. 31.

In December and early January, City Council approved resolutions authorizing severance packages for Timothy E. Grimes, Uzziah A. Harris and Yueh H. “Eli” Wong.

However, the amounts paid to them were not publicly disclosed until the Free Press requested the information.

Mr. Grimes, who had worked for Ms. Graziano since January 2013 and ran unsuccessfully for her City Council seat in November, received $19,207. That included $15,904 in severance and $3,304 for unused vacation, according to a report from Steven R. Skinner, Richmond City Council public information manager.

Mr. Harris, who had worked for Ms. Mosby since October 2013, was paid $38,682. That included $29,580 in severance and $9,102 in unused vacation, the report stated.

Mr. Wong, who worked as a liaison since 2007, first for former 9th District Councilman Douglas G. Conner and then for Mr. Baliles since 2013, received $39,200. That included $31,881 in severance and $7,319 for unused vacation, the report stated.

Collectively, the three former council employees received $97,089 in parting pay as prescribed by the city pay plan and a severance ordinance the council approved on Dec. 13, 2004.

City Attorney Allen L. Jackson approved the payments as to form and legality, just as he did for the four people who once reported to former Mayor Jones.

Mayor Jones’ former aides, executive assistant Cheryl Ivey Green, press secretary Tammy Hawley, chief of staff Mark Kronenthal and deputy chief of staff Don Mark, were paid a collective $226,000 in severance and unused vacation.

Surprisingly, Mr. Grimes remained on the City Council payroll and collected his city paycheck while running for election to succeed Ms. Graziano for the 4th District council seat.

However, Ms. Graziano said that she and Mr. Grimes checked with the City Attorney’s Office and received an opinion that his run for office while working for the councilwoman would not violate any law or city policy.

Mr. Grimes “wouldn’t have done it otherwise,” Ms. Graziano said.

In response to a Free Press query, Mr. Jackson stated Ms. Graziano was correct.

He noted that a city ordinance only bans employees in the “classified service” from running for office and holding a position in the city government.

However, Mr. Grimes was a member of the “unclassified service,” which is not covered by that law, Mr. Jackson said.

“I don’t know why” there is a difference, he said.

The classified service generally includes rank-and-file city employees who have some civil service-like protections for their jobs.

The unclassified service generally is reserved for upper management and those who are at-will employees who can be fired without cause.