Portsmouth City Manager Resigns and City Attorney Fired As Vice Mayor Claims Racial Motivation

In Portsmouth, Virginia yesterday, City Manager Dr. Lydia Pettis Patton resigned ahead of a special meeting that was called to review her performance as well as City Attorney Solomon Ashby, who was fired during the meeting.

“Through prayer and reflection, I have decided that in the best interest of the city of Portsmouth, to step aside immediately as City Manager conditioned upon the city meeting (its) obligations owed to me under my contract. I have served this city with honor and dedication and I want to leave the city as I came in 1986 with honor,” Pettis Patton said in her resignation email.

The turmoil comes following the announcement that the city’s Police Chief Angela Greene had been placed on administrative leave by Pettis Patton, who was to step down after 5 years as City Manager at the end of the year anyway.

Former Republican Congressional candidate Jarome Bell said that he thinks the shake-up is “a good thing if they put the right people in there.” Bell spoke at a rally on Sunday in support of Greene and supporters rallied again yesterday.

This time, counter-protesters showed up as they were departing, who along with the Vice-Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke believe that the situation yesterday is racially motivated. Lucas-Burke voted against accepting the resignation and firing.

From WAVY 10:

Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke told 10 On Your Side she is distraught about the city manager’s resignation and termination of the city attorney following a hastily-called special session of City Council. When asked whether there is a “shadow government” in Portsmouth, Lucas-Burke told 10 On Your Side she believes there’s an effort to put a thumb on Black leadership in Portsmouth.

“I think there is some backbone of a network of higher leadership that is guiding this whole force, said Lucas-Burke.

Last month, Lucas-Burke was charged with two misdemeanors for allegedly calling for the termination of Greene. Burke told 10 On Your Side she will recruit a citizen to file similar charges against one or two colleagues on the City Council under allegations they called for the termination of an employee who was hired by the city manager or the manger’s staff.

From WXFR:

A news release for the second planned protest said City Council members and city officials have “delved into personal matters when it fits their agenda to deride Black leadership.”

“In a city where those in power have struggled with recognizing the value of Black and Brown people, some in elected office has resorted to threatening warrants against the former City Manager and using other egregious tactics to eliminate Portsmouth of its foundation,” the release said.

“It seems as if the decisions that are being made are just for their good ole boy network. Black and brown people continue to be at the bottom here in our city,” said Hunt, who organized the protest.

Hunt called for Mayor John Rowe to be the next city leader to go.

Rowe described council’s decision to fire the city attorney as “getting it right” in Portsmouth.

“We need to get this ship back on course, we need to get it stabilized,” Rowe said.

Hunt said Black leaders in Portsmouth are continuously silenced when they try to speak up. He hopes to see another shakeup at the polls.

“We want to make sure that people in our community are registered to vote, they vet these candidates and they vote right Nov. 3 because we can’t keep doing this,” Hunt said.

Protesters in support of Greene left the theater by the time counter-protesters arrived, but both sides tell WFXR’s sister station they’re fighting for the same things: a positive change and a fresh start in Portsmouth’s future.

From WTKR:

Last week was the first time Mayor John Rowe learned the city had retained an outside law firm during a 2019 FBI investigation into the police department.

“That’s not acceptable at all. It makes you feel like a mushroom where you’re growing in the dark,” he told News 3.

A Virginian Pilot reporter had requested comment on a story detailing allegations of racism within the city’s police department.

Mayor Rowe asked to see how the City Manager’s office was going to respond. In doing so, he learned Hunton Andrews Kurth had been retained in 2019 when the FBI was probing the police department. He says previously that information was not disclosed.

In an email last Friday to City Manager Dr. Lydia Pettis Patton and City Attorney Solomon Ashby, Mayor Rowe called their actions “unacceptable.”

“An FBI investigation is a serious matter, and you do not have the right to not inform City Council that the ‘city’ has retained outside counsel in this matter. It is not your right to assume that City Council does not need to know this information. You are not ‘the city,'” Mayor Rowe wrote to the two, adding the city council would be discussing the issue at their next meeting.

Late Monday night, Ashby wrote his own email to city council with a legal opinion, suggesting city council members could face criminal liability if they took disciplinary measures against Dr. Patton.

“I implore you to resist any inclination to act in a manner that may be in violation of the law or in a manner that would be in furtherance of a violation of the law,” Ashby wrote.

Portsmouth City Code includes a provision saying city council members could face misdemeanor charges if they direct the city manager to fire or appoint someone who works for the city manager. The City Code also states the city manager “shall serve at the pleasure of city council.”

“I’ve never seen an opinion like that. The City Manager is very much an at-will employee,” said Rowe, who shared the emails with News 3 on Wednesday.

Late Monday night, Ashby wrote his own email to city council with a legal opinion, suggesting city council members could face criminal liability if they took disciplinary measures against Dr. Patton.

“I implore you to resist any inclination to act in a manner that may be in violation of the law or in a manner that would be in furtherance of a violation of the law,” Ashby wrote.

Portsmouth City Code includes a provision saying city council members could face misdemeanor charges if they direct the city manager to fire or appoint someone who works for the city manager. The City Code also states the city manager “shall serve at the pleasure of city council.”

“I’ve never seen an opinion like that. The City Manager is very much an at-will employee,” said Rowe, who shared the emails with News 3 on Wednesday.

Rowe says he’s not sure exactly what work Hunton Andrews Kurth did or how much money was spent, but he plans to find out. “My curiosity will drive me to,” he said. “I would bet it wasn’t a small sum of money.”

Despite the turmoil, Rowe said brighter days remain ahead for the city. “The City of Portsmouth is not going to slip into the southern branch of the Elizabeth River. That’s not going to happen,” he said. “We have a good staff.”