Portsmouth mayor James W. Holley wins re-election

I read where another overpaid and useless assistant city manager is retiring. Now if we can just get that illiterate city clerk to leave.

Out of the myriad of problems that Portsmouth has; I think the worst is apathy.
Apathy is what happened last night when a fraction of our population 12,000 out of + or – 57,000 voters hit the polls. As a result of this apathy; we now have the same cast of characters making the shady closed door deals that have been running this city into the ground for the last decade. I’m amazed that ALL cops, firefighters and teachers weren’t out there voting them out.. Wake up folks; you have all been living below the poverty line since these folks have been in office. Its funny how all these “hot button” issues like cop’s wages come up during reelection… Where were these people the rest of the time when you were trying to feed your family all along??? A mere forty percent of our children graduate from our school system, but WOW our Mayor has some pretty nifty suits. For the record; they build prisons based on the droput percentages not to mention the amount of people who go on welfare because they are functionally illiterate

Our property values are sinking and our taxes are rising to fund shady deals that will line the pockets of politicians and friends of politicians ie Holiday Inn and the “Louise Lucrative” convocation center. Last night is just one of the reasons there is a “for sale” sign in front of my house and I no longer buy anything in Portsmouth; I won’t give any more money to this City.

I don't want to hear any uproar when we keep getting what we've been getting. We had a chance to effect change for the better and y'all blew it. We'll just get the same ol' same ol' because that's what was voted back in. I said y'all because I know whom I voted for, and it sure wasn't the same Liberals that were going to take us to the Hampton Roads Trans Authority cleaners. Pathetic, just plain pathetic.

Well Portsmouth voters, we have no one to blame but ourselves as we watch this dysfunctional unit stumble over itself for the next few years. At the same time, we have fouled the air by placing the most disingenuous, self-serving, pompous person ever to hold office, back on council. The Great Blamestormer, Charles Whitehurst is back, ready to tell you what you want to hear, all the while continuin along his track record of voting for every fee and tax increase that has crossed his desk since he was first elected in 1998. Yes, he did vote for public financing of the Sports Hall of Fame, yes he did vote for millions for the wonderful plot of grass better known as a traffic circle. Just remember, though he voted for it, it's never his fault. Beware Portsmouth, of the wolf in sheep's clothing.

I cannot believe that P-towners think so little of our freedoms that we would pass up one; especially to make a difference in our everyday lives. If anyone read the questions and answers with any of the candidates, there was little choice but to vote. The candidates won election yesterday stood on their soapboxes and spoke for raise sales tax for transportation costs, raising public safety employees' pay, light rail through the Midtown Tunnel, and stepping up neighborhood code enforcement. I, as a homeowner and working citizen of Portsmouth, am tired of being taxed to death by a city who continually sends me personal property tax bills in June on cars I've owned for 20 years and code violations of which an inspector must physical walk my property to spot such as peeling paint on brick or eaves, in order to fund their special projects such as the circle on Crawford Parkway. Mr. Ellis, an auditor, would have been an excellent choice for council at this time when fiscal responsibility is needed; along with Mr. Carroll, a man who has worked with numbers at Newport News Shipbuilding. Mr. Morrison would have also been a good choice since the building codes have changed.

Another four years of the same song and dance. You people who are too lazy to vote are pathetic!!

Portsmouth citizens blew an incredible opportunity to elect a young visionary who could easily work with all parties to significantly improve the city. His background and experience, his work on the Planning Commission, and his willingness to communicate with the entire city and be held accountable clearly places him above many of the other candidates.

Shame on you Portsmouth !!!

One can only hope that Paige Cherry isn't discouraged and that he will run next time.

I want to wish you all the best for the next four years. I love the way that you revitalize Portsmouth. I would like if you could eliminate the projects and build new housing for the residents that they can afford. Because this in the new millenium and we still have projects? And congrats goes to all who kept their seats and the new ones who just arrived. PROUD TO BE A RESIDENT OF PORTSMOUTH VIRGINIA.

I have a hard time believing that the voters of this city actually think that Holley is the best person for the job. There has to be another reason people vote for him. If we were to have informed voters, I think it would have turned out much different. You have to go to classes and take tests to get your driver's license, so why not make voters listen to five minutes of Holley speaking before marking that ballot. He should be in assisted living and not City Hall. He has proven that he is incompetent time and time again. Let's use his statement as evidence that he should not be loose or unsupervised. "The city's first priority should be addressing the second priority." Does anyone know what that means. I call on Mayor Holley to explain himself and when he does, that will give me more to write about.

Yet another stellar embarrassing move by the (a)pathetic voters (and those that didn't vote) to keep the city spiralling downward. This debacle, coupled with the lack of competent city management officials discussed in the Police Chief resignation article in todays VP, reflects as dark of picture of P-Town that I've ever seen...maybe we haven't reached bottom yet! Ouch...

the single greatest right a person holds in a democracy is the right to vote. yet less than a quarter (and thats being generous) of the population comes out to vote in our country. nobody is slow to criticize, but they are too lazy to go to the polls and actually attempt to bring about the change they desire. it really is pathetic. and now we have to sit through another awful term from holley...

Give that man a new car!

Nothing more to say since the vote results says it all..this city is hopeless for change.

Thanks to City Council and the City Manager, this City spends 50 million a year on Social Services and welfare. That is more than Chesapeake and Suffolk combined. What we get in return are street thugs who murder hard working citizens. To all the police orginizations that endorsed Psimas and Heretick, how big were your pay raises the last four years?

He has to admit that he has driven Portsmouth into the ground. Most of the city is a combat zone, what has he done to fix that?? Nothing. This old Gent should be sent out to pasture and let someone else give it a try

Another 4 years of the same ol' song and dance from the Portsmouth City Council. It's a crying shame that people won't get out and vote and try to make changes in the city. You would think that with as many posters get on here and bash the way city government treats us citizens there would be a bigger turnout of voters. I guess people really are apathetic. Thanks for nothing my fellow P-towners!

The majority of Portsmouth, by a very thin margin, would rather have their man in office than move on to a better and more capable council and mayor. As a young man I was proud of Mayor Holley and the resurgence of the downtown area. Some decades later all I see is mismanagement and quite a few people who should have tipped their hat and let new more capable people take the helm. Mayor Holley has done a lot for this city as have some of the current and re-current council members, but unless these newly re-elected officials take a bit to look back on the past 6 years and make a commitment to themselves and the citizens to make a paradigm change I feel that most of them will end up being more likely to be run out of town on a rail then be a young persons hero. Every effective person in government, no matter how influential, reaches an end of life where it is better to pass the torch. Portsmouth's majority of voting citizens do not realize that and the rest of us will pay for it for the next four years. At least the Pilot will have four more years of controversial headlines from Portsmouth. The Portsmouth family has become it's own bromide, and yes, I hope Mayor Holley reads th

Does he even know he won. Time to hang out the fishing pole and enjoy retirement.

Steve Carroll and Terry Morrison would have made great councilmen. I guess everyone enjoys paying high real estate taxes.

wow, do we ever learn our lesson?
Another 4 years of this guy in office. Creecy lost by 282 votes but all together only about 1200 people voted. Portsmouth averages about 18% at the polls. thats really pathetic.

You have just elected the same ole status quo. I hope you all realize that this bozo is the biggest proponent to providing nearly 1 million dollars a year to the Sports Hall of Shame. Great Job. I'll bet all of the incumbents win also... But, it doesn't really matter if they win or not cause they allllll fall in line with Mayor Holley everytime.

Congratulations Mayor Holley! I know there are some upset people in Portsmouth. ( Let's see if VP deletes this message. I guess things they do not agree with they delete. Does anyone else have this problem?)