A needed change in Portsmouth

There's no cause for celebration this morning in Portsmouth. There wasn't going to be, regardless of whether voters decided to remove Mayor James Holley from office or let him serve out his term.

It's been a sad affair, from start to finish. And, regrettably, it's been divisive. And a diversion from the problems that Portsmouth must solve.

As Holley departs the mayor's office, the challenge is for city officials and residents to move past their differences over his fate and return their focus to a common goal - rebuilding Portsmouth's leadership together.

In recent years, the mayor has been too often a distraction - enough, voters decided Tuesday, to warrant removing him from office for the second time in his career.

There's no mistaking the will of Portsmouth's people; more turned out Tuesday to cast a vote against Holley than voted in the general election for the City Council and School Board in May. Voters ousted the mayor by more than a 2-1 margin.

City Council members now need to heed that mandate and take the lead in bringing overdue reconciliation to Portsmouth, both in their neighborhoods and among themselves.

A year ago, council members were unanimous in their request for Holley to retire. This month, however, that sense of unity frayed as they fought over who should be vice mayor, a role that became increasingly important as Holley's behavior became more erratic and the recall vote neared.

A split vote over the appointment exposed the obvious but the unspoken: People were already jockeying for position to succeed Holley.

Politics will now proceed, as politics will. But council members would be wise to remember that, whatever their aspirations, they'll be judged by the city's progress in coming months and by their role in helping the city recover from a difficult year.

Further divisiveness won't go unnoticed, or unpunished by voters.

When they meet today to discuss Holley's interim replacement, who will serve until a special election in November, they should focus on finding someone with experience in city government and, just as importantly, a capacity to bring together all sides of the recall effort.

If the interim mayor is chosen from the council, members will need to identify someone with similar qualities to serve out the term of the departing council member.

As for Holley, now is the moment, at last, for a graceful exit.

In his lifetime, he has given much to his beloved Portsmouth. He helped topple a racist power structure that gripped the city for decades, and he helped spread new opportunities to all corners of the city.

The freshest memories, for a while, will be what led to this recall: that Holley ignored the advice of colleagues to step down following accusations by a former aide.

Holley's legacy, in time, seems likely to weather this storm.

Portsmouth certainly will.

But how long it will take Portsmouth to recover from the turmoil of the past year depends on a council able to put the city's interests ahead of politics - and on the willingness of residents to find common ground on which to rebuild their city.