Portsmouth City Council abruptly fires city manager in heated meeting

The Portsmouth City Council unexpectedly voted 4-3 to fire City Manager Angel Jones Tuesday night during a meeting marred by members cursing and yelling.

And less than 24 hours later, the council was already planning to appoint someone to replace Jones.

Councilmember Mark Whitaker made the motion to fire Jones and was joined in the vote by Vice Mayor De’Andre Barnes, along with councilmembers Paul Battle and Christopher Woodard.

Emotions ran high when Whitaker pushed the surprise vote on some unwitting councilmembers. Councilman Bill Moody said Whitaker’s foursome had “blindsided” the three others. Councilmember Lisa Lucas-Burke was so upset that she yelled obscenities, only to apologize later for her bad language. It got so heated that Mayor Shannon Glover briefly halted the meeting.

The day after the vote, Whitaker called for a special meeting on May 31 to appoint a new manager. The council has not identified Jones’ potential replacement. He was joined in the meeting request with Barnes, Battle and Woodard.

Deputy City Manager Mimi Terry was appointed the interim city manager Tuesday night.

Glover, who voted against Jones’ termination, called it a “miscarriage of justice” when addressing the audience ahead of the vote Tuesday night. He said during the meeting that a member of the council — whom he later identified as Whitaker — invited Jones to the member’s church and told her to “either resign or I have four votes to fire you.” Glover then alleged the four members who voted to fire Jones previously met about it.

“That is unacceptable and I will never stand for anything that is unacceptable,” Glover said, who credited Jones with working long nights, crying with the mothers of victims lost to violence and supporting youth.

Battle, however, said he didn’t meet with anyone and that it was an unfair insinuation.

“When I make a decision, it’s a logical decision,” Battle said.

Woodard also pushed back against the allegation that the four council members met to discuss the termination. He said he discussed his “concerns” with the city manager directly, but would not elaborate.

Lucas-Burke began yelling and cursing after she accused the “male-dominated council” of “degrading women” at a time when she said not enough women are being represented across the nation.

“To make this kind of mockery of women is egregious,” Lucas-Burke said.

Lucas-Burke said she spoke with Woodard and Battle last week and contended that both told her they didn’t know about the effort to fire Jones.

“You lied in my face,” she said directly to Battle, who did not respond. “And I want you to lie to these people, to say that you didn’t say that.”

Lucas-Burke praised Jones amid cheers and applause from most of the audience. She then left council chambers and the mayor called a recess. During that time, attendees yelled at the council members who signaled support for Jones’ termination. Upon returning, Lucas-Burke apologized for cursing.

Moody, the longest-serving councilmember, was first elected in 1998 but said “tonight is a first.” He cited the commitment Jones made to the city and the obligation for council to make that same commitment. He also referenced Jones’ most recent performance evaluation and said she received “high-average scores.”

“I’ve never seen a city manager disrespected like Ms. Jones has been disrespected,” Moody said.

Moody also said the vote to terminate Jones after just a year on the job will “taint our city” and sends the wrong message.

Jones was appointed city manager in April 2021 with a salary of $200,000. The vote to appoint her was also a 4-3 split.

Jones said during the meeting she was given the ultimatum to resign or be fired, so she was “not surprised.” Despite the outcome, Jones said she’ll continue to do her best wherever she works.

“It is what it is, and I’ll be fine,” Jones said.

Battle would not comment to The Virginian-Pilot about his vote. Whitaker said “it’s a personnel matter” and that he voted to fire Jones “because it was necessary.”

Woodard said his decision was made on concerns he already addressed with Jones. “Sometimes integrity can be in question,” he said.

Several audience members took to the podium during the public comment period to criticize the council’s termination of Jones. Cedric Cradle condemned the council for inaction on violence in the city, adding that he’s witnessed Jones and Glover comfort mothers of those victims. He credited Jones with working to get more resources to the families of the victims that “they have never gotten from any of the politicians.”

He called the four who voted for Jones’ termination “a disgrace.”

“This is a sad day in Portsmouth,” Cradle said. “We’ve got four council members — four — who have shown the ultimate disrespect to not only a city manager, but somebody’s mother, somebody’s wife, somebody’s child.”

Natalie Anderson, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com, 757-732-1133.