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Portsmouth City Manager Tonya Chapman fired by City Council

After less than a year in the position, Portsmouth City Council voted to fire City Manager Tonya Chapman as leadership controversies and turnovers continue.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the terms of Chapman's separation from the City of Portsmouth, specifically that she won't receive severance pay.

After less than a year in the position, Portsmouth City Council voted to fire City Manager Tonya Chapman Tuesday morning as leadership controversies and turnovers continue.

Dr. Mark Whitaker and DeAndre Barnes were the only two council members to vote against the decision. 

They believe Chapman, who previously served as Portsmouth's police chief made progress in the city.

“I think it is wrong," Councilman Barnes said. "I think since she has been city manager we have had our crime go down, we have had more people arrested than ever before in our city.”

Barnes said during the closed session, Mayor Shannon Glover gave council members a document with reasons why they should fire Chapman.

"He basically provided a statement of why we should fire her, no evidence-based information behind it," Barnes said. "No details on any sources of information.”

According to Barnes, the document claims Chapman failed to perform her duties as city manager with lack of fiscal responsibility, poor hiring practices and lack of trust.

Now Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke said she wanted to do an additional evaluation on Chapman, but the closed-session discussions changed her mind.

“But when I heard from my council colleagues, and I am vowing to work with my council colleagues to terminate her because she would not accept the resignation," Vice Mayor Burke said. 

During the meeting, Mayor Glover and Councilman Moody said Chapman is fired with cause. A city spokesman said if that holds, according to the contract, Chapman won’t get severance.

“No severance that was the vote of the council," Burke said.

However, Barnes said it’s up to a judge to decide if she is fired with cause.

"That is just their opinion, that is going to be determined in the court of law," Barnes said. "And that is going to be determined in the future.”

Chapman was appointed to the position in June of 2022 by a divided city council.

Before this position, she served as police chief for the city before she abruptly resigned in 2019. Later, Chapman claimed that she was forced to resign. At that time, she collected $22,307.68 in severance pay. 

 A majority of council members ousted her predecessor for city manager, Angel Jones, after only one year in the position. 

One of Chapman's first moves in office was firing Police Chief Renado Prince in July.

In November, Chapman caused further waves when she called for an investigation of city staff who purchased $3.2 million in gift cards with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in April.

The city rolled out the gift card giveaway in June for direct relief to seniors and other residents struggling with the impacts of the pandemic. 

However, in September, Chapman noted that $2.3 million in gift cards remained "unsecured" in an employee's office. 

Once the city's interim CFO began an investigation, Chapman alleges the money was unaccounted for.

This latest move comes after Deputy City Manager Sunshine Swinson and the city "parted ways" at the beginning of December after only a few weeks in the position.

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