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Portsmouth Police Chief retiring, finance director also leaving position

Posted at 6:20 PM, Apr 17, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-17 23:36:08-04

Portsmouth, Va. - After announcing the city manager and city attorney were terminated earlier in the week, Portsmouth is now losing two more officials. Police Chief Ed Hargis is stepping down and the Finance Director has submitted her letter of resignation.

Hargis is retiring  on June 1st and Swindell will be leaving on May 1st.

City Manager John Rowe and City Attorney George Willson were fired Tuesday night.

Councilmen Bill Moody and Danny Meeks voted against terminating them.  Vice Mayor Elizabeth Psimas voted to terminate Willson but not Rowe.

Councilman Moody told NewsChannel 3 he does not know why some on council made the decision to fire them now.

Rowe had already announced he was resigning in June; Willson was planning to retire in December.

Brannon L. Godfrey is now the interim city manager and has been given a 10 percent salary increase.  Deputy City Attorney Cheran Cordell is now the interim city attorney and was also given a ten percent salary increase.

Related: 

City manager, city attorney both out in Portsmouth