PORTSMOUTH, Va. — What do you think about when you think about the city of Portsmouth?
For many people, the perception may be negative, and the city’s most recent council meeting may not help.
Tuesday night’s Portsmouth City Council meeting got heated as the city’s mayor and council members argued over information about how and why the city’s assessor ended up out of their job recently.
“I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, it does hurt us," said Tony Goodwin, owner of Market Street and General Store in Portsmouth.
Goodwin was also born in the city. He says infighting like what happened at the council meeting makes doing business harder.
“I think there’s a need for new ideas and vision," said Goodwin. "Quite frankly, I think we’ve lost our vision for a number of years now."
Even so, he believes Portsmouth is what he calls a diamond in the rough.
“There’s a lot of passion in this city," said Goodwin. "People just like myself really believe the city can do better and we won’t give up."
Aside from city council, crime is also a big factor in the city’s perception. Some may even say it’s the biggest factor.
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“Let’s be honest, every community has it’s challenges," Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover said.
When News 3 interviewed Portsmouth’s mayor earlier in January about the city’s perception, he acknowledged the city has some challenges but emphasized his belief Portsmouth isn’t as negative as people may think.
“We have a saying in Portsmouth, that Portsmouth is for people, all people," Glover said. "When you start talking to the people of this city and you meet the people, you really find out the character of our community. It’s good. It’s vibrant."
News 3 did reach out to the mayor’s office to try to get a follow up interview with the mayor to ask about Tuesday night’s city council meeting and how that could impact the city’s perception, but the mayor was unavailable.
“It is very frustrating," said Tony Herndon, a co-owner of Hard Times Skate Shop in Portsmouth.
Herndon said the negative perception many people have of the city is frustrating because he doesn't believe it accurately reflects the city.
“Portsmouth is a very close-knit community. The citizens help each other out," said Herndon. "The ones who are lucky enough to establish fame seem to come back and give back to the local schools. There are a lot of opportunities out here for new businesses."
He also agrees what happened at Tuesday night’s council meeting doesn’t help combat the negative perception, but he's confident city leaders are working to address challenges in the city.
“I assume they’re doing as much as they can within their will," said Herndon.
