Portsmouth City Council

This is a pivotal election year for Portsmouth, a deeply racially divided majorityBlack city that has had a majority-white City Council for the past four years. By next year, a drastically different elected body will run the city.

The city will have a new mayor, a race we’re covering separately. And10 people, including two incumbents and a former councilman, are running for three open City Council seats.

To help readers decide who to choose at the ballot box, The Virginian-Pilot asked the council candidates how they envision changing Portsmouth for the better. (Candidates were told to limit each answer to100 words; some did not, and their answers have been edited for space and in fairness to those who followed the rules.)

Look out for a full story on the council race coming soon in The Pilot. But for now, here are the candidates in their own words.

De’Andre A. Barnes

34

Age:

Occupation: Business Owner

Previous office held, if any: Portsmouth School Board Jan.1, 2019-present Education: Master’s in urban affairs, Norfolk State University; Bachelor’s in political science, Virginia State University; Diploma, I.C. Norcom High School.

What will you look for in a city manager?

The residents have a lack of trust in government, and in recent years, a lot of the trust issues lie with the city manager. We need a proven leader who will go out into the community to feel the pulse of the community. I’m looking for a city manager who will take the time to open the communication between the city manager’s office and the community.

How can the city be less divided by race? First, we must elect new people that are willing to work together for the greater good of our city. Also, we must do a better job communicating and being transparent. Portsmouth is at a critical time, and more divided than ever. This is not the time to continue the direction that we have been going in Portsmouth, nor elect those who want to continue the status quo.

What needs to change in the police department? The police department should do a better job with opening communication between the department and the community. The department should work with the various civic leagues, groups and all stakeholders to understand the issues the community face, so that they can develop strategies to address them. With the correct amount of staffing, the police department should enact a community policing program that will help build relationships with the neighborhoods who lack that trust.

Ambakey W. Bolden

No responses or photo provided

Edward L. Brown, Jr.

Age: 50

Occupation: Mental health technician for United Health Services of Delaware

Previous office held, if any: None

Education: M.A., history, American Military University, B.A., history, Norfolk State University

What will you look for in a city manager?

In a city manager, I am looking for a visionary. The city manager must be able to share a vision with members of council of a city with an exemplary and a fully funded school system, an increased population, new middle- to upper-income housing, an effort to ensure the city is giving a fair shot to minority- and women-owned companies and improved recreational services for our kids, elderly, everyone in between and new prospective families.

How can the city be less divided by race? The city can be less divided by race if we have people on City Council who display proper behavior. Members of Council should not engage in behaviors which enable racists to act in inappropriate ways. The Council can also showcase individuals who are engaging in acts of kindness toward people from different groups. Something like an annual or monthly award.

What needs to change in the police department? We need a police chief who is not afraid to “weed out” individuals in the police department who are not acting in a professional manner in how they deal with citizens. Additionally, there must be a review of our police department and its prac

tices.

Nathan J. Clark

Age: 51

Occupation: First Sergeant with the Virginia Marine Police

Previous office held, if any: Portsmouth City Council January1, 2017 to present

Education: Graduate, I. C. Norcom High School; Applied Science Degree in administration of justice; Graduate, Southside Regional Fire Academy, Graduate, Hampton Roads Regional Academy of Criminal Justice, Graduate, United States Army Basic Combat Training and Medical Specialist Course

What will you look for in a city manager? Experience working in and with a diverse community like the city of Portsmouth. Also, have the ability to navigate our city forward through our challenges for the benefit of all citizens.

How can the city be less divided by race? Working together for the benefit all citizens. What needs to change in the police department? The most important issue is staffing. Currently having more than 50 vacancies creates a serious safety concern for our citizens. Filling these vacancies

should be the first priority.

Mark Hugel

Age: 65

Occupation: SVP at CACI International, Inc. Previous office held, if any: None

Education: BS in systems engineering, US Naval Academy; MS in mechanical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MS in naval architecture and marine engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

What will you look for in a city manager? We need a strong, fair city manager who can run a more efficient city hall and lead an effort to streamline city government to be more responsive to the needs of our citizens and businesses. The city manager needs to be a leader, listener and collaborator and someone who communicates openly with City Council, the city workforce and our citizens.

How can the city be less divided by race? From my experiences on active duty and since, I have seen how important diversity and inclusion are. Improving fair treatment and diverse representation in important city matters starts by listening to the underrepresented or the unfairly treated and trying to understand the hurdles and roadblocks they encounter. It’s important to understand the problems we’re trying to solve before attempting to solve them.

What needs to change in the police department? First, the police department needs to be properly staffed, including resolving the reinstatement of the police chief. Second, the police department needs to be compensated to compete for talent with the surrounding communities. Thirdly, any ongoing investigation of the police department should identify specific issues that must be addressed — and specific personnel actions that are warranted from the results of that investigation should be taken so the rest of the department can move forward.

Ted Lamb Age: 48 Occupation:

Public school teacher

Previous office held, if any: School Board representative 2012-2020 Education: Bachelor of Science in social studies education, Masters in special education What will you look for in a city manager? The city manager should be trustworthy, respectful, ethical, have the utmost integrity and must be approachable to the City Council and the citizens of Portsmouth. The city manager must also have strong listening skills, excellent communication skills and the ability to respect all citizens of the city. Furthermore, the City Council and city manager must have an efficient, and mutually supportive working relationship.

How can the city be less divided by race? Elected representatives need to lead by example and serve all of the citizens by engaging, listening, and serving the citizens. I have done just that consistently over the past eight years as a School Board representative by going to their civic league meetings and other community events. When the citizens believe that they have a voice and that someone is listening to them, then this will help lessen divisiveness.

What needs to change in the police department? There has been much speculation and allegations made in the public arena about both of the Portsmouth police chiefs that needs resolving. These questions must be addressed for complete trust to be restored by all of the citizens. If an independent investigation comes back that states that changes are needed, then I would most welcome the discussion.

Lisa L. Lucas-Burke

Age: 57

Occupation: Executive director of Lucas Lodge, LLC

Previous office held, if any: Council member, Portsmouth City Council 2016 to present Education: Bachelor of Science in electronics engineering, Norfolk State University; Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Norfolk State University

What will you look for in a city manager?

I am looking for a city manager with the qualified experience of leading a government municipality similar to Portsmouth. I will seek to hire one who will strive to work with all members of council on options that improve the image of the city, address areas in need of policy change and lead city departments to provide services optimally to maintaining a fiscally sound budget.

How can the city be less divided by race? It is my belief that the city can be less divided by race, by realizing a community that will utilize its voting power and elect a diverse council who will work effectively together to address racial issues that negatively impact the city. The 2021elected council would benefit from the creation of a cultural diversity board.

What needs to change in the police department? The change I foresee in our police department is a need for strong recruitment efforts for a more diverse police force that will adhere to and follow the 21st Century Policing Plans. It is my belief that police officers of a specified rank should reside in the city, as it could help to promote better police and community relationships among citizens and officers and potentially reduce recidivism.

Tamara L. Shewmake

Age: 38

Occupation: Chief administrator, business owner

Previous office held, if any: City of Portsmouth School Board Member

Education: B.A. in Psychology, M.B.A.

What will you look for in a city manager? I’m looking for educational and specific local and state governmental institutional knowledge. Our next city manager should have a clear and attainable incremental plan for the city. The candidate should also possess a business or accounting background to build the city’s revenue. Last but certainly not least, we need someone who can shift the morale of the city’s employees in hopes to matriculate to Portsmouth’s residents. How can the city be less divided by race? Every city has racial issues, whether it’s nationally televised or locked behind closed doors, and the city of Portsmouth is no different. A change in racial tension starts with leadership. In order to begin the healing process, you must acknowledge the disease. We need leaders who are willing to be open minded enough to have those uncomfortable discussions about systemic racism and inequities. With discussion comes acknowledgment, with acknowledgment comes policy changes.

What needs to change in the police department? The traditional training that officers typically receive should be drastically amended. The training should include moral and character building to understand the individuals within the communities in which they serve. The hiring process should also include a focus on an individual’s past to fully understand one’s psychological perspective. We have to ensure that the perception versus experience of the police department does not vary due to one’s race or socioeconomic status.

Dante’ M. Walston

Age: 32

Occupation: Vessel coordinator, Port of Virginia Previous office held, if any: none

Education: Norfolk State University, B.F.A. education; Old Dominion University, B.F.A. performance; The Catholic University of America, M.S.M. leadership What will you look for in a city manager? We need someone who understands our challenges and our potential. I would look locally within our region for a senior planning official that’s served under a proven city manager. Someone who understands local economies, the need to innovate parks and rec, and bring the services of our city to a level where they can become more efficient. How can the city be less divided by race? As a councilman, I will focus on the goals that bring us together. All of Portsmouth wants a strong economy, safety, better care for our veterans and our seniors. I’ve proposed three commissions to bring Portsmouth citizens to the table. A small business commission will include and advocate for businesses. We need to bring our businesses to the table and involve them if we want them to remain invested.

What needs to change in the police department? An integrated approach to better serve and protect our citizens. I will visit our police precinct quarterly which would allow me to visit them four times throughout the year. Maintaining a listening ear and bringing about more communication between our social services, public health, public schools, clergy and mental and behavioral health services will allow us to take a comprehensive look at the changing city we are asking to serve.

Mark M. Whitaker

Age: 55

Occupation: Assistant Pastor, New Bethel Baptist Church; Former tenured associate professor of management, Hampton University; Former college instructor of business law, Virginia Tech

Previous office held, if any: Portsmouth City School Board: 2002-14; Portsmouth City Council, 2015-18

Education: Manor High School, Portsmouth; Virginia Tech, Bachelor of Science, management science; The Pennsylvania State University, Master of Business Administration; The Ohio State University, Doctor of Jurisprudence;

What will you look for in a city manager?

The next city manager should possess skills and experiences in strategic human resource management and municipal financial management while working in a city with a high poverty rate. Moreover, this person should also possess previous experiences in or a plan for addressing issues of social justice and implementing anti-racist policies.

How can the city be less divided by race? To lessen the racial divide in the city, there must be conscious and courageous leadership at the local, state and national levels willing to adopt anti-racist policies and practices that address structural racism as it impacts the wealth gap, jobs with living wages, health care, educational disparities, housing availability, criminal justice reform and neighborhood enhancements.

What needs to change in the police department? The culture of the police department that fosters systemic racism needs transformation. This will come through conscious leadership, implicit bias training, diverse police personnel, anti-racist policies, evidence-based practices and community accountability. Furthermore, the legality and practicality of establishing a citizen’s review board needs to be examined and implemented allowing for accountability to the community.