PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Petitions containing nearly 9,000 signatures were formally filed in Portsmouth Circuit Court Thursday seeking the recall of Mayor James Holley. If successful, it would be the second time Holley has been recalled as Portsmouth's mayor.The petitions will now move relatively quickly through the courts. If a judge accepts the signatures and Holley still refuses to resign there could be a recall election in less than two months.
A group of citizens initiated the petition drive last September saying the last straw came when it was revealed that Holley had been ordering his city secretary to handle his personal errands like buying his clothes and purchasing gifts for friends and family members. City Council publicly scolded Holley, fined him $2,500 and formally voted to request his retirement. He refused then, as he continues to refuse to give up his post today despite the submission of the recall petition.
Portsmouth resident Robert Marcus helped spearhead the recall effort. "The mayor is not able to function as a leader," said Marcus. "We have an elderly man who is more inclined in his later years to enjoy having a nice wardrobe and a nice car to drive in, and his mind is not on the job and as unfortunate as it is, he is not willing to accept that reality."
WAVY.com caught up with Mayor Holley just moments after the petitions seeking his recall were filed. When asked for his thoughts on the nearly 9,000 signatures Holley responded, "Well, there are 100,000 citizens, so it wasn't everybody."
If the judge handling this civil case rules there are enough legitimate voter signatures he will give Holley five days to resign his post. If Holley refuses, the judge will order a recall election to be held about a month later.
WAVY.com asked Mayor Holley on Thursday if he intends to resign. "No I will not step down," he said. Holley also threw last year's apology to his secretary out the window Thursday. He told WAVY.com the dozens of chores he asked his assistant to handle were not personal chores, not even buying his clothes.
"Well, I wear clothing," shrugged Holley. "I didn't find that to be anything that was beyond her responsibility."
Holley also said he is not worried about the possibility of being recalled a second time. In 1987 Holley became the first mayor in Virginia to be recalled from office after he was said to have played a role in a racial hate mail campaign. "I am still the mayor," he said. "I think we have some positive directions which we are attempting to go and I am pleased to report that it happened under my leadership."
Recall organizers said city code required them to gather 6,772 signatures from registered voters. They said they collected 8,775. It took them nine months to get the signatures.
Marcus said, "We have taken this long because we wanted to do it right."
Dolores Knight also helped organize and run the recall effort. "It's been fascinating in a way because so many people have been willing to help us," she said. "It started out with people calling me and saying, 'We need to do something Deloris. We need to do something.'"
The 8,775 signatures will now be reviewed by a judge who will write up an order and send it, along with the petitions, to the Portsmouth Voter Registrar to validate as registered voters in the city of Portsmouth.
