Portsmouth City Council members met in a closed session Monday to tell City Assessor Patrick Dorris he is being fired.
Council members met to discuss Dorris’ performance, where he was told he was being terminated. An official public vote was not taken, but one is expected at Tuesday’s regular council meeting. Councilman De’Andre Barnes was absent, and Councilman Mark Whitaker opposed a motion certifying the closed meeting, stating that other matters were discussed that shouldn’t have been.
The city hired Dorris in September 2021, with a salary of $114,450. Dorris told The Virginian-Pilot after Monday’s meeting that he was fired and added that he was told he’d be receiving a severance package. He said it’s been a pleasure working for the city.
Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke told The Pilot members were concerned about several issues, with one being that the city doesn’t currently have a properly functioning CAMA system that’s used for real estate assessments. She said that had been an issue last year as well, and the majority of council would like to see someone with more experience.
CAMA, or computer-assisted mass appraisal, is an automated system that keeps property data and uses uniform valuations.
Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com
