Portsmouth deputy city manager fired ahead of new city manager [Video]

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Vernell Woods is one of the latest Portsmouth city officials to be let go. He worked as deputy city manager for seven months and was fired by interim city manager, Dr. Lydia Pettis-Patton.  

“I really thought I was coming to Portsmouth to improve it, ” Woods said. 

With more than 30 years of city government experience, he reluctantly left a city job in Newport News after being encouraged by then-Portsmouth interim city manager Mimi Terry to take the leap.  

Last month, the city council voted 4-3 to hire Steven Carter — a former Albany, Georgia city manager — as the permanent city manager over Terry. Pettis-Patton’s firm, the Berkley Group, was then brought in on an interim basis to serve for 30 days, pushing Terry out completely.

Carter starts his …