cRa-Zy - +oWn just keeps getting crazier...

Our poor city has seen a lot of craziness since January. What we can present here at P-Town Underground really just scratches the surface of the madness at city hall. The three of us on this blog would have had to work full time to really do justice to the goings-on downtown.

The lead story in the latest Portsmouth Daily Times is just one example. ("Spat Over Server Continues.") If you haven't had a chance to read it, please take a moment to do so.  (Click here.)

Since June of this year, the Chief of Police has practically been begging the Mayor to sign a purchase order to install a badly needed upgrade of the department's computer system. The oddest thing about her refusal to sign the paper work is that there will be no cost to the people of Portsmouth. Most of the cost will be paid by a $66,000 grant that has already been approved for the city. The rest of the costs will be paid for with funds generated by money and property seized in drug arrests, which the courts set aside for police departments to use for law enforcement purposes.

Why is Mayor Murray literally endangering police officers and the public in general, in a seemingly silly "peeing contest" with the police chief and City Council?

1. The Mayor is a control freak. She is trying to use the computer issue to force Chief Horner to give her control of the "Furtherance of Justice" funds (the confiscated drug money) which by law can only be used for certain expenses and the Police Chief is responsible for the funds.

2. Mayor Murray does not like Chief Horner. Ever since she took office in January, Mayor Murray has doing everything in her power to sabotage the Police Chief (and to a lesser degree the Fire Chief).

For many months she was actively trying working to "recruit" officers in the police department to undermine Chief Horner. Murray contacted several officers at their homes, fishing to get negative information about the Chief and to gain support in order to remove him from his position. At least one of the officers took extensive notes of his conversation with her and prepared a full, written report which he submitted to Horner. It included suggestions by the Mayor that she would make it worth his while to support her in removing Horner.

Up to that point Horner had been as supportive of the mayor as possible despite disagreeing with her on many points. Since her attempts to recruit "snitches" within the police department have failed so badly, Murray has become increasingly frustrated. Clashes between Murray and Horner become more visible, and her unfounded accusations of corruption have made headlines. She apparently believes that there are police officers who could substantiate her charges, but since none have come forward she is now looking for ways to punish them.

3. Murray wants to eliminate the Police and Fire Chief positions and replace them both with a "Commissioner of Public Safety," similar to the structure of Lexington, Kentucky's city/county government.  Lexington's administration is organized under seven "Commissioners," all of whom report directly to the mayor. The Commissioner of Public Safety incorporates police, fire and emergency services. (For more information about Lexington's "commissioner-based" administrative structure, click here.)

Back in January, when Mayor Murray fired the Water Works Director, Sewage Director and Service Director, she told city council that her plan to combine the water, sewer, service, and engineering departments all under one person, Jeff Peck, would save the City over $325,000 per year. What was the title that Murray wanted City Council to give Mr. Peck? "Commissioner of Engineering and Public Service"...just like Lexington.

Murray would like to get rid of the Police Chief and Fire Chief, as well, and replace them with a person of her own choosing...probably another crony from Kentucky.

4. The Mayor's grudge against the Police Dept. continues to grow.

* Mayor Murray's Capital Improvement Plan submitted to City Council included NO funds for the Police and Fire Departments.  Murray's omission of these departments seemed to be her way of retaliating against the police and fire unions, and the chiefs for not supporting her operating budget. With no other way to get funds to pay for multi-year leases for fire trucks that the city had already committed to, the Police and Fire Chiefs were forced to go directly to City Council.

* Back in February Mayor Murray tried to use the Police Chief to take over the City Traffic Committee, by not allowing anyone to speak except for her designated representatives. (See "Mayor Picks ‘Official Presenter’: Police Chief Ordered To Deny Any Other Presentations," PDT, 2/24/10)

* In May, the Mayor and Jeff Peck concocted bar graphs supposedly showing an enormous increase in accidents resulting from the removal of traffic lights on Rt. 52 in the city. ("Traffic Records Show Increase in Accidents," PDT, 5/12/10). Chief Horner felt he was obligated to release accurate data, which actually showed a decrease in accidents, to the public to correct the misinformation/propaganda created by the mayor. (See "Chief Horner Challenges Mayor's Traffic Numbers," PDT, 5/18/10)

Because of these and many other embarrassing fiascoes related to the Police Department, Murray has grown more and more angry with Horner and the police. She has literally told several individuals, "I hate Chuck Horner" and that she will fire him if it's the last thing she does. So it's not surprising that she has refused to approve the new computer system.

In today's Portsmouth Times, she is quoted as saying:

“As I explained to you, the load of information and knowledge that I have had to learn in these months of all of these specifics that have gone forward, and I can tell you this — I will not accept any police department that intimidates people, and that has attempted to intimidate other employees, including me, I will not stand for it,” Murray said.

What citizens or employees have the Police Department intimidated? how did they intimidate Madam Mayor Murray herself? We suspect, just like her accusations of corruption, this is another charge that will never be substantiated.