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Portsmouth's City Council Race

   Across the river,  Mayor James Holley and three other incumbents get a stiff test from challengers, including one former member of city council Charles Whitehurst, who because of a bad back, has done a lot of his campaign sporting a walker.
    Whitehurst is joining  other challengers—Jim Ellis,  Steve Carroll, Paige Cherry—as a chorus of anti-incumbency bent on what they see as four years of fiscal mismanagement of the city.   
   “They are throwing money around for projects and going deeper and deeper in debt,” said Whitehurst.
   “Think of the money they plan on spending on the Holiday Inn project. Was that all necessary. They have no priorities because they have not sat down with the people and discussed what they would like to be done with their money.”

Posted April 30, 2008

    Incumbent Mayor James Holley is being challenged by Martha Ann Creecy, who is defined as an activist.
Holley told the New Journal and Guide he is not running away from his record while sitting on the council as Mayor.
     “If people look at the fact that I have tried what is best for the city when ideas come my way, I am confident of reelection,” said Holley, who is 81.
   “Look at what we have done downtown. Look at what we have done with old public housing communities. We have multi-use efforts going on there at  Jeffrey Wilson. I think we have done well with an ever shrinking pot of resources.  We are working to give all people regardless of their income and background a chance to own a home or apply for rentals using section.”

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