Portsmouth officials sworn in as Mayor Glover outlines housing, workforce, waterfront and public-safety priorities

Portsmouth held its Oath of Office ceremony for newly sworn and returning officials, where Mayor Shannon Glover, Councilwoman-elect Catherine (Kitty) Bryant and Councilman-elect William (Bill) Dotson took their oaths and delivered remarks about the city’s priorities.

City Clerk Deborah White opened the event and administered the oaths. Councilwoman-elect Bryant repeated the oath to “support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.” After the ceremony, Bryant told attendees she came to serve and listen, saying, “I am here to listen, to engage, and to serve.”

Councilman-elect William Dotson also took the oath and thanked family and supporters. Dotson asked the community for shared accountability as leaders begin their terms, saying, “I want y’all to be the team that we go forward with and make this city so much of a better place.”

Mayor Shannon Glover, sworn in with family at his side, used his remarks to set an agenda for the new council. He listed five priorities: increasing workforce housing and promoting homeownership; expanding workforce training and certification programs; redeveloping downtown and the waterfront to return vacant parcels to productive use; clustering maritime and wind-energy industries to position Portsmouth as a regional hub; and strengthening public safety. “We will do whatever is necessary to make our city safer and deter crime before it happens,” Glover said.

Glover also highlighted economic development gains tied to the city’s recent casino project, saying Portsmouth has generated more than $32 million in tax revenue from Rivers Casino Portsmouth. He said the council will seek to direct growth toward job creation and redevelopment, and he noted he will soon assume the chairmanship of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission to champion regional workforce development and homeownership initiatives.

Ceremonial prayers were offered between oath administrations. Father Grant Stokes led a prayer after Bryant’s oath; a second prayer followed Dotson’s oath; and Reverend Dr. Melvin Mariner offered an invocation before the mayor’s remarks. The ceremony closed with an announcement that the City Council Reorganization meeting will take place Thursday, January 2 at 1:00 PM in the city council chamber and that light refreshments were available in the lobby.

The ceremony emphasized restoration of vacant properties, workforce development tied to maritime and renewable energy sectors, and a community-driven approach to public safety and homeownership. No formal votes or motions were recorded during the event.