Portsmouth may silence public comment

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Tuesday evening, Portsmouth City Council will discuss no longer broadcasting public comments made during council meetings on non-agenda items.

The council meetings are broadcasted on a local cable channel. 

The Portsmouth Taxpayer Alliance plans to ask the Commonwealth's Attorney to investigate the matter. The group thinks because the decision to no longer broadcast was made behind closed doors, it is illegal.

The group will appeal directly to council Tuesday evening at I.C. Norcom High School at 7 p.m.

"The only good government is a transparent government," Taxpayer Alliance President Pat Simons told WAVY.com. "They're afraid of what we have to say and what the citizens are finding out, like the $52 million misappropriated by the school board. We brought that to light in a council meeting and they did not want citizens to hear about that."

Council members site two reasons for the change; they want to get rid of "grandstanding" and want to keep up a good image. Councilwoman Elizabeth Psimas said business owners thinking of moving to Portsmouth may be turned off when they watch the comment portion of council meetings.

Stay with WAVY.com for more on this developing story.