Longtime Portsmouth councilman won’t seek seventh term this fall

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — After serving on the Portsmouth City Council for more than two decades, Bill Moody has announced that will not run for re-election.

“It’s truly been an honor to serve the citizens of Portsmouth for so many years,” Moody said in a statement. “During my tenure, I have been part of 12 councils. Eleven of those councils have accomplished amazing things for our city.”

After graduating from Western Branch High School, he went on to serve in the Air Force and holds both a real estate and insurance license in the Commonwealth.

He has served as vice mayor two separate times. He is also the council’s liaison for organizations like the Portsmouth Amphitheater, the Portsmouth Port and Industrial Commission, and the Hampton Roads Regional Jail.

“To put my unprecedented 6 terms into perspective, that was 8 city managers, 11 police chiefs, 8 fire chiefs, 5 mayors, 12 councils, 5 U.S presidents, 540 regular council meetings,” he said.

In a 2018 interview with WAVY, Moddy said he has “made it a point to stay engaged and connected with Portsmouth’s citizens and communities” and has been “an advocate for making our city government more transparent.”

He came under fire in 2019 when he wrote that he’s “really tired of hearing the term people of color” in a series of tweets that criticize Democratic congresswomen for statements they’ve made regarding President Donald Trump and policy on immigration at the United States’ southern border.

When asked specifically about the “people of color” tweet and his representation in a city that has a majority non-white population, Moody turned the conversation to national politics.

“My remarks were in response to people who are saying that criticism of these four for disparaging our country is racist,” Moody told 10 On Your Side. “If you or I go into a restaurant and we tell the chef that we don’t like the food and we don’t like the service, and we go back again and we say the same thing over and over, the chef is going to probably tell you, you should try another restaurant.”

His term is set to expire on December 31, 2022.