PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — One of the hardest hitting political ads this election season is in the race for Portsmouth mayor, in which Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke is challenging incumbent Shannon Glover.
The first line of the political ad states: Corruption pay to play. A lawsuit against Mayor Shannon Glover
“The first thing I thought — it was a lie,” Glover said of the ad.
Lucas-Burke’s ad implies there was preferential treatment for the owner of the Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club because it is legally classified as open space and has exempt status for some taxes.
“The city assessor [former Portsmouth City Assessor Patrick Dorris] said in the statement that the mayor and Councilman Bill Moody came to his office and asked him to put the rebate back on the golf course at the time,” Lucas-Burke said.
Lucas-Burke said that event is the purpose of her political ad against Glover.
Claim: Ex-City Assessor says he was fired last year because he refused to follow unlawful requests
That claim is FALSE.
10 On Your Side asked Glover: “Did you order Dorris to go do something with the country club?”
“Absolutely not,” Glover said, adamantly.
Lucas-Burke doesn’t believe Glover.
A pending court case will determine whether Glover is telling the truth.
Claim: Ex-City Assessor says he was fired last year because he refused to follow unlawful requests
It is TRUE Patrick Dorris filed a lawsuit against Mayor Glover and Councilman Bill Moody alleging he was told by Glover that he had the discretion not to tax Elizabeth Manor.
According to the lawsuit, Dorris responded, “I have no discretion. … “[I’m] required to follow the law set forth in the state code.”
However, the claim is also FALSE.
Glover and Lucas-Burke both agree he was not fired because of the country club issue.
Claim: Unlawful directives from Glover not to tax the golf and country club
“That is absolutely wrong and it’s absolutely false,” Glover said.
The truth to that claim could be settled in court, and Glover is asking for the case to be dismissed.
Claim: The city had not collected real estate taxes from the golf course since 2003
Truth Tracker finds that claim FALSE.
The ad fails to distinguish between the former owner who owned the course between 2003 and 2019, and the current owner, businessman Dwight Schaubach, who bought the club in 2020 and has tax records showing he paid his taxes required by the city of Portsmouth.
“We have paid over $200,000 in taxes,” Schaubach said.
Schaubach’s tax records show he’s paid $225,361 in taxes since 2020, and even got a refund from the city for $29,867 in August for tax overpayment.
“Well, that [the ad] is slandering me,” Schaubach told 10 On Your Side. “I mean, that is telling the people in this community that I’m not living up to my obligation and paying my taxes, and that is not correct. We have paid all of our taxes.”
10 On Your Side told Lucas-Burke that Schaubach said he’s been paying all his taxes.
“I am not disputing that,” Lucas-Burke said.
10 On Your Side pointed out that her ad does state that “the city had not collected real estate taxes from the golf course since 2003.”
The ad does lump Schaubach in with the first owner.
It is TRUE that the Department of Taxation chart shows the previous owner was not charged any taxes from 2003-2017. Schaubach’s city tax records show that he has paid taxes since he bought the club in 2020.
“I have paid every tax bill that the city of Portsmouth has sent to us since 2020,” Schaubach said.
Schaubach sent an email dated Aug. 16 reminding City Council members he has paid all his taxes required from the city, stating these are “unfounded accusations against myself and my businesses.”
It is TRUE Lucas-Burke knew that when she aired the ad.
“The information that we had received was that he paid his taxes,” Lucas-Burke said. “We are not disputing that. I’m not disputing that he paid the taxes at all.”
But Schaubach points out the ad says that “the city had not collected real estate taxes from the golf course since 2003.”
10 On Your Side reminded Lucas-Burke of the letter she received and that this letter came to her before she put the ad on air.
“It absolutely did,” Lucas-Burke said. “That he paid his taxes, I’m not disputing that.”
Said Schaubach: “We overpaid our taxes. The vice-mayor knows that because she got a letter stating that, and she still comes out with her ad saying I paid no taxes.”
10 On Your Side pointed out she knew he had paid taxes.
“I knew he paid the taxes on the bill,” Lucas-Burke said.
10 On Your Side asked if she regrets putting that line in the ad.
“I don’t regret the ad at all,” Lucas-Burke said. “… Now the city is going to allow them to have open space and rebated taxes when there are seniors out there that can’t afford to pay their taxes.”
Claim: The owner saved $1 million in taxes and bankrolled Glover’s campaign
It is TRUE. According to the Department of Taxation chart, the previous owner may have saved $1 million in taxes, but that owner is not Schaubach.
As to bankrolling the campaign: It is TRUE. In 2020, Schaubach was Glover’s top donor, with $6,000 for his campaign for mayor. In this year’s campaign, he has contributed $5,000 from his company, Bay Builders Inc.
“I have never asked Shannon Glover for a favor, and I have never asked anyone to not tax this golf course,” Schaubach said. “… She should remove that ad instantly and wait to see what we are going to do because she has slandered me, my family and this golf club.”
Schaubach may file a lawsuit claiming slander and defamation of character against Lucas-Burke.
Said Lucas-Burke: “It could have been worded differently, but it’s out there and I’m not going to take that [ad] down.
10 On Your Side also asked the vice mayor is there anything she would like to say to Schaubach.
“I apologize if you felt that the ad was offensive to you,” Lucas-Burke said, “but that was not my intent. My intent was to highlight the issues that Glover did when he went into our city assessor’s office and pretty much coerced him into overturning an abatement.”
Again, Glover denies he did that.