PETERSBURG, Va. -- Ahh Petersburg… how much worse can it get?
Federal and state investigations. Looming bond disasters that could literally bankrupt the town.
Medics who save lives and mechanics keeping up city fleets not being paid. Schools among the very worst in the state.
A fire station, museums, city jobs, salaries, services - all potentially on the budget chopping block as residents at council meetings look at each other like passengers on the Titanic, asking: How could we be sinking like this?
It is madness.
But it's not hopeless.
Thursday, we walked through the historic riverfront district, a once-rundown industrial district recently transformed into apartments, studios, a bake shop, brewery, a coffee shop, an award-winning BBQ joint.
Movies and TV show are filmed here. People come from near and far to check it out. It is thriving.
All in stark contrast to a city government seemingly in total disarray.
This is a town that could boom, explained developer and resident Dave McCormack, the man behind $50 million worth of that growth by the river.
"We're not spiraling into the void here," he said Thursday. "We're weathering it the best that we can, and we're really excited about the future."
He, like everyone, wonders how things could tumble downhill so quickly, without much warning.
But if the city goes bankrupt, the buildings, businesses and residences won't collapse, McCormack said.
"No, it's a restructuring process," he said.
That's exactly what this city needs: a restructuring.
Because the current structure has failed, plain and simple.
I re-visited interim city manager Dironna Moore Belton Thursday afternoon. We'd had a long visit in March, right after she was appointed.
Back then, she was totally excited and confident about turning around her hometown.
I like her.
And she's still confident, but now admitting the city government could crash so hard it could actually shut down if it doesn't quickly meet its debt and bond obligations.
She believes a year from now, the city could be back on solid footing, but it's going to be a tough year of everyone working together.
I had to ask her about widespread rumors and comments about her boyfriend working for the water department, the city agency that was the tip of the iceberg - the canary in the coal mine - in this long-brewing meltdown.
"Fiancé," she corrected me, saying he was tapped as assistant general manager of utilities before she was offered the job of saving this city.
"There has been no occurrence of where any conflict has occurred."
He's more operations, she said, and she's more budget and bill collecting.
Fair enough.
I so want her and her future husband to succeed, along with the rest of those running this floundering ship.
Fresh leadership and absolute transparency is crucial.
Those who made of mess of their jobs need to be identified and booted out.
Voters are going to have to decide the city's health is more important than electing familiar faces and voices.
But I also believe we all need to realize that this is not terminal.
This is city that can fully take advantage of its affordability, history, beauty and perfect location. It can and should draw people from Hopewell, Fort Lee, Prince George, Chester, Dinwiddie and even Chesapeake.
It's a bust-to-boom turnaround story waiting to happen, if we could all stop cheering for Petersburg to lose.
