There’s trouble in Petersburg.

Petitions are being circulated to remove Petersburg Mayor W. Howard Myers.

Separately, a majority of the Petersburg City Council has voted to begin talks to remove Petersburg City Manager William E. Johnson III and City Attorney Brian K. Telfair, although some are questioning whether the action came at a legal meeting.

All of this comes as residents are venting over the way the city is being managed, over sky-high water bills and about property tax bills that are arriving close to the deadline for payment.

The city with a majority African-American population 23 miles south of Richmond is obviously in an uproar.

Whether ultimately there is a shakeup in the city’s leadership remains a question as residents’ anger and concerns reach a boiling point.

The latest evidence came Wednesday when the Free Press received an email that included a copy of the petition being circulated in Ward 5, which Mayor Myers represents.

His fellow council members elected him mayor after he won re-election to the Ward 5 seat in 2014. But at least some of his constituents are blaming him for the city’s problems.

The petition outlines no specific allegations, but cites a state law that authorizes the Circuit Court to remove an elected official if it is found the official was involved in “neglect of duty and/or misuse of office and/or incompetence in the performance of his duties having a material adverse effect upon the conduct of such office.”

To get into court for a hearing, organizers of the petition drive would have to collect the signatures of at least 86 registered voters living in the ward, or 10 percent of the 852 voters who participated in the Ward 5 election two years ago. There are 3,051 registered voters in the ward, according to the state Board of Elections.

Reached Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Myers laughed when he was asked about the petition. Then he said, “I have no comment at this time.”

The petition drive follows a special meeting Feb. 18 when five of the seven council members voted to begin negotiations to end the tenures of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Telfair. However, the council may not have provided the public three-day notice required by state law, raising questions about whether the vote was valid.

Upset, Mr. Telfair sent an email rant at 5 a.m. the next day that seemed to indicate he had resigned.

“I decided that I needed a month or two of me time. Despite what’s being reported in the media, I made the decision … My girls, my health and my life are too important for me to continue on this path. … I just might return one day, but in a different role,” he said in the email.

Reached Wednesday, Mr. Telfair disavowed the statements he wrote. “I did it at a low point,” he said.

He said he has not resigned, but remains uncertain about his status.

Mr. Johnson was not available for comment.

The council would have to approve big checks for the two men if it actually ended up forcing their resignations.

Both men would have to be paid severance that could total more than $120,000 based on their current salaries and other money they could be due for unused vacation or sick leave.

Mr. Johnson now earns a base salary of $170,000, and city records show he would be due a minimum of six months pay, or at least $85,000, if his contract were terminated.

Mr. Telfair is paid about $135,000 a year, and would be due a minimum of three months pay, or at least $33,000 if terminated, his contract shows.

The trigger for the uproar appears to have begun with malfunctions in newly installed wireless water meters that were supposed to save the city money. Instead, bills began getting fouled up and then got backed up 90 days.

As bills began going out in February, residents found themselves facing bills two to three times normal levels, a hardship for many in a city with a high level of poverty.

The problem got worse when property tax bills started hitting mailboxes just two weeks before the due date, adding to the financial demands on residents. Traditionally, such bills are issued a month or more before the due date. But workers in the office of the Petersburg commissioner of revenue, an elected position, got behind and only began issuing the bills 14 days ahead of the payment deadline.

Then upset residents learned that the city is struggling to pay its bills, triggering demands for the departure of Mr. Johnson, who has served since 2011, and Mr. Telfair who has been in office for three years.

The alarming Feb. 2 financial report from the city’s outside auditor, Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates of Charlottesville, disclosed financial problems that had accumulated.

Among other things, the report showed that the city’s revenue has fallen short of spending by about $6.3 million, or about 7 percent of the $85 million budget. Among the reasons for the deficit: A decline in property tax collection, according to David L. Hughes, an accountant with the firm.

Mr. Hughes told the council that it could take two to four years for the city to re-gain financial stability.

The concern was exacerbated when Mr. Johnson directed city departments to slash spending after the city treasurer, also an elected position, notified him of a $3.4 million shortfall in tax collections.

Mayor Myers said Wednesday that rumors are being circulated that Petersburg “is going bankrupt.”

“That’s just wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.

He said the city is facing a financial challenge, but is dealing with it. “We have $21 million in uncollected revenue,” he said, “and we’re going to be collecting it.” He said the city hopes to bring in up to half of that.

He also noted Petersburg residents are wrongly blaming the city administration, which does not control the commissioner of the revenue or the treasurer, but relies on them to bill and collect real estate and personal property taxes.