9:47 PM Who Will Be The Next Attorney For The City of Dothan

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: Sep 22 2022 10:10 PM

DOTHAN:    The City of Dothan has had only three Attorney's who represented the City of Dothan on a full time basis as an employee. There have been Assistant Attorney's, but the lead attorney, only three people have ever held that post.

The first was Brian Dowling. He was the first attorney appointed to represent the City of Dothan. While not positive, I think it was possibly during Dothan Mayor Kenneth Everett's term. But I do know that private attorney Herman Cobb suggested that it was time for the City of Dothan to employ full time counsel.

Following Brian Dowling, Assistant District Attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit Larry Anderson was appointed as City Attorney for the City of Dothan. Anderson served in that role for a number of years before resigning and entering into private law practice. Later Alabama Governor Fob James appointed Larry Anderson to 20th Judicial Circuit Court Judge. A position Judge Anderson will retire from in January.

Following Anderson's tenure as City Attorney for the City of Dothan, Assistant City Attorney Freddie Len White was appointed as City Attorney. And White has served in that capacity. White will retire in December of this year.

White has been an employee of the City of Dothan for about 33 years and some months. The last account he drew a salary of app. $ 151,798.40 a year.

NOTE:   The IT Director of the City of Dothan, as of the report I have, has worked with the City of Dothan for a little over 4 years, does not live in Alabama but resides in the State of Florida and makes $ 149,323.20. Which is only $ 6,032.00 less than the Dothan Fire Chief who has served over 33 years. 

The City of Dothan Attorney's Office has two full time Assistant Attorneys. Mr. Kevin Kelly has been with the City of Dothan Attorney Office for over 28 years and Joe Herring for over 16 years.

So far the City of Dothan has not released a list of candidates who have applied for the post of City Attorney for the City of Dothan. The original position of City Attorney worked directly for the Mayor and Commission. We briefly researched it and never saw where that was changed. But the City Manager, Kevin Cowper, who is in his 3rd year as City Manager and makes $ 195,000.00 is handling the interviews. And so far no panel has been annonced who will conduct those interviews.

First, I challenge the City of Dothan to produce the resolution where the position of City Attorney was changed to work directly for the City Manager and not the Mayor and Commission. It might exist and I did not conduct an extensive research, but it needs to be produced. And the position is an important position and the citizens deserve to know who those are which have applied and who will be conducting the interviews.

The interviews will be held the first week of October 2022.

The Mayor of the City of Dothan, Mark Saliba and the Associate Commissioners for the City of Dothan owe it to the regustered voters of Dothan to disclose that information.

ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER 

The current Assistant City Manager for the City of Dothan is Randy Morris. I had the opportunity to serve with Randy Morris when I served as Chairman of the City of Dothan-Houston County Communications District Board ( 911 Board ). I have nothing but great comments, respect and support for Randy Morris.

However Randy Morris was a Department Head for the City of Dothan at the time he became one of the three finalist for Assistant City Manager. 

The City Manager, Kevin Cowper, appointed three sitting City of Dothan Department heads as the interview panel. Honestly, do you think the fellow department heads would oppose their fellow department head?

So the citizens need to know.

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