D1 Commissioner Kevin Dorsey Will Be The Deciding Vote

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: Apr 15 2024 8:55 PM

DESTIN FLORIDA:    Because of the actions, statements, and perhaps illegal polling by commissioners, the opposition march by D4 Dothan Associate Commissioner John Ferguson and D5 Associate Commissioner Gantt Pearce, Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper applied for City Manager of Destin Florida.

There were 50 applicants the search committee narrowed down to 3 that were finalists they felt could best serve Destin Florida as City Manager. Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper was one of those three finalists.

Tonight the Destin City Council, who lets citizens talk at their meetings, selected an internal employee who has been Acting City Manager. But the vote was after the Destin Florida Council said they thought the committee had selected three well qualified candidates. The Destin City Council thought any of the three would do a great job in leading Destin Florida. But they were selecting the person who has been acting City Manager.

A new City Manager has to go threw a period of learning the local government, politics and what is going on and what is needed. So there is about a two year learning curve for a new City Manager.

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 10:00 AM. 

Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba and the Associate Dothan Commissioners will meet tomorrow at 10:00 AM. On the agenda is the contract for Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper.

Serving since 2019, Cowper has faced some struggles. But those struggles were inherited struggles. One from Leisure Services from a 23 year employee.

As City Manager you are managing more than 1,000 employees. And you would think a 23 year employee would be doing their job or past management would have had some suspicious questions.

And another was with Dothan IT Director who was hired by former Dothan City Manager Mike West. But longer than Kevin Cowper has been City Manager, John Ferguson has been a City Commissioner. So all of the blame can not be placed on Kevin Cowper.

But as City Manager Kevin Cowper has a plan that is being executed to make Dothan exciting again. He and others have raised $ 61 million dollars that are not City of Dothan government dollars for the revitalization of the inner city of Dothan. He has already done more since he came to Dothan than the commission has in years.

A lot of positive going on that I have just learned of.

D4 Dothan Commissioner John Ferguson has not met with Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper. That is negligent actions on the part of D4 Commissioner John Ferguson And not serving his community as he should.

D5 Dothan Commissioner Gantt Pearce. I like Gantt and met with Gantt, and his answers were not sufficient. And further investigation has revealed possible personal motives where Gantt Pearce, a Dothan Attorney was upset he did not get action for a client or friend that he thought he should. Attempts to pull weight with Dothan City Schools and showing his displeasure strongly in opposition of some of the school.

D2 Commissioner Aristotle Kirkland, I respect very much. And the comments are not meant to be disrespectful. But a lot of his term he has been plagued with medical issues. So a lot of things Commissioner Kirkland has missed, but he has served his community. And I honestly do not believe that he has been as engaged as he should to make a qualified decision in the City Manager and allowing Ferguson and Pearce to control his vote in opposition.

Bedwell and Crutchfield meet with the City Manager. They both support a new contract as does Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba.

That comes to D1 Commissioner Kevin Dorsey. He is the deciding vote on the commission of whether Kevin Cowper remains as Dothan City Manager or not. And a lot of people have attempted to persuade him. His fellow commissioners of Ferguson and Pearce were against Dothan Municipal Court Judge Rose Evans Gordon in getting a new contract. But in some clever political moves their attempts failed.

And hopefully D1 Commissioner Kevin Dorsey will do the right thing, the business supported thing, and on continue the path forward of making Dothan something wonderful. And it is on the path forward.

OR, he will bow to Ferguson and Pearce and do as they have instructed him to do, and that is vote against Kevin Cowper. Thus setting Dothan behind once again.

And I do not think Kevin is that type of man. But we will see at 10 AM Tuesday because he is the deciding factor.

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