Dorman Appointed To Fill Vacant Rush Springs Council Seat
DORMAN TO TAKE TOWN COUNCIL POSITION TO SERVE HIS HOMETOWN AFTER COUNCIL RESIGNATIONS
“Public service is about stepping up, not climbing some political ladder.”
Joe Dorman announced Monday that after two council members in his hometown resigned for personal reasons, he will complete a one-year unexpired term for one of them. Mayor Linda Nichols asked Dorman, a Rush Springs native, to serve in this capacity until the next election, when someone can be elected to a full term. The unexpired term will be open for election in 2017; Dorman said he will not run for the seat.
“I’m very happy to answer this call of service for my hometown,” he said. “Any time there is a vacuum of leadership, good people need to step up and answer the call. I am honored to have been asked to fill this role for my hometown and hope to help Rush Springs move forward with some important issues on the horizon.”
Rush Springs council members are paid $50 per month. Dorman pledged that he would donate his monthly paycheck to the local food bank/ clothes pantry.
Dorman recently assisted several communities with storm-related recovery efforts after devastating ice storms struck parts of Oklahoma.
“This opportunity to work with several towns during the recovery from the recent storms reminded me how much I missed helping others through the knowledge and connections I made as a legislator,” Dorman said. “When Mayor Nichols asked if I would be interested in serving on the council, this seemed like perfect timing to get re-involved in public service after terming out of the state Legislature.”
Dorman is employed by Heart Mobile, where he serves as the Community Outreach Director. He is a member of the Rush Springs Lions Club and is chairman of the annual Rush Springs Watermelon Festival held in August. Dorman also leads an effort to deliver Christmas cards to veterans through the “Holiday for Heroes” program he founded. This has operated since 2010 and has grown in popularity each year, delivering more than 8,000 cards to veterans and soldiers this past December.
Dorman worked closely with municipal officials and the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML) during his terms as a legislator. He authored legislation that established a training course for newly elected town council members, which later became law with Dorman as a co-author. He also has served as parliamentarian for the Congress of Mayors, a meeting which shapes legislative suggestions for the OML agenda annually; Dorman has served in this role in all six years of the Congress.
Dorman was the 2014 Democratic nominee for Governor of Oklahoma, and said taking the Rush Springs council position has not changed his thinking about the future. He said he will strongly consider running for office again in 2018.
“Public service is about stepping up, not climbing some political ladder,” he said. “Our billion-dollar budget deficit sadly proves that we have had a lack of leadership on this issue. This will impact every community in Oklahoma. Whether it’s my hometown or the entire state, I’m committed to stronger, better leadership for the people of Oklahoma. I look forward to working with the council and the Rush Springs community to help the town where I was raised.”
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