Photo: From left to right: Ervin Chumley, Anthony Todd, Inez McDonald, Murray Lowe, Mayor Tawana Canada and Jason Burney
DODGE CITY – There will be no election in Dodge City this time around; all five members of the council, along with Mayor Tawana Canada, are unopposed in the upcoming municipal election on Aug. 23. The members of the council have worked together for many, many years and will continue to do so for at least another four.
Members of the council include:
Place 1 (Public Safety) – Jason Burney
Place 2 (Recreation) – Murray Lowe
Place 3 (Finance) – Anthony Todd
Place 4 (Public Works) – Inez McDonald
Place 5 (Streets and Roads) – Ervin Chumley
Canada was elected as council member in 1996, and was the first female to ever serve on the council in Dodge City’s history. She later became Mayor Pro Tem in 2000. She was officially appointed mayor by the council in June 2009 when then Mayor Perry Ray passed away. Canada is the second mayor of Dodge City since its incorporation in 1993. This will be her second full term as mayor.
In the Place 1 (Public Safety) position, Jason Burney looks forward to serving his third full term on the council. Burney is a Blountsville deputy and takes his job on the council seriously. He works hard to see that Dodge City is as safe and crime-free as possible.
Murray Lowe, Place 2 (Recreation) will be serving his second full term. Lowe stepped into Canada’s place on the council when she was appointed mayor in 2009. He has worked for Airgas in Birmingham since 1999.
Anthony Todd has been the council’s Place 3 (Finance) go-to since day one. He was elected to the first town council in 1994 and has been a hard working member of the Dodge City community for more than 20 years.
Councilwoman Inez McDonald has been in the Place 4 (Public Works) position for three full terms. As the oldest member of the council, she looks forward to serving her fourth term. Never meeting a stranger, McDonald enjoys her place on the council and loves to help out in any way she can.
Councilman Ervin Chumley, Place 5 (Streets and Roads), has been on the council for more than 20 years. Interesting note: Chumley lost in the first election due to his name not being drawn out of a hat. He had tied with another person and they broke the tie by drawing a name from a hat. Unfortunately, his opponent’s name was chosen for the seat. Chumley ran again the next time around and has been on the council ever since!
The mayor and town council have worked together for a long time to make things happen around Dodge City. The group meets on the second Thursday of every month beginning at 6 p.m. at Dodge City Town Hall.
