Two Fayetteville officials eye Fort Smith post
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2008
One of Mayor Dan Coody's top administrators wants to be considered for the city administrator post in Fort Smith.
Gary Dumas, who serves as director of operations in Coody's administration, applied for the job in late April. The post has also attracted an application from Coy Hurd, Fayetteville's building services director.
Dumas joined Coody's administration in its first year, 2001, as Coody reshaped the top staff at City Hall to fit his goals after defeating the incumbent mayor in the 2000 election. Dumas was first hired as the city's utilities services director after five years as the public works director in Sioux Falls, Iowa.
As director of operations, Dumas oversees most of the day-to-day functions of city government.
Coody has announced that he will not seek re-election in November.
Hurd has served as Fayetteville's building services director since July 2002 and previously worked for the University of Arkansas.
Fort Smith City Administrator Randy Reed, who had served that role since June 2006, announced his immediate resignation Feb. 19 just hours before he was to recommended to city directors that they fire Police Chief Kevin Lindsey, whom Reed placed on administrative leave five days earlier.
Lindsey's suspension caused a furor within the Fort Smith Police Department. Hundreds turned out to support the police chief at a Feb. 19 meeting. A vote by the city directors to fire him failed, and Lindsey retained his job.
The Fort Smith post also attracted an application from Kevin Crosson, the former director of administrative services and public works director in Fayetteville under the late Mayor Fred Hanna.
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