Sole candidate Dawkins to take Powder Springs city council seat

POWDER SPRINGS — Doris Dawkins won’t have to get on the campaign trail before preparing to take office in Powder Springs. Dawkins was the only resident to register to run for the Powder Springs City Council seat previously held by Councilman Al Thurman. Thurman qualified to run for mayor and will face local business owner Alison Feliciano and Councilman Chris Wizner in the mayor’s race. Mayor Pat Vaughn chose not to seek another term. As the only candidate for the Ward 2 council seat, Dawkins’ name will not appear on ballots on Nov. 3. The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration is scheduled to hold a called meeting at 10 a.m. to cancel the special election to fill that seat, which would have been held on the Nov. 3 election day. The board will certify Dawkins as elected to the office. “I love Powder Springs and saw the opportunity for growth and to make a difference,” Dawkins said on her decision to seek office. Originally from Selma, Alabama, Dawkins has been a Cobb resident for 31 years and a Powder Springs resident for 15. A mother of one, she works for the National Department of Defense, where she has been an employee since becoming a Cobb County resident. She has also served six years with the Georgia National Guard. Becoming a councilwoman won’t be Dawkins’ first contribution to Powder Springs. She has served on the planning and zoning commission for four years and has six years of experience as a volunteer code enforcement officer for the city. Dawkins says she hopes to bring her experience with budgeting, contract management and other areas to the council. Some of her goals for the city include bringing more shops, restaurants and job opportunities. She also hopes to develop opportunities for the city’s youth, such as mentoring programs. “When they graduate, there’s nothing for them to do, so I’d like to see opportunities for the youth and mentorship,” she said. With several months until she takes office, Dawkins plans on spending time speaking with residents, including the city’s youth, to ask what things they would like to see in Powder Springs. “Once I do that, I can assess some of the traits or some of the leadership that some of the residents might have, and try to get a program incorporated to work with the youth, and maybe work with the mayor and council on improving job opportunities in Powder Springs,” she said. Though residents will not have the Ward 2 council seat to consider on Election Day, the Nov. 3 ballots will have three contested races. In addition to the mayor’s race, voters will decide who will fill the Post 1 and 2 at-large council seats. Tom Bevirt and Patrick Bordelon Sr. are vying to succeed Rosalyn Neal for the Post 1 position, while Post 2 features a three-person race between Henry L. Lust, Ashanti Norton and Patricia A. Wisdom, with the winner succeeding Wizner, the current office holder.

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