DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Decatur businessman Kent Lawrence made it official on Tuesday that he is in the running for mayor.
Lawrence is seeking to replace Mayor Tab Bowling, who is serving his second term but announced two years ago that he is not running for reelection.
“I believe Decatur can be a great city, a clean, safe city that we’re all proud to live, work and raise a family in,” Lawrence said. “I want Decatur to be the city that inspires an example for other communities to look at.”
Lawrence said he understands that it is going to take a lot of work to accomplish that. Since the police shooting death of Stephen Perkins in 2023, there has been a clear divide in the Decatur city community.
So much so that at nearly every city council meeting, there is a call for Bowling to step down from his seat immediately for his failure to maintain peace among his citizens.
“I’m not Tab Bowling, I’m Kent Lawrence, and I’m going to talk about what I’m going to do,” Lawrence explained. “There’s no doubt that Decatur is fractured, communities are divided, and we’ve got to fix that, and that starts with communication. That’s not saying the word because communication is truly sitting down and listening to each other and understanding the other person’s point of view.”
Lawrence has worked for the City of Decatur for 18 years and currently serves as chairman of the Decatur City Planning Commission.
“I’m going to be the CEO of the city while providing leadership and leadership with integrity and responsibility,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence joins city councilman Billy Jackson as the early qualifiers for the election.
Lawrence told News 19 that there is a lot that needs to be done to solidify the future of Decatur, but number one is re-establishing trust in its citizens.
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