At the conclusion of Tuesday's State of the City address, Gainesville Mayor Danny Dunagan announced he would not run for another term as mayor, but he told constituents to "stay tuned."
On Friday morning, Dunagan announced he will not step away from his political career completely; instead, he will run for the Ward 1 post on Gainesville City Council. That's the post currently held by Sam Couvillon, who announced Wednesday morning, he plans to run for the mayoral post.
Dunagan made the announcement on WDUN's Martha Zoller Show, telling Zoller he was being truthful on Tuesday when he said he needed more time to spend with his family and his business.
"I need to slow down a little," Dunagan said. "COVID...has had a huge effect on my business [3D Cleaners]. My son, who ran the business for me while I was gone so much, had to get another job."
Still, Dunagan thinks he can manage the business and a city council post should he be elected. He acknowledged he and Couvillon can't simply "trade places" because there is an electoral process that must play out. Qualifying for Gainesville City elections is scheduled for Aug. 16-18, 2021.
"But, I want to stay involved. I enjoy serving the citizens and I love the city of Gainesville," Dunagan said.
Dunagan told Zoller affordable housing continues to be problematic, especially for first-time homebuyers in the city, and he said he wanted to be part of the conversation as city officials work on that issue. Dunagan also discussed the three mixed-use developments underway in the downtown area - Solis, Renaissance and The National - which have been started during his 15-year tenure on Gainesville City Council. He said he'd like to have another four years as part of the council to see those projects to completion.
