Quincy commissioner responds to allegations of misusing government funds

Quincy Commissioner Keith Dowdell is calling recent allegations made by former City Manager Jack McLean a “set up.”

Early in December, McLean provided a statement to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement claiming Dowdell asked him to purchase an iPhone for him using the city’s Verizon account and Dowdell did not pay the city back.

McLean said he agreed with the purchase, but he said he told Dowdell he would have to pay the city back for the phone.

David Rittman, the city’s former information technology director, purchased the $727.94 iPhone for Dowdell under his account for the city.

Rittman said it was McLean who asked him to buy the phone.

However, he also said he doesn’t know if Dowdell initially asked McLean to purchase the phone.

Dowdell said he never asked McLean to purchase a phone for him.

“Jack insisted I let the city provide me with a phone because my older phone was having problems and he could not get in touch with me. Jack stated it was not abnormal or unusual for the city to provide commissioners with a cell phone,” Dowdell said.

Dowdell said McLean told him the reason he was having problems with his android phone was because it was an outdated phone and he needed to upgrade to an iPhone.

McLean said he never recommended nor insisted that Dowdell get an iPhone.

“Keith just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar,” McLean said in response to Dowdell’s denial of the allegations.

In February, McLean directed his then executive assistant Vancheria Starling in to follow up with Dowdell until the city received payment.

On March 8, Starling emailed Dowdell a copy of the bill for the phone.

Dowdell responded, “This is not my number.”

“The story told by former City Manager Jack McLean is fabricated to distract the public from the real truth behind his termination,” Dowdell said. “When this was brought to my attention by the former city manager’s executive assistant Van Perkins [Starling], she was told the number on the bill was not my cell phone.”

Dowdell said the next time he heard about that phone number was when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement contacted him in December.

“After discussing this with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, it was determined that this was an internal matter with the city,” Dowdell said.

Dowdell said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents who interviewed him recommended that he pay for the phone or give the phone back to the city.

Dowdell purchased a $727.94 cashier’s check dated for December 20, 2021, made to the order of the City of Quincy.

“This number was some kind of way attached to my personal number as a business number on my phone,” Dowdell added.

In response to a public records request, the city’s clerk, Janice Shackelford confirmed receipt of Dowdell’s payment for the phone.

The clerk also confirmed that Dowdell and Commissioner Anessa Albritton-Canidate are the only two commissioners using phones purchased by the city.

Albritton-Canidate is the only commissioner whose cell phone the city is currently paying for.

Mayor Ronte Harris and Commissioner Bass-Prieto both said McLean offered to purchase them cell phones to use for official city business, but they both said they declined.

Commissioner Angela Grant Sapp said she was offered a cell phone for official city business in 2008, however she said she turned it back in early 2009 because it was too cumbersome to keep up with two phones.

Sapp said when she was elected again in 2016, she specified she did not want a city-issued cell phone. Mike Wade was the city manager at that time.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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Quincy commissioner responds to allegations of misusing government funds

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Gadsden County Times Legals – 2/9

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