Qualls
Jay's former mayor, Kurvin Qualls, has been appointed to the West Florida Regional Planning Council, according to a press release from Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office released Friday. Qualls had served as chairman on the council when he was Jay's mayor, but had to resign from the council when he resigned as mayor of Jay in October 2017.
The mission of the West Florida Regional Planning Council is to provide professional planning, coordinating and advisory services to local governments, state and federal agencies and the public to preserve and enhance the quality of life in northwest Florida, according to their website.
According to Qualls, his appointment to the council was in the works before he resigned and he served as chairman on the council in the past.
"As I got ready to resign, they said they wanted me to be on the WFRPC, so we got the paperwork ready and he (Gov. Rick Scott) appointed me last Friday," said Qualls. "I'll be working to help find local governments find grant money and stuff like that. We help them out, especially transportation issues, with the DOT (Department of Transportation)."
When asked about how he will help his hometown of Jay. Qualls said, "We've still got some ideas kicking for down the road.," although he remained tight-lipped about those ideas at present.
Proactive and deeply involved when he was Jay's mayor, he said he is most excited about helping local governments.
"We are in the process of hiring two grant writers, to help local governments get grants," said Qualls. "The council helps find a way to come up with the funding, but the project has to be the town's idea."
Serving on the WFRPC is 100 percent voluntary and only the governor can remove a council member. Qualls said he looks forward to doing his part to help Northwest Florida with the experience and relationships he developed while in office as Jay's mayor.
"The council will meet about once a month, so not a lot of time involved for the meetings," said Qualls. "I'm just excited to help out."
Current Jay Mayor Shon Owens is supportive of Qualls' acceptance of a council seat.
"I think its a fantastic opportunity for Mr. Qualls, he'll do a good job," said Owens. "His experience of being mayor in Jay will serve him well in his council seat. I think he has a feel for what we need in Jay and he'll find avenues to help with opportunities for us."
"The one word that comes to mind is ecstatic," said WFRPC's Executive Director Austin Mount. "We are happy to have him back."
Mount said that when Qualls resigned as Jay's mayor, he resigned from the council as chairman, because that position had to be filled by an elected official. After Qualls resigned, Mount and others worked for the last several months to get him back on the council.
"When he resigned, he knew his seat had to be filled by elected official, so we worked to get him appointed," said Mount. "So we are really, really happy to have him. With 14 years of being an elected official, he is a great resource, a great leader. We are in the relationship business, and we go everywhere and he knows everybody. Its really good to have him as a resource and partner."
When contacted about Qualls' appointment, Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office replied with the following:
'Governor Scott appoints the most qualified candidates who he believes will faithfully serve Florida families with honesty and integrity. The Governor looks forward to seeing Mr. Qualls' continued dedication to serving families and visitors in west Florida.'
