Former administrator returns as assistant
Less than a year after he retired from full-time service as administrator for the city of Cotulla, Larry Dovalina has been hired as the assistant to his successor, David Wright.
The decision by the city council came Thursday evening, February 8, in a split vote that followed an hour of talks behind closed doors.
Present for the vote were Councilors Manuel Rodriguez, Eloy Zertuche, Tanis Lopez and Gilbert Ayala, although Lopez abstained. Councilor Alejandro Garcia Jr. was absent from the meeting. Ayala made the motion to hire Dovalina and was seconded by Rodriguez. Zertuche voted against the hiring.
Dovalina served as city administrator for 16 years until announcing his retirement in April 2023. He was subsequently retained by the city as a consultant through his Laredo-based firm.
That contract expires in May this year, according to City Hall.
Under the new agreement, Dovalina will work a limited number of days in Cotulla as a city employee, advising Wright, who said last week that the new agreement replaces the consultant’s contract.
Mayor Javier Garcia voiced support for the hiring, saying during last week’s meeting that he believes Wright will benefit from Dovalina’s expertise and that the former administrator may help train his successor for the job.
