Dowagiac City Council selects Ward 1 replacement

The Dowagiac City Council decided on a replacement for Ward 1 councilmember. After two split votes, Mayor Patrick Bakeman voted for David Fair as the successor to Tharan Suvarna, who resigned during their last meeting after accepting a job near his parents outside of Dowagiac. 

Councilmembers interviewed three candidates during their Monday, September 14 regular business meeting: David Fair, Carlyn Morris, and Ramona Green. Each candidate was asked the same questions about how they would govern, how they would work with other council members, and their understanding of how the council functions. 

Fair and Green were the only two candidates to receive votes, as four councilmembers — Breanna Bundy was absent — attempted to decide on a new Ward 1 representative by written ballot. The individual votes were not disclosed, and other than Bakeman who cast the tie-breaking vote, council members did not publicly discuss which candidate they favored. 

Fair will serve the remainder of Suvarna’s four-year term. Suvarna was elected in November 2025.

Fair’s interview responses

During the interview process, Fair said the roads and aging electrical infrastructure are the biggest needs to be addressed by the city over the next two years. When asked what he views as the biggest issue facing Dowagiac today, he pointed to communication between city officials and residents. 

“I would say it’s the struggle through these things that have become issues that it’s really unfortunate they did. I don’t know if it’s a lack of communication, but I would say that that’s probably the biggest thing behind all this, is the communication between city officials and people living in the city,” he said. 

Fair has been attending meetings somewhat regularly, a detail Bakeman noted when explaining his vote for Fair. Bakeman also felt that Fair showed a better understanding of how city council works when responding to that question as opposed to Green. 

“One thing that sticks out with me in terms of one candidate versus the other is Mr. Fair’s presence at council meetings since I’ve been here,” Bakeman said, adding that he understood and explained the process “a little bit sharper,” is up to date on most current projects, and the ways councilmembers have voted on those projects. 

After Bakeman broke the tie, councilors unanimously approved the appointment — a separate vote from the selection. 

Fair will be sworn in at a future meeting. 

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.