The Destin City Council on Monday night appointed John Stephens to fill the council seat vacated by former Councilman Jim Bagby, making it the second time in three years the local business owner has been tapped for interim duty.
- Stephens was first appointed to the council in January 2024 to fill the seat left vacant by Matthew Sweetser’s resignation. He ran for an elected seat that November but finished sixth in a seven-candidate, vote-for-five race with 2,826 votes, falling 452 votes short of the fifth-place finisher, Rodney Braden.
Braden, now a sitting councilman, made the motion Monday night to appoint Stephens. Councilwoman Sandy Trammell seconded. The motion passed with five votes in favor. Councilmember Dewey Destin abstained, telling the council that Stephens is a tenant of his.
Bagby submitted his resignation on June 15, effective the following day. He had originally announced plans to vacate the seat on July 21 but moved up his departure. Bagby qualified by petition in March to run for the Walton County Commission District 5 seat and needed to be registered as a Walton County voter ahead of the Aug. 18 primary.
Under the city charter, when less than one year remains in an unexpired term or before the next regular city election, the council appoints a successor by majority vote to serve until a newly elected member is qualified.
At the June 15 meeting, the council directed staff to reach out to applicants from the most recent solicitation for an interim seat. That applicant pool was created when the council filled the vacancy left by former Councilwoman Torey Geile, who resigned in January. Chatham Morgan was appointed to that seat.
Eight candidates expressed interest in being considered for Bagby’s seat:
- Eric Cabrera
- Ross Haynes
- Jonathan Ryan Holloway
- Matthew Pace
- Jay Purut
- Jessica Ramm
- Vincent Roy
- and Stephens
Stephens, a Choctawhatchee High School graduate and 18-year Destin resident, owns and operates Luther’s Pontoon, Waverunner, & Kayak Rentals, which he has run since 2005. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of West Florida.
He currently serves as chairman of the Destin Harbor Community Redevelopment Agency, vice chairman of the Destin Harbor & Waterways board and vice chairman of the East Pass Bridge Committee. He also sits on the Florida Boating Advisory Council, a governor-appointed position, and serves as a board member for the Friends Guild of the Destin Library and the Destin Parks Foundation.
“Thank you for believing in me,” Stephens told the council after the vote.
