Claim: Former Dothan City Manager Dennis Rubin Owes Thousands To Former Wife, Judge Makes Records Secret

An agreement was reached Thursday in the divorce settlement case between former Dothan City Manager Dennis Rubin and his estranged wife.  A judge, after attorneys for both agreed on terms, sealed the case which keeps it out of public and media view.  A court filing, obtained by WDHN prior to sealing, shows Terri Lynn Rubin claims her former husband owes thousands of dollars to her that have not been paid under the terms of the couple's divorce. 

In the complaint, dated June 29, 2011, Ms. Rubin said her former spouse initially owed $162,000 for property settlement--- payable at $1,500 per month, beginning October 1, 2010---about the time the couple's divorce was finalized.  She claims Rubin has failed to comply with terms of the order.  Ms. Rubin also alleges her former husband is in arrears on payments and that the last check written to her "bounced" due to insufficient funds.  Ms. Rubin also claims her former husband is $15,500 in arrears on court-ordered alimony payments.  Under the divorce decree, Rubin was to pay $3,120 per month until his former wife dies, remarries, or lives as married with another man. 

Rubin was named Dothan fire chief in the 1990's and is credited with major upgrades made to the department during his tenure.  He left to take similar position in Virginia but returned as Dothan city manager in 2002.  Rubin then resigned that job in November, 2003 to become Atlanta's fire chief.  He was on an initial short list for the job, according to a previous DothanFirst.com article, but pulled out of consideration after Dothan city commissioners agreed to increase his pay by five thousand dollars per year.  He later said he reconsidered and decided to take the Atlanta job because officials there "wouldn't take no for an answer."  He served as Dothan's city manager less than 16 months.  

Rubin then moved from Atlanta to Washington D.C. where he took over the district's fire department in 2007 at a reported salary of about $162,000 per year.  Rubin was responsible for the management and supervision of more than 2,000 employees and an annual operating budget in excess of $170 million, according to D.C. government's website.

He resigned that post after a new administration took over at the beginning of 2011.  He has since been unemployed except for training seminars and other sessions for which he was a paid participant. Rubin has filed suit against the city of Washington for a reported $150,000 claiming it did not meet the city's obligation to contribute 14% of Rubin's salary to a retirement fund. 

Details of the settlement between Rubin and his former wife are shielded under the seal order issued by Houston County Circuit Judge Butch Binford.  The order, according to Binford, was approved at the request of the Rubin's attorneys after they spotted media in the courtroom.