FORT WALTON BEACH — Former City Councilman Mike Holmes and newly appointed Councilman John S. Mead are vying for a permanent seat on the board in the March 12 election.
The council in late January appointed Mead, a local attorney, to fill Seat 3 vacated by Dennis Reeves in November.
“I’ve really been enjoying it,” he said. “When I do anything, I give it my all.”
He said he’s committed to serving an entire four years, and has been out walking neighborhoods to meet and hear from voters.
“I’m listening to everyone,” Mead said. “That’s where the best ideas come from. Not from public officials.”
Holmes, who works at Holmes Auto Repair, served two terms on the council before leaving office in 2011 because of term limits. He said he’s eager to get back to work for the city, where he’s lived all of his life.
“I’ve always, when I’ve gone into a meeting, tried to be very open-minded and look at the big picture,” Holmes said. “I have shown where I could make the tough decisions. I’ve tried to exhibit that I could be a good steward for the city.”
Holmes said many residents have told him they are concerned about the future of the city’s police and fire departments.
“They still have a lot of concern over our police and fire services, that we maintain the quality we have,” he said. “I’m very concerned that we … continue to provide them the resources to maintain our services.”
Mead said he has visited the Police Department and seen that it is running short on personnel.
“I’ve walked the halls with the chief, and one thing that I can say without hesitation is they need more resources. … I saw the empty desks firsthand,” he said. “I’m committed to getting them what they need.”
Both candidates said they are committed to helping Fort Walton Beach attract more businesses.
“It’s not that the city is not business friendly,” Holmes said. “It’s just that the city needs to encourage businesses and help businesses develop and grow.”
Mead said he wants Fort Walton Beach to encourage business owners to refurbish and build on old, vacant lots just north of downtown.
“The more aesthetically pleasing it is, the more attractive it is for … businesses, for customers, for everything,” he said. “There are tax incentives we can give to folks to bring them in to say not only is this an attractive place to be, but we will give you a financial incentive for doing it.”
Holmes and Mead said they support the city’s plan to consolidate its aging recreation centers into one facility on Jet Drive.
“The plan, as it’s presented to me, makes fiscal sense,” Mead said. “At the end of the day, the services it’s going to supply are going to be increased for the seniors, for the youth. … It’s going to be safer.”
Holmes said it’s important that the city “follow through” on selling or demolishing the old recreation centers to avoid any continued drain on city finances.
“The money that the city is actually saving because of the consolidation is going to be huge,” he said. “We can spend less money to consolidate the facilities than to repair and maintain what we’ve got now.”
EARLY VOTING: Early voting for municipal elections will continue through Saturday at the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections offices at 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd. in Fort Walton Beach and at 302 N. Wilson St., Suite 102, in Crestview. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.