FORT WALTON BEACH — Two local business owners have been nominated to fill the City Council seat vacated by Dennis Reeves in November.
The City Council on Tuesday selected former Councilman Mike Holmes and John S. Mead from a pool of eight residents who expressed interest in the post.
Read the nominees' letters of interest. >>
Fort Walton Beach City Manager Michael Beedie said the council will select a new councilman at its Jan. 22 meeting.
“(The council) will announce the two nominees and then they’ll basically vote, and whoever ends up getting the most votes will be the appointed council member,” he said.
The new member will be sworn in Jan. 22, attend his first meeting Feb. 12 and hold office through March 31, Beedie said.
Holmes and Mead are running for the same seat in the March 12 election.
Holmes, who owns a local auto repair service, served two terms on the council. He left office in 2011 because of term limits.
Holmes said he wants to keep Fort Walton Beach a good place to live and work. He said he’s committed to keeping city fire and police services at their current levels.
“I don’t think we want or deserve anything less than what we have now,” he said.
Holmes said he doesn’t want to raise property taxes, but that such a move might have to be considered to keep essential services.
Mead, a local real estate attorney, also opposes raising property taxes “unless there is no other way.”
He said 2013 “is going to be a huge financial year” for the city, and council members will be faced with some difficult decisions.
Mead said he is concerned about rising fees, vacancies in the industrial park and making the city more attractive to businesses.
“The more you can work with small businesses within the city to develop their businesses, the better the city will be,” he said.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.