CRESTVIEW — Local businessman and sitting City Councilman Tom Gordon announced his candidacy for mayor Monday.

Gordon, a lifelong Crestview native, owns Gordon Air Conditioning, a family business started by his father, and Gordon Martial Arts, a downtown business noted for frequent charitable events for local causes.

Appointed to the council upon the April 2012 resignation of former councilman Philip Berezo, Gordon rapidly gained a reputation for being a fiscal watchdog and having an aversion to expanding government reach. 

“As a community, we need friendly and helpful access. We need a mayor to provide clear direction, leadership and accountability,” Gordon said.

“I’ll be able to lean on my experiences on the City Council, being a business owner, and the many, many things we’ve done to better the community.”

Gordon is the son of Brady and Edna Gordon. He graduated from Crestview High School in 1989 and attended Okaloosa-Walton Community College. 

He was a rookie player on Crestview’s semi-pro Thunderbirds football team until taking his seat on the City Council. He is married to Barbara Gordon. They attend Woodlawn Baptist Church, where Tom Gordon has been a member since 1972.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: rb delete Businessman, council member announces run for mayor

LAUREL HILL — The city may soon have an official — or at least semi-official — presence on the World Wide Web following discussion about keeping residents informed about city matters.

Council members were discussing filling the vacant fifth council seat and seeking resident input during ongoing research into the dissolution of the city at the June 4, 2015 council meeting.

Councilman Scott Moneypenny asked Council Chairman Larry Hendren how information about filling the vacant council seat was being disseminated. Applications are being accepted through June 19.

"Typically it's the newspaper and word of mouth," Hendren replied, adding that minutes from council meetings and pertinent official reports are also posted at City Hall and the post office.

"Is there anything that stops us from having an unofficial Facebook page?" Moneypenny asked.

"Yes, there is," former mayor Joan Smith said, explaining Florida League of Cities rules recommend a municipality's web presence be comprehensive and should include all city ordinances, the city charter, council minutes and other documents.

"It bears investigation," Hendren said. "Let's see what the current rules are. Rules do change."

Mayor Robby Adams advised the council members that if the city started a Facebook page, "we need to regulate feedback because some postings can get pretty nasty."

Councilwoman Debra Adams suggested inserts in monthly water bills could also be a good method for sending out information to residents.

The council agreed to look into establishing a web presence and other communications venues.

"The timing is good right now to get questions out about dissolving or not dissolving," Hendren said.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at brianh@crestviewbulletin.com, follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill officials consider establishing web presence

CRESTVIEW — Councilman Tom Gordon, candidate for mayor, challenges Mayor David Cadle to debate the city's rise in violent crime.

The city ranks 180th on ValuePenguin's 2014 Safest Cities in Florida Study. Valparaiso and Niceville rank No. 10 and No. 15, respectively; and Fort Walton Beach, No. 86.

In 2012, the last year for which data was available, Crestview had 186 violent crimes and 38 robberies, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics.

“This doesn’t tell the whole story,” a news release from Cadle's office states. “In 2013, (Police) Chief (Tony) Taylor’s first year in office, violent crime decreased 12.2 percent and overall crime decreased 13.1 percent, which is the last full year data are available. For the first six months of 2014, violent crime was down an additional 6 percent.”

“Since the release of damaging crime figures to credible national and local sources, Cadle has said the numbers are wrong, skewed, and not true," Gordon said.

“If David Cadle’s statements are truthful, he should be willing to a debate in a public forum, such as the Crestview Community Center, and let residents and voters decide for themselves the facts and the truthfulness of the candidates.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gordon challenges Cadle to debate crime