CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council held a special meeting Tuesday night to fill the vacated seat of Doug Faircloth, who stepped down last month due to health concerns prior to his passing last week.

Seven candidates interviewed for the position. Alex Barthe, who was originally listed as a candidate was unable to interview due to having a contract with the city.

Each council member had the chance to ask candidates two questions, ranging from their goals to what they have learned about themselves through the process.

After a two-and-a-half-hour process, the council unanimously selected Harry LeBoeuf for the position.

LeBoeuf has lived in Crestview for 13 years. For the past six years, he has served on the city’s Board of Adjustment. He also serves as a board member for the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m very humbled,” LeBoeuf said. “Councilman Faircloth, I knew him. I have some really big shoes to fill and I don’t know if I can ever really fill those shoes.

“I feel so very honored to be able to continue his legacy because he was a visionary as well,” he added.

LeBoeuf said preparation for the future is one of his main goals.

“Crestview needs to more forward,” LeBoeuf said. “It’s a great place to live today, but if we want to continue to have a great place to live tomorrow, we have to move forward.

“We have to prepare ourselves for the challenges of the future. We don’t really know what those are, but there are some things that we can do to prepare us for whatever happens in the future and that’s what I want to help bring to the city,” he added.

LeBoeuf said making Crestview a secure place to live is important for the future. The way to make that happen, he said, is communication with the citizens.

“We represent the people and the only way we can do that is for the people to tell us what they need,” said LeBoeuf. “We can’t do everything for everybody. That’s physically and fiscally impossible, but we need to know what’s most important to them so we can know what direction we need to take.

“My most important role is to listen to the citizens,” he added.

LeBoeuf said he thinks the mayor’s “New View for Crestview” works well with the way he sees things for the city.

“That’s probably the real reason I wanted to be part of the city council was I wanted to help us establish the path that’s already been put, but now we can continue through the future,” said LeBoeuf. “I think we’ve done a lot of great things here, but I think we have a lot of great things in store for us in the future.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council selects new member for vacated seat

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council will meet with eight potential candidates vying for the seat vacated by Doug Faircloth, who stepped down last month due to health reasons and passed away Tuesday.

Each candidate must be a registered voter living within Precinct 3, which is defined as north of State Road 90 and within city limits. The following is a brief description of each candidate.

• Alex Barthe has lived in Crestview since 2005, as a result of military re-assignment. Barthe is a member of both the Crestview and Fort Walton Beach chambers of commerce, serving as a member of Crestview Chamber’s Board of Directors. Barthe is also a member of the Citizens Advisory Council for the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization.
• Charles Baugh is retired from the Air Force. Baugh is a past Crestview City Council president and chairman for the Crestview Redevelopment Agency, a former president and board director for the Florida League of Cities for the Northwest Florida district, and the former president of the Okaloosa County League of Cities. Baugh also served as a board member for the Northwest Florida Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the Crestview Police and Firefighter Retirement Board.
• Ellis Conner is a lifetime resident of Crestview who retired from the United States Air Force. Conner is a retired city employee who currently serves on the city’s Local Planning Agency board. Conner previously served on the Charter Review Committee and was also a council member.
• Harry LeBoeuf has lived in Crestview for 13 years, after retiring from the Air Force after almost 30 years. For the past six years, he has served on the city’s Board of Adjustment. LeBoeuf also serves as a board member for the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce. He currently works as the franchise co-owner and travel consultant for the travel agency, Vacations Designed for You.
• Micah Reese has over 20 years of experience working for the Department of Defense as an aerospace/systems engineer. Reese has volunteered as a mentor to youth at the Okaloosa Regional Juvenile Detention Center and as a referee at the FIRST Robotics competitions. This month, he will take the training to become a member of the North Okaloosa Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
• Rodney Salisbury has lived in Crestview for 19 years. Salisbury currently serves as a Crestview Firefighter and Police Officer Pension Fund Trustee, as well as serving on the Crestview Local Planning Agency and Civil Advisory Council. Salisbury started a Safe Walks program, working with members of the city and county to find National and State funding for sidewalks around the area schools.
• Deborah Tuggle was a teacher at Davidson Middle School from 2007 to 2013. Tuggle has also worked as a consultant and budget analyst for Valley Children’s Medical Group and as a controller for the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning for the State of Indiana. Tuggle worked for affiliated computer services as a business operations analyst, business operations supervisor and as a western region finance manager.
• Irmma Winkler has lived in Crestview since 2001. She is a graduate of both Crestview High School and Northwest Florida State College. She has worked for different local businesses in the area.

The City Council will interview all of the candidates Tuesday night in the council chambers. The interview process begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. While the public does not get to vote on the new member, citizens will have a chance to comment to the council. Each council member will ask candidates two questions before making the final decision on who will fill the slot.

The decision will be made Tuesday night after the interviews and public comments are finished.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council to interview eight candidates for open seat

CRESTVIEW — New mayor J.B. Whitten, as well as city council members Cynthia Brown and Andrew Rencich, were sworn into office Monday night.

Former mayor David Cadle gave the elected officials words of wisdom as they begin their new positions.

“We may speak of the growth and the changes in Crestview in the past few years, but it is now time to look forward to advances in our city, such as continued growth that will overshadow all that has gone before,” said Cadle. “It is easy to understand why people wish to live here with us.”

Okaloosa County Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel also offered words of wisdom to the new elected officials. Ketchel gave a few characteristics of how a mayor and councilman should act, which included being fair, patient and kind.

“Do not neglect those who have supported you thus far,” said Ketchel. “Remember the imperative of maintaining a balanced life. That will be a challenge with your new leadership duties.

“You have joined a long line of dedicated officials who have served as the mayor and as the council people of the city of Crestview,” added Ketchel. “I charge you to undertake your duties with a song in your heart and a smile on your face.”

Judge Terrance Ketchel administered the oath of office to the new city officials.

“We are excited to be serving you, the people,” said new city councilwoman Cynthia Brown. “We all want your input. I thank you all so much for your support.”

“I’m honored and privileged to fulfill this role within the city government of Crestview,” said new city councilman Andrew Rencich. “This city over the last six months has shown that it wants change. Moving forward, with the assistance of the new city manager, that change will be here. ”

New mayor J.B. Whitten had his wife, Anne, and his family by his side as he gave his first remarks in the new position.

“I gave kind of a long dissertation the other night of what I saw as a new view for Crestview and I sincerely mean that,” said Whitten. “We have an opportunity to go down a new path that we haven’t been down before.”

Whitten gave a synopsis of his speech from Friday night’s town hall meeting. He then thanked outgoing councilmen Bill Cox and Doug Faircloth and outgoing city attorney Ben Holley for their work and dedication to the city.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: New city officials sworn into office

CRESTVIEW — Over the next two weeks, the community will have the opportunity to thank outgoing Mayor David Cadle and welcome incoming Mayor J.B. Whitten and new city council members during several public events and ceremonies.

• At 6 p.m. March 28, in the Whitehurst Municipal Building, 201 Stillwell Blvd., a farewell ceremony for Cadle will recognize his 12 years of leadership during a period of unprecedented growth. Light refreshments will be served.

• At 6 p.m. March 29, at Hub City Smokehouse, 168 Main St. S, Crestview, a reception for Whitten is scheduled. It includes barbecue on the menu and a chance to meet Whitten, who most recently served as city council president.

• At 7 p.m. April 1, at the Crestview courthouse’s Board of County Commissioners chamber, the new mayor and council will be sworn into office.

Joining Whitten among the city’s new leadership are returning council members Joe Blocker, Doug Faircloth and Shannon Hayes, and new council members Cynthia Brown and Andrew Rencich.

“We wanted to do something to allow the public to thank Mayor Cadle for his years of selfless service, to meet Crestview’s new leadership, and to learn what the future holds for our city,” Whitten said. “These events are great opportunities to meet your city’s leadership and share your ideas.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Events honor outgoing, incoming officials

CRESTVIEW — Crestview has a new City Council member.

Cynthia Brown defeated Bill Cox for the Group 1 council seat. She received almost 59 percent of the votes.

“I want to thank God first because he was definitely in it,” said Brown. “Thank you to the folks who voted for me and believed in me.“

Brown has government experience from serving on the town council in Catlettesburg, Kentucky, where she resided before moving to Crestview.

She believes her experience will help.

“I’m going to be bolder. I want the people to know that I’m for them,” she said. “I will learn all I can and listen to what the people have to say.”

Cox has served on the council for four years.

“I appreciate Mr. Cox’s work for the city and what he has done,” Brown added.

Andrew Rencich will serve on the council in the Group 2 council seat. Current Councilman J.B. Whitten will become the new mayor, replacing David Cadle. Both men ran unopposed.

All three will begin their new roles after being sworn-in to office on April 1.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Brown wins seat on City Council

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council has two open seats, but only one race has multiple candidates.

Bill Cox and Cynthia Brown are contending for the Group 1 City Council seat. Matthew Gates was also running for the position, but withdrew from the race. Both candidates have prior experience in working in a government role.

Cox, who has lived in Crestview for 13 years, has been serving on the City Council for the past four years. While on the council, he has served as the vice president. He previously served on the city’s Board of Adjustment and Local Planning Agency Board.

Brown has been living in the community since 2016. She currently works as the director of the Ronda Coon Women's Home. She has not previously served in Crestview, but she served two years of a four-year term on the town council in Catlettesburg, Kentucky, before moving to Northwest Florida.

The candidates have only met once to discuss issues in the race, but now it comes down to the voters to decide who will take the seat.

Early voting has been occurring this week, but voters who do not vote early can cast their ballots on Tuesday, March 12.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City Council seat up for grabs