Pensacola City Council District 4: Boyce White and Brian Cole Face Off to Succeed Jared Moore on November 3
District 4 voters choose Tuesday between Boyce White, a salesman running on relationships and economic momentum, and Brian Cole, a former volunteer firefighter running on affordability and methodical study of the city budget.
Pensacola's District 4 will get a new City Council member on November 3. Jared Moore announced last year he would not seek a third term, and only two candidates qualified to succeed him: Boyce White, the director of business development for Dynamic Pain and Wellness who previously ran for the Escambia County Commission in 2018, and Brian Cole, a former Escambia County volunteer firefighter and commercial building restoration contractor running for office for the first time, the Pensacola News Journal reported.
The two offer voters a contrast in style. White, who has raised $26,665 and campaigns through networking and mailers, says he ran to support Mayor D.C. Reeves's economic development efforts and keep the city's momentum from waning. Cole, who has raised $13,290, runs a website and social media campaign and says he has knocked on nearly every registered voter's door in the district, which covers much of Cordova Park and East Pensacola Heights and parts of East Hill along Bayou Texar.
Both candidates told the News Journal they oppose Amendment 3 and support the Local Option Sales Tax referendum — the same two tax questions that dominate Escambia County's ballot. White said he would look to federal and state relationships to keep the city in the green if the tax questions fail. Cole, who has attended every City Council meeting since filing, said his first move would be to look at refinancing city bonds that depend on property tax revenue, and he argues economic development should put more emphasis on helping local businesses with 10 to 99 employees grow.
