Departing Merle Gorden Pens Letter To Beachwood Residents

BEACHWOOD, OH — In a surprising and hotly contested election result, incumbent Beachwood Mayor Merle Gorden was defeated in November by City Council President Martin S. Horwitz. With Horwitz set to take office in 2018, Gorden penned a goodbye note to residents on the city's website Thursday.

"As one might imagine, this is a bittersweet transition for me. This office has become my second home, and the staff my second family. If you really know me, you know I lived to serve the Beachwood community," Gorden wrote.

He went on to tout his accomplishments during his tenure, saying he feels he is leaving the city in strong shape, having just been named Cuyahoga County's best suburb by Cleveland Magazine. "I believe I have left the city in better condition than it was when I took office," he added.

He then goes on to list the accomplishments he feels he and his administration achieved during his tenure. The list is divvied into four categories: economic development, safety, municipal services and administrative. The full list can be seen by clicking here.

"Our city’s success story is bound to continue with Mayor Martin Horwitz and our City Council, and I sincerely wish them much success in the future," he says near the bottom of the note. "While my time as Mayor is ending shortly, my time as your fellow resident, colleague and/or friend continues well into the future. I look forward to my continued involvement in the city as a resident who is immensely proud to call Beachwood home."

Horwitz will take office Jan. 1, 2018.

Horwitz beat Gorden by less than 100 votes in the election. Based on the Board of Election's final tally, Horwitz received 37.65 percent of the vote. Gorden received 36.88 percent of the vote.

That margin isn't tight enough to trigger an automatic recount, however. That would have required a margin of difference of less than .5 percent.

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