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Escambia Commission: Back Off From Gov’t Consolidation Committee
May 18, 2009
Escambia County is taking a hands off approach, backing away from assisting a governmental consolidation study commission order by the state legislature.
The Florida Legislature approved a Greg Evers sponsored bill to form the commission to create a plan for a 2010 public vote that, if approved, will consolidate the governments of Escambia County, Pensacola and Century.
“I don’t want to spend time; I don’t want to spend minutes, advertisements, and any of those things,” said Commissioner Wilson Robertson at a recent Escambia County Commission Committee of the Whole meeting. “I don’t want to have to provide the spaces for them. I just don’t want us by accident to evolve into the lead agency…I just don’t want us to take the lead.”
The group All For One was the group behind the consolidation bill, having approached Escambia County, Century and Pensacola for support.
“They were not asking us to spend on dime on this study,” Robertson said of All For One’s presentation to the commission. “Then we were cautioned by a legislator that the way the bill was going to be written, that they may come back and the county be liable…for all the time, the space, the advertising, the clerical work and all this. This could cost a ton of money.”
The Town of Century originally approved a resolution in support of the All For One plan, but later rescinded their vote for the plan after receiving the same caution from a member of the legislature that Mayor Freddie McCall identified as Greg Evers, the bill sponsor.
“I will not support us being the lead or spending the money,” Robertson, the District 1 commissioner, said.
The final version of the bill approved by the Legislature said that “The board or other governmental entities may furnish the commission with such services, office space, and supplies as may be requested by the commission and approved by the board of other governmental entities.” It continues, “The City of Pensacola, the Town of Century and Escambia County may provide reasonable technical, legal and clerical assistance to the commission.”
County Administrator Bob McLaughlin said the co-chairs of All for All approached Commission Chairperson Marie Young and asked for the county to initiate the process of scheduling the consolidation commission’s first meeting. He said that since an elected official could not take part in the consolidation commission, he made a decision to start the process.
“I stepped up and said that we would just go ahead and do the preparation or the initiation process, and that’s all we have committed to do,” the administrator said.”All we are doing is just taking them to that first organizational meeting.
“It was sent to me…we discussed that it was illegal for an elected official, and I carried it to Bob,” Young said of the All For One request. “We just decided that we would take care of their logistics in terms of calling the meetings, two meetings, and then we are finished.”
Commissioner Grover Robinson said he had a problem with not allowing the consolidation commission to use county facilities for public meetings.
“It’s not our responsibility. They can use the facilities, but let them make the arrangements,” Robertson said.
“We made it very clear when they came that we were not going to give them a dime,” District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said.
Besides assistance with scheduling meetings, the group has also asked McLaughlin to have the county establish the fund raising account for the group. That mention resulted in a resounding “no” from Commissioner White.
“They know that the funding and the charitable giving right now, and the economy right now is so bad…they will have a lot of trouble raising the kinds of funds they will need to see this through,” Robertson said, adding that he expects the group will end up asking the city and county for a lot more money than was anticipated.”We made it clear from day one, we wouldn’t going to pay for any of it. I just don’t want to see us gradually sucked into this. I just know that’s how people operate.”
“If they use a community center, they’ve got to do like anyone else,” White said, “pay to use it.”
McLaughlin (pictured left) said he has already sent a letter on county letterhead to each organization making an appointment to the committee asking for their appointee’s name.
“Why don’t they have letterhead that says ‘All For One’?” Robertson asked. “Why aren’t they doing all of this? I’m missing something here.”
Robinson said All for One could not send out the letters because the are the political action committee supporting the consolidation. He said he had no problem with what county staff has done to date.
“I’ve read the entire bill, and it says nothing about what governmental body takes the lead,” Robertson said.
White said the board should have provided direction to McLaughlin not to meet with All for One members, adding “That’s where we messed up.”
“I just think we need to back off as much as we can and let the city, and let the All for One, and let’s just don’t make this a county project.”
Commissioners instructed McLaughlin to continue to help organize the organization meeting of the consolidation commission and no more.
“It is not a county initiative. Never has been, never was intended to be,” Robertson added. “The city is seemingly not involved whatsoever.”
Comments
22 Responses to “Escambia Commission: Back Off From Gov’t Consolidation Committee”
I have been called much worse, just kidding. Thank you.
Bob,
You sound like an intelligent person who knows how to present your objections/opinions to the commission. I don’t think I would put you in the wacko catagory. I also do not want to be part of the city.
Well I may have been one of those “Wacko’s, but that is how it work’s, If you care enough to go and have your voice heard, then you can make a difference, I never have written that the county is perfect, but it is up to us on how we want the county to be……..and to us only . We do not care for city government, we do not wish to be part off the city, and we do not want to inherit the debt of the city. Pensacola needs to learned annex like Mobile. VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION
Trish,
You are SPOT-ON on this issue! You are sooooo, so true in what you say.
Today one of the area’s leading citizens reminded a bunch of folks of something when he said that Century was under county control up until 1980 when it became a charter city. Prior to that the county provided everything . . . and then the town inherited the mess. An interesting comment, none the less.
I am still asking this; if a few people in Pensacola want to run the county, then why not ANNEX it . . . we have laws on the books to do that . . . if that is what the people want; AND we don’t have to reinvent government to do it.
Bob,
Have you been to a county commissioners meeting and watched people get up and say what they think for a couple of minutes. In my opinion 75% of those people are wacko’s and make no sence at all. If the county commissioners sit there and listen to 22 nuts then one gets up that makes sence you can bet that the commissioners are already three quarters of the way tuned out. If people want to say NO then they need to organize.
And you can’t really trust your county commissioner to vote your way. I have been in one of their offices when they were on the phone with someone else. It was a yes, yes, yes, I agree, I agree, I agree. Then the minute the phone was hung up it was “That guy was crazy”. It was the typical “tell them what they want to hear in order to get them off your back”.
Have 200 people at the county meeting at one time. That would certainly have an impact. Unfortunately people only want to complain, they don’t want to actually do something and commit themselves to do that horrible four letter word called “work”.
Bob Hudson does not have one thing to benifit for speaking out against consolidation, But I do know that at any given time if I wish, I can stand before 5cc in a cc meeting and have my voice heard, now I know that my cc represents me and my voice and what relate’s to my district. Then they hash it out.Now EAFO says that they want a system like our federal government and how much better it would be. Is every one feeling like they have lost our voice in this type of government? I like that fact that I can make 1 phone call and my concern’s are addressed, But EAFO wants to dilute our voice by trying to tell us that we would be better represented by adding all this government. And I am not buying it. Dilution is not the solution. Pensacola need to learn to annex like Mobile and grow in small steps, and take in those who wish to be part of the city. Improve the city so that people want to move there , but do it with your own money and your own management skills, we do not wish to support your life style.VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION
DO WE HERE AT THE NORTH END BENEFIT? IT’S THE SAME OLD SAME OLD! Lots of money and time for little help at the north end.
To say you are “heard” is interesting. You may be heard by your commissioner who is 1 of 5. If your commissioner votes exactly like you want but 3 of the other commissioners don’t you are out of luck. Your vote only accounts for 20% of the direction of our community. If 3 other commissioners vote to raise taxes or reduce services guess what you get…higher taxes and reduced services. There should be an elected official (similar to the gov or president) that is looking out for and accountable to the entire community. That person would have the checks and balances imposed by the legislative body (commission). Then and only then will the citizens in the north end have a real voice. An elected executive could not win by ignoring 20% of the vote. Who knows, you could see signs in the future that say VOTE Bob Hudson for Mayor!!
What EAFO wants Mr. Hudson is for 25 people from all over the county to get together and decide how their entire community should be governed. EAFO has never endorsed the current government in the city of Pensacola. As a matter of fact, several members were instrumental in the ongoing charter review that could result in sweeping changes in city government. Our current systems in the city and the county have failed our citizens. EAFO had promoted a process in which the citizens would have a voice and make elected officials accountable unlike now. I certainly hope that since you are so interested in how best to run our government that you are actively campaigning to be one of the 25 people on the commission.
What EAFO wants us to do is run the county like their city. Is any one impressed with Pensacola city government? I’ am not! And do not wish to be part of pensacola. Our system might need a little work, but at least we are heard. VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION
Thank you for that post, tho most of the closed- minded folk up here wont heed it.
Is there a remote possibility that a group of citizens is trying to find a better way for government to function and that Rep Evers recognized that. Since the “plan” has yet to be developed, how do we know it is something good or bad? Could the current commissioners, ECUA board etc be getting a little nervous that their jobs might be different or God Forbid “more accountable”? Before jumping to conclusions maybe we should let the commission do its work, get involved just to see, by chance, that there is a better way of governing than the one that has led us to be one of the POOREST COUNTIES IN FLORIDA! Just Saying!!
As to Stuart’s comment, apparently you have researched this. If this is true then Escambia County i.e Bob McLaughlin, and County Commissioners need to distance themselves as far as they can get from this band of thieves from Pensacola’s special interest , or face the ire of the voters. Don’t spend one red cent of my tax dollars on this white elephant. IT WILL BE DEFEATED ONCE AGAIN!!! Regardless of what Greg Evers thinks.
Blah Blah Blah Blah ONE MORE TIME WE DO NOT WANT TO CONSOLODATE WE WANT TO STAY COUNTRY NOT CITY. Good grief somebody get a hearing aide or something.
On the fund raising side, the group as PAC cannot be a tax exempt, charitable organization. This limits their ability to receive funds given by other charitable foundations for their activities. If the account was set up by the government, they could backdoor this requirement by saying entities were giving funds to the county.
In essence, having the county do it would allow them to “qualify” for large sums of money from private foundations that they will not qualify for as a stand alone entity.
I think this was a fair decision, but I don’t think enough investigation was done here because more questions came out of this article than were answered. The biggest question I have is with the fund raising account the group wanted the county to establish. I’m sure there is a good reason, logistically, to do something like that, but without any information about why something like this is being asked for it leaves too much for people to speculate.
repley to Parrish Amen to the last blog , I agree 100%
Ditto Bob!! I will never cast another vote for Greg Evers for any office!!! As far as I am concerned he has sold the citizens of this county down the river in the name of special interest!! Typical crooked politics. As far as Bob McLaughlin is concerned I don’t think promoting consolidated government is anywhere in his job description.Maybe the county commissioners should expain this to him. I think it is time to send these scroundals packing.
I have always supported Greg Evers to the max. Does anyone know why he introduced this bill and who pressured him to do this, or was it desperation to get one of his bills through the committee. I understand this was his only bill to get through the legislature. I’m certainly not happy with him at this point.
Why are we trying to RE-INVENT local city/county government?
Why not use the established laws, rules, policies & procedures for ANNEXATION to put all of the county under one government if that is truly the desire of the people?
Well how about that, so it was written in the beginning, that the county might have to pick up the tab? Wow, it is just a study and it could have cost the county money any way. Now I hope every one see EAFO for what they are, and they are going to tell you any thing they can to make their case. Power and and lots of money are at stake here. Do not forget how pensacola runs it’s self and the fact that they are broke, AND THEY NEED USE AS A TAX BASE. If you will notice that they have never had a concern for us UNTIL they need money. VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION.
Not one penny to EAFO or this forced consolidation move. Let them pay for it.