Escambia To Consider Electric, Natural Gas Tax Increase; Utility Against Plan
August 24, 2012
The Escambia County Commission will hold a public hearing next month to discuss a proposal that could mean an increase in electric and natural gas bills for residents of the unincorporated areas of the county. It’s a plan that Gulf Power is speaking out against.
The plan would costs consumers an extra $2.5 million to $3 million per year that would be used for economic development efforts.
In the 1990’s, Escambia County granted power franchises to Gulf Power and Escambia River Electric Cooperative, and a natural gas franchise to the City of Pensacola. As part of the franchise agreements, the companies are required to collect and pay the county five percent of gross revenue collected on the sale of electricity and natural gas up to a maximum amount for each category. The county’s proposal would increase those caps by 50 percent.
“I don’t support the franchise fee increase,” Commissioner Wilson Robertson said during the Thursday night meeting of the Escambia County Commission. He was the lone vote against setting the franchise tax increase public hearing, while commissioners Kevin White and Grover Robertson voted yes. Commissioners Gene Valentino and Marie Young were absent.
For residential customers and small offices, the maximum amount for the franchise fee on their bills would increase from $10 to $15 per month. Effectively, the increase would not kick in unless a customer’s gross electric bill exceeded $200 each month.
Gulf Power Company said Thursday night that an increase in franchise fees will actually make Escambia County less competitive for economic development.
“At a critical time when we are trying to work with Airbus suppliers to come to this area. Our competition — Baldwin County, Alabama — has no franchise tax. Escambia County, Alabama, has no franchise tax. And Escambia County Florida, is one of only 19 counties (out of 67) in Florida that charge a franchise fee. This is the wrong tax at the wrong time,” Gulf Power spokesman Jeff Rogers said in an email to NorthEscambia.com.
Rogers pointed out that funds are already available for economic development. He said the Greater Pensacola Chamber recently raised $8 million, the Legislature allocated $30 million for the region, and Escambia County is poised to receive up to $100 million from the federal RESTORE Act.
“Additional funding through the franchise tax at this time is unnecessary and hurts businesses,” Rogers said.
The county’s proposal would increase the maximum franchise fee paid by medium size offices and retailers for $75 to $112.50 per month, and large offices and retailers from $300 to $440. The largest electric franchise fee increase would be on large industrial users from $3,000 to $4,500 per month. And for gas, commercial users would see the monthly cap increase from $750 to $1,125, while industrial uses would see a potential monthly gas bill increase from $3,000 to $4,500.
“The tax increase impacts our largest employers the most. At a time when the area is experiencing high unemployment, it does not seem right to unnecessarily penalize our largest employers,” Rogers said.
The Escambia County Commission will hold a public hearing on increasing utility franchisee fees paid by consumers in the county at 5:31 p.m. on September 17.
Pictured: Commissioner Wilson Robertson at Thursday night’s meeting of the Escambia County Commission. Courtesy photo for Northescambia.com click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Gets Life For 2011 Murder At Hwy 29 Business
August 24, 2012
A Cantonment man was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison Thursday for shooting and killed his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot of a Highway 29 business.
Isreal Taylor, 31, was convicted of the May 1, 2011, murder of 22-year old Jennifer Gilbert. She was shot five times in the head while seated in her Chevrolet Monte Carlo outside the Circle K and Wendy’s at Highway 29 at Kingsfield Road. After the Sunday morning shooting, Gilbert was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital where she passed away the following afternoon.
Taylor took the stand Thursday in his own defense, claiming that his cousin, Joshua Middleton, shot Gilbert after she would not pay for $300 in crack cocaine. Middleton denied the accusations.
During the trial, recordings of phone calls were played in which Taylor called Middleton from inside the Escambia County Jail and offered him up to $1,000 to admit to the shooting.
Pictured above: A Cantonment man was convicted of first degree murder after shooting a Pensacola woman five times in the head at the Circle K at Highway 29 and Kingsfield Road in May 20111. Pictured below: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene investigator photographs the car in which Jennifer Gilbert was shot. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Judge Sides With Escambia, Santa Rosa Over Juvenile Detention Costs
August 24, 2012
For the second time in little more than a month, a state judge has found that the Department of Juvenile Justice improperly carried out a law that requires counties to help pay juvenile-detention costs.
Both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were part of the long-running challenges filed back in 2010.
Administrative Law Judge Lawrence Stevenson issued a 97-page decision this week that says the department did not use actual costs in determining how much counties should pay for detention services during the 2008-09 fiscal year. Eight counties filed administrative challenges, and the cases — which were consolidated in one legal proceeding — were later joined by six other local governments and the Florida Association of Counties.
“As to fiscal year 2008-2009, the department simply made no effort to ascertain the counties’ actual costs or, if it did, it failed to disclose them to the counties,” Stevenson wrote in the decision, issued Wednesday.
The judge recommended solutions that varied by county. But the most far-reaching dealt with Miami-Dade, Broward and Hernando counties. He wrote that the department should, “without undue delay,” provide a revised assessment that details the actual costs of providing the detention services for those three counties.
Department spokesman C.J. Drake said in an email Thursday afternoon that the agency was still reviewing Stevenson’s decision, which will go back to DJJ for final action.
The case is part of a series of disputes stemming from a law that requires counties to help pick up the tab for detaining juvenile offenders. Under the law, counties are supposed to pay detention costs before court disposition of the juveniles’ cases.
In July, another administrative law judge found that the department’s interpretation of “predisposition” costs was too narrow, improperly shifting some costs to counties. As an example, the judge cited a DJJ interpretation that required counties to pay costs for juveniles who are detained because of probation violations.
Under the process, the state at the beginning of the 2008-09 fiscal year estimated predisposition costs would total about $99.6 million, a number that was later slightly reduced to $95.4 million. Counties were required to make monthly payments based on the estimates. Their actual costs were to be reconciled at the end of the year, with some counties expected to get credits and some having to pay more.
Stevenson found, in part, that the state over-estimated the number of days that juveniles would need county-paid detention services during the year. But he wrote that the department still treated the $95.4 million as an amount that it was “mandated to raise from the counties regardless of whether the counties’ actual predisposition days bore any relation to the estimate made before the start of the fiscal year.”
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Fans ‘Meet The Chiefs’ (With Gallery)
August 24, 2012
Fans had chance to “Meet the Chiefs” Thursday evening at Northview High School, 24 hours before the defending regional champs took to the field for a preseason matchup Friday night.
NHS fans turned out to meet the Chiefs varsity and junior varsity teams, cheerleaders, band and dance team.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Volleyball: Northview Wins Tourney Over Jay, Central, Escambia (With Gallery)
August 24, 2012
The Northview Lady Chiefs won a preseason volleyball tournament Thursday in Bratt, topping Jay, Century and Escambia high schools.
Northview defeated the Escambia Lady Gators in three – 19-25, 25-16, 15-12. Lily Townson had three aces for Northview. Misty Doran accumulated 11 kills, while Morgan Payne contributed four kills.
Northview also beat Jay — 20-25, 25-17, 15-12. Doran had nine kills, and Payne had eight. Danielle Steadham added four more kills for the Lady Chiefs.
In other action, Jay defeated Central.
Pictured top: Northview takes on Escambia High. Pictured inset: Central and Jay go up to the net. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Scott, GOP Not So Worried About Isaac
August 24, 2012
Appearing at ease and exuding confidence, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn went on national TV late Thursday and essentially told Republicans to relax and come on down.
Buckhorn said on CNN’s Situation Room that he was “not particularly worried,” about Tropical Storm Isaac, which officials said was looking less and less likely to take direct aim at his city as it prepares to host some 50,000 visitors for the Republican National Convention starting Monday.
His optimism was similar to that expressed – though more cautiously — by other top officials, including Gov. Rick Scott, who appeared more relaxed at an afternoon media briefing Thursday than he had earlier in the day. Scott started by noting that new forecast tracks have pushed the likely storm path out farther into the Gulf of Mexico.
He also said the state and the Tampa Bay area were ready for what is expected and said three times that Florida knows how to deal with hurricanes and large influxes of people. “The state is a hospitality state,” Scott said, aware no doubt of the economic consequences that canceling the convention would entail.
“Clearly, Tampa’s ready for this convention,” Scott said. “It’s beautiful right now. It’s open for business.”
Forecasters shifted the projected track of Isaac on Wednesday, moving the center of the likely path farther out into the Gulf. While that was good news for the Tampa Bay area, the storm track was being watched closely in the Florida Panhandle, which could eventually be in Isaac’s path.
The message was that Florida deals with storms all the time – and also is used to having lots of tourists.
“It looks like we’ll have some rain and some wind,” Scott said. “Right now, it’s full speed ahead (for the convention.)…. We’re looking forward to the delegates coming. We’re going to keep them safe.
“We do this, this is what we do for a living in Florida,” Scott continued. “We’re a hospitality state that knows how to deal with hurricanes.”
Buckhorn was also downplaying the potential for the storm. Flying in the face of years of emergency management warnings not to underestimate hurricanes, Buckhorn said even once the storm gets to its expected strength, it won’t be a very big deal.
“Isaac is just a distraction,” said Buckhorn, a Democrat. Once it strengthens and comes up the coast, “it is only a Category One storm,” he noted.
Scott said he also relayed his optimism to Romney, with whom Scott spoke on Thursday afternoon.
“I gave him assurance that Florida has dealt with hurricanes in the past and we know how to deal with hurricanes,” Scott said.
Scott’s own plans for the convention remained up in the air. He said he had planned to leave Sunday for Tampa, where he is on the schedule for a Monday evening welcome address at the convention.
“I’ll wait and see what happens,” Scott said.
By The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Beat Biscuits; Welcome 300,000th Fan
August 24, 2012
The Blue Wahoos batted around and tallied eight hits as part of a five-run fifth inning, led by a two-run triple from designated hitter Yordanys Perez, while three Pensacola pitchers kept Biscuits batters to just four hits in their 6-0 shutout victory over Montgomery in front of another sellout crowd of 5,038 on Thursday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
With the victory, the Fish improved their record to 30-30 in the second half and are now four games behind the Biscuits for first in the South Division. Montgomery fell to 34-26 since the season’s midpoint.
The capacity crowd was the 37th of the year for the Blue Wahoos in their 63rd home date. Prior to the game, the club welcomed their 300,000th fans at attend in their inaugural season. The Apostolides family was greeted by Blue Wahoos staff and Kazoo to celebrate the milestone and present the family with a special prize pack.
After both teams went scoreless into the fifth, LF Donald Lutz and C Tucker Barnhart began the Wahoos’ big inning with back-to-back base hits and then were driven in on Perez’s triple to right-center. Perez would then come plateward courtesy of 2B Miguel Rojas’ RBI single, while RF Josh Fellhauer eventually scored Rojas with a run-scoring double down the left field line.
The inning’s scoring was capped with Fellhauer coming across on 1B Beau Mills’ RBI single to left. The eight hits in the frame, collected by eight different Pensacola batters, set a new team record, breaking the previous mark of five that had been set on seven previous occasions. Pensacola plated their final tally in the eighth when Barnhart reached on a walk, moved to second on a free pass and third on a single, before coming home on a wild pitch.
Fellhauer (3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB) recorded a game-high three hits and reached base four times for the second straight night, while Barnhart (2-3, 2 R, 1 BB) and Rojas (2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) each collected a pair of base knocks for the Blue Wahoos. 3B Omar Luna (2-3, 1 BB) was the lone batter to collect a multi-hit effort for the Biscuits in the defeat. Pensacola SS Billy Hamilton collected a hit and two walks but did not steal a base to keep his all-time single-season steals record total at 148.
Blue Wahoos starting pitcher Daniel Corcino (5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 SO) earned the victory after allowing just two hits in five scoreless frame to improve to 8-7. Relievers Josh Ravin (2.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 SO) and Chris Manno (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 SO) preserved the shutout with two shutout innings each. Montgomery starter Jacob Thompson (4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 7-11 after yielding five earned runs on nine hits in his 4.2 innings.
Pensacola will now travel to Pearl, Mississippi for their final road series of the season with a five-game set scheduled against the Mississippi Braves. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Friday night, with the Blue Wahoos slated to send RHP Wirfin Obispo to the mound, while the Braves are expected to give the nod to LHP Jose Lugo.
Following the five-game series, the Blue Wahoos will return home for their final series of the regular season, facing the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, with the first game of that series set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 30.
By Andrew Green
Pictured top: The Blue Wahoos welcomed their 300,000th fans, the Apostolides family, Thursday at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. The Wahoos were the first Southern League team to hit the 300,000 milestone this season. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FEMA Positioning Equipment For Isaac
August 24, 2012
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is positioning supplies in Jacksonville in anticipation of Tropical Storm Isaac.
The federal agency, led by former Florida emergency chief Craig Fugate, has begun shipping MRE’s and generator units to a distribution center in advance of the storm.
Bryan Koon, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said state warehouses are stocked but responders are waiting for more information on the storm’s path before pre-positioning material.
“We’re not quite sure where it is going so we don’t want to move supplies into the path of the storm,” Koon told reporters Thursday.
The National Guard has been alerted and plans call for the guard to bolster security should law enforcement need to be redeployed from the Republican National Convention.
Upwards of 4,000 law enforcement officials are expected to provide security for the event, which is expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors to the Tampa Bay region.
One Injured In Crash Near State Line
August 23, 2012
One person was injured in a single vehicle wreck just north of the Alabama-Florida line Thursday afternoon.
The driver of a Ford pickup was trapped in her vehicle about 30 minutes following the crash in Alabama just after 2 p.m. on the Alabama/Florida Highway (CR 8), just north of North Highway 99 in Bratt.
The adult female was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
She was apparently northbound on when she ran off the road, lost control and overturned into a cotton field. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation by Alabama State Troopers. Further details have not been released.
The Atmore Fire Department, Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured above and below: Firefighters use the Jaws of Life to free the river from this overturned truck. Pictured inset: The truck came to rest on its side in a cotton field. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Bookkeeper Indicted For Stealing $282,000 From Local Company
August 23, 2012
A Cantonment woman is facing 125 charges for allegedly stealing $282,000 from her employer over a five year period.
Thursday, a federal grand jury charged 43-year old Kandi Kay Holden in a federal indictment that included 120 counts of wire fraud and five counts of federal tax violations.
The 125-count indictment charges Holden with diverting funds from her place of employment and failing to report this money as income on her federal income tax returns. From November 2004 until her discharge in January 2011, Holden was employed in the bookkeeping and accounting department of Cantwell Steel Erectors in Pensacola.
During her employment, she allegedly initiated 120 unauthorized wire transfers totaling $282,000. Prosecutors said she then transferred the money from the bank account of Cantwell Steel Erectors into various bank accounts that she controlled.
Holden is also charged with filing false tax returns for the years 2006 through 2009 and willfully failing to file her 2010 individual federal income tax return.
If convicted, Holden faces maximum sentences of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, three years in prison for each count of filing false tax returns and one year in prison for willfully failing to file a tax return.
The federal indictment followed an investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation unit.