Is Structural Reform of Escambia County a Solution Looking for a Problem? Yes

Sometimes what some put forth as "solutions" to pressing issues are nothing more that veiled attempts at greater degrees of control......

As I return from a trip abroad to Denmark, Sweden, and England--I see there has been several media pieces on a "star chamber" of sorts consisting of locals that want to discuss, detail, and implement radical and substantial structural changes to Escambia County.  A list of individuals that are meeting to discuss these changes has been published, along with some internal emails from the group.  

Ho hum.

I met with John Peacock earlier this year on this topic.  I told him then, in my office to his face, I was open to look at what he is considering--even willing to discuss it at a workshop with my peers---as we cannot discuss anything outside of these meetings.  My understanding is we will have such a discussion at an upcoming committee of the whole.  

Good.

But my willingness to discuss these ideas does not signal my support of these concepts--and I told Peacock this as well to his face; he left the meeting knowing I do not support an elected executive administrator for the county.

And reading the tea leaves from earlier discussions I have held with my counterparts over my idea to make 4 of 5 districts at large--I see no appetite thus far leading me to believe there is support for an even more radical transformation of the board's makeup the likes of which Peacock's group is proposing.

Wanting to  create efficiencies for taxpayers and save by consolidating some functions in common with other entities?  Yes--that makes sense and I could support such a plan if it was well thought out and was efficient and effective.

Wanting a strong, independently-elected "County Mayor" for our organization?  No, that is a horrible idea.  Absolutely terrible and I do not, will not and cannot support that.  And, again,  I told Peacock this.

It was bad enough ceding all power to ONE king superintendent in the county's school district where I served 10 years...and where on many occassions the duly elected 5-member board's staffing ideas were

Is a Full Court Press Coming for Escambia County/City Government Consolidation?

 

Some folks believe that there should be a different form of goverance in Escambia County/City of Pensacola--------but who do you think should call the shots-------the voters, or a few powerful, wealthy and well-connected businessmen?

I sat down recently with a resident of Pensacola who is focused on, in his words, “Making this community better.”  This individual requested a meeting with me to talk about governance in the county, and particularly what he feels would be a better way forward.  We agreed on several points, (e.g., county-wide election of each commissioner and some departmental functional consolidation for efficiency and taxpayer dollar savings) but we vehemently disagreed on the topic of pivoting to a county-wide, elected, and strong County Manager or County Executive.

Sitting with me at the round table in my office, this individual did make one point with emphasis: “Look, we are the largest county that still operates the way we do [elected commissioners, hired executive]—and if we move to a more modern structure like Duval County/Jacksonville-we would be Florida’s 4^th largest city.”  (While I do agree that such a move would make Pensacola one of Florida's largest cities--I disagreed that we are an outlier structuraly; most Florida counties elect commissioners who, in turn, hire an executive like we do it here) He went on to enunciate the benefits of such a move in terms of how the Governor treats the panhandle in general, and Pensacola/Escambia in particular.  

He stated “look, if we’re the 4^th largest city in the state---- which we would be if the County and City Consolidated------the Governor and his staff pick up the phone when we call.”   I don’t disagree with that assessment; however, I believe that view is a distinction with no difference as the Panhandle is a Republican stronghold and therefore, we do receive attention from the Governor.  Although it is diffused through a mayor, state representatives and a state senator, and to a lesser degree thorough locally elected county commissioner(s) and business leaders---we do have a strong voice with this current governor.  If anything, consolidation might have negative impacts on anyone other than a “strong county executive” having the Governor’s ear—so is this a good thing?

Is changing to a consolidated city/county a good thing?  I don’t think so.  

I think electing strong, intelligent, ethical county commissioner candidates solves these perceived governence shortcoming "issues."  Giving one person all the power inevitably leads to problems.  Look no further than how Escambia scuttled the outdated concept of an Elected Superintendent--when nobody thought that was possible.  The county's voters did it because they saw that having one guy calling all the shots and pushing his agenda did not work and was not right.  So thankfully the voters fixed that dysfunctional structure in our area's schools locally.

Nevertheless, I am not afraid of discussing consolidation or even discussion of a strong county executive elected countywide. 

In fact, I welcome it.  

I think such a discussion should be added to an upcoming agenda of the BOCC and it will either receive support, or it won’t.

Meanwhile-in the days since this meeting with this downtowner, I have spoken with several others who are aware of the push for consolidation and a charter county “structure” like the city of Pensacola has.

Said one observer with whom I spoke, who has intimate familiarity with all aspects of local politics due to the nature of the business he runs: “They suddenly want the county to consolidate because they are not getting the outcomes they want from the current structure in the city with the mayor and the council.  But you should ask them---why do you think the county having a strong, elected administrator is important when you, the same people, just fought to rid Escambia county of a strong, elected superintendent of schools for the Escambia County School District—the largest governmental agency,