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,

by far, in Escambia County?” 

This is a fair and good question—as some of the power brokers who were intimately involved and invested with changing the Escambia School District’s antiquated, throwback method of “electing” a strong, boss-hogg superintendent of schools---------- are the same ones who are apparently “all-in” on the effort to consolidate Escambia County with the City of Pensacola---or at a minimum—remove the ability of the currently elected Board of County Commissioners to hire an executive—leaving them at the mercy of the whims and positions of an “elected” strong county executive.

Seems like a double standard and doesn’t make sense.

Sure—I know the elected, strong Mayor of Pensacola concept has yielded mixed results for the power brokers downtown; Many improvements have happened downtown—but it has not been a one-way street; look no further than the recent vote against the mayor’s wishes for massive residential down there on the Maritime Park land.  The City Council—instead--brushed that concept aside and chose a different concept with a parking garage and a convention center.  I know that infuriates some folks--------but this was a decision, after all, from a city council and a city governance model that the power brokers wanted, right?

A Lawyer with whom I spoke on this topic gave a measured assessment on the failed topic of City/County consolidation from the last decade.  “Look—I put a lot of time into the effort, lots of hours--more than 100-- with the assurance from a County Commissioner that what we came up with after all of the effort would be enacted.  And that commissioner, and most of the others, voted against what we recommended.  So, I’m done with that.”

I told him “As a current commissioner, I would never give an advisory committee a blanket assurance that I would unilaterally, unequivocally support whatever was recommended by such a committee---because, to do so would be foolish.”   I finished.  “Are you certain the commissioner said he’d be a ‘yes’ no matter what?”  

“Yes”, the lawyer stated firmly.  “He said he would support our decision, but he didn’t.”

In subsequently speaking to a different, former county commissioner to ascertain the veracity of that claim, that “whatever was advised was supposed to be enacted,” claim--- I asked point blank of this person “Did you agree to do whatever was recommended by the Charter/Consolidation advisory committee? 

To which I received the blunt and curt response: 

“Absolutely not!”

This all points out a glaring issue locally:  

Were the former, and not the current, moves toward a charter county governance model only to get desired “results” from whomever holds the offices such a charter government would produce—due to frustration or other motives?

If the answer to that is yes, and it appears to be “yes” ---then we have bigger issues locally than our ‘style or form of governance’ so far as I can tell.

I work hard to always follow the law and do what is right—not what is politically expedient.  I have a history of that of which I am proud.   

And as I have stated earlier in this very post—I have no problem with a discussion of potential governance models that would be better. 

But what I will never do is give a blanket assurance to any committee that whatever such a committee recommends, I will adopt. 

To do so would be irresponsible and foolish.  I want efficiency, and I want savings.

But I don’t want to make it easy for power brokers and the wealthy to simply get “what they want, when they want--or more importantly---who they want!”

No, government is not supposed to be smooth, like a well-oiled machine. 

Government---particularly at the local, boots on the ground level, is supposed to be contentious, rough, and uneasy.

My advice to citizens:

Be on guard toward anyone who is pushing changes in our governance structure simply because they don’t “like” the tone of the discourse or the outcomes that are produced.

Be on guard, and protect against anything that will in fact take your power away and award it to someone downtown who does not have your best interest at heart and wants to make decisions “easier.” 

Be on guard if you want a say and if you have a brain.

Be on guard.   

And know I am and will continue to be.