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I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following : Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1








Friday, December 16, 2022

$14.2 Million Triumph Gulf Coast Ask for OLF-8 Wins Unanimous Approval

Escambia County is bringing home a huge award of over $14 Million in Oil Spill penalty money to create good jobs on our OLF-8 property.  Big win for our county and our citizens!

As the county moves toward developing the jobs-producing portions of OLF 8 --one of the biggest barriers (outside of some of the requirements and ambiguities of the site's Master Plan) that companies and potential developers have expressed is all about infrastructure.   Where will the roads be located?  Who is responsible for stormwater retention?  Will it be necessary on each parcel--or will there be a large, centralized storm pond for all commercial tennants to utilize?  What about sewer?  what about electrical service?  These are important questions that need to be answered before we can move jobs creating high-tech, clean tech manufacturing, distribution, and assembly companies onto this field.

Yesterday in Panama City a big part of the answer to that question was formalized.  John Singley and Studio 850 were there and covered the meeting.  Kudos to them for doing that.  

As a result of the county's request- we will receive $14.2 Million in BP oil spill monies to invest in a North-South connector road between 9-Mile Road and Frank Reeder Road---which will facilitate ingress/egress for the vehicles of potential jobs producing tenants on OLF-8.  The county will kick in an additional $3 Million in matching funds ---but will be reimbursed for this funding outlay once deals are reached with those who will develop sites on this field to produce jobs.

This was a giant, profound step forward.  Right now, there are two entities that have expressed significant interest in building 35-40 acre sites on the field for creating up to 250 jobs that will pay above our county's average salary.  A third entity is waiting in the wings.  Interesting to me that no residential interest has swooped in to develop the dozens of acres that provide for density of up to 60 units per acre under the OLF-8 Master Plan.  I'm told by staff and at least one residential developer that some of the provisions of the master plan are actually a hindrance to such developers coming in to build--which frankly is fine by me as I was the commissioner who was staunchly opposed to any residential being constructed on this field. (along with a majority of nearby residents that did not want residential and feel too much residential has been built in Beulah already.  So perhaps that is just serendipity.  Meanwhile, we WILL move forward with creating jobs and bringing home the Triumph money just as I campaigned on. (Read all about the history of this field here.  There's a LOT of history..)

But nothing--commercial or residential-- moves on that field until we can cogently explain what the road layout will actually look like and how the provision of utilities will be distributed around the field.  A large part of that question will be answered as a result of yesterday's meeting and unanimous vote to support OLF-8 and Escambia County.  Another big win for the county.

Much more to come on this in the months ahead.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is incredible how much you pat yourself on the back. Without oil spill, money and Covid money, The county will be up a creek without a paddle. You are the beneficiary of funds that came from disasters. This in no way is attributable to the good work or lack thereof of the county commission.

Anonymous said...

Your buddy David Bear is one of the members of that board. Enough said.

Jeff Bergosh said...

10:44: huh? Can't decipher your gibberish except to say we are prudently utilizing proceeds from both the oil spill disaster and the COVID pandemic to make strategic, long-term beneficial investments in infrastructure that will pay dividends in our area in a huge way for a long time. 4:21 You are correct, Business and Community leader and volunteer David Bear is a friend of mine and he is the Chairman of that board. But just in case you were not paying attention--the vote was a unanimous one to approve this tremendous project for OLF-8. 7 independent members of that board (several NOT from the Pensacola area) voted unanimously to approve the project based on merit and nothing else. Instead of being so cynical, try to understand this is simply another HUGE win for our area, just like ST and just like NFCU, Circulagene, Pegasus Labs, and many others. Stay tuned for more, and try to have a Merry Christmas and try harder to surpress your inclination to be a cynical Grinch LOL

Anonymous said...

This is great news. It's a win Gaetz and Bear are on the TCGI board.I've been watching this awhile. I also am not for residential on the site although I know some citizens lobbied hard to get that. How cool is it noone seems interested.

Those two previous commenters seem to be a couple of those leftovers from Underhill divide and conquer crazy town chaos,or maybe they are just idiots in their own right.

Getting those TGC Inc funds moved to this project is profound.

I think the idea of the land swap was a rather brilliant idea myself.

I'm 4:21 said...

I was just pointing out David Bear sits on that board and is your friend. I guess that helps to get the money. I didn't mention he is your appointment to the TDC or he testified that he would text message commissioners during BOCC meetings to vote the way he wanted.

Anonymous said...

421, 1132,

Off course networking and having good relationships with board members is a plus and is a winning strategy. If anyone has their phone numbers, they can also text at any time.

New flash..complaining -- disparaging publicly -- especially on facebook with a group of malcontents is a losing strategy.

"Making a list checking it twice, sees whose on the s@#t list making a fool of themselves--- Like Ex Underhill head lice..."

Santa Claus is coming to town.. 🎶 🎵 🎄




Tom Jardine said...

Jeff,

Why doesn’t Escambia County open our county property to the citizens?

You recently railed against citizens on Perdido Key for posting No Trespassing signs on their property, but simultaneously,at Site 8 you have our public property fenced off.

Be consistent or lose credibility.

Tom Jardine said...

Jeff,

You’ve been sitting on the TDC throughout 2022. The recording of the TDC’s December meeting is unwatchable - constant buffering beginning at approximately the 45 minute mark.

We collected $21.8 million dollars in tourist development taxes in 2022. Our great citizens make an enormous sacrifice each year to attract that money.

The citizens spend millions on infrastructure to accommodate tourists. We all endure outrageous traffic, crowds, and parking.

The payoff is supposed to be tourism revenue, but you are squandering that $21.8 million each year.

For example; most of that $21.8 million is generated on Pensacola Beach, but you hardly reinvest a dime back to Pensacola Beach.

In fact, you, Barry, and May misappropriated a $3.355 million dollar FEMA grant that was intended for sand replenishment on Pensacola Beach. You misappropriated that money at the 25 March 2021 BCC meeting.

That is the definition of exploitation: attracting record crowds to our county park, but then misdirecting the record revenues towards tourism ADVERTISING without reinvesting back onto Pensacola Beach.

The TDC is inherently esoteric. But then to screw up the recording when they only meet every few months is complete mismanagement.

You are the county commissioner who has sat on that tourist development council throughout 2022. You are supposed to represent the citizens.

YOU are culpable. I don’t believe that you are representing Escambia County professionally, consistently, fairly.

At the 19 May 22 BCC meeting, you and Barry accurately asserted that you CONTROL Pensacola Beach. During that unprofessional discussion, you both repeatedly threatened to withhold County services to Pensacola Beach (our most-popular county park).

In my informed opinion, you are MISMANAGING Pensacola Beach. It’s overcrowded, the environment is being destroyed, and you have recently approved several enormous private towers.

We discharge 1 million gallons of WWTP effluent into our beautiful Santa Rosa Sound EVERY DAY. But you have not pressed ECUA on the WWTP mitigation project which has been languishing since 2011.

Our citizens are not benefiting from YOUR mismanagement of OUR county park, or you mis-allocation of our $21.8 million in annual TDT revenue.

Our great Escambia County citizens have given you well over $1 million in compensation. We put you in-charge of our $600 million annual budget. Escambia County, like every community in this country, has received millions of dollars in federal grants. NW Florida was recently awarded a $1.5 BILLION dollar BP oil spill payout.

Yet you are destroying the environment on Pensacola Beach, and the citizens cannot even watch the recording of the TDC in order to audit your misallocation of our $21.8 million day.

Start doing your job, please!

Jeff Bergosh said...

Tom Jardine--I railed against folks having 6-8 ugly signs, strung together with ropes/chains, running down the beach to the water. Not about anyone's property rights. You are mixed-up and confused again, which is quite common but please don't spout inaccurate lies on this site or you'll be corrected instantaeneosly. And yes, we have active construction on the OLF-8 field, and for very good reasons (sensitvive wetlands and structures) we do have the same no trespassing signs installed that the previous owner had. But if there were a bonafide, non invasive use for which a citizen wanted access prior to us constructing the roads and infrastructure--such a citizen could apply for such use.

Tom Jardine said...

Thanks, Commissioner Bergosh, for your cheery Christmas-themed reply.

I found your desire to see me run over by a bus, bed-ridden and disabled to be particularly festive.

Merry Christmas to you, as well, you intolerable blockhead!

Nearly every month of the year boasts a holiday. Do all those holidays provide you with a convenient excuse to explain why you aren’t satisfactorily representing our great citizens?

I like the folks at the ECUA. They provide essential services: trash collection, water delivery, sewage removal, etc…. All for roughly $100 per month. Twenty first century living is grand.

However, that doesn’t negate the fact that we are discharging an average of one million gallons of treated effluent each day directly into our beautiful Santa Rosa Sound. And that includes Christmas Day, Commissioner Sanctimonious.

We discharge 600,000 gallons each day during the off season and 1.4 million gallons each day during tourist season.

The ECUA has received $4.5 million dollars from BP oil spill money to divert that one million gallons of effluent each day from the Santa Rosa Sound and into irrigation. But they have hardly progressed with that project in the past ten years. And your appointed board member, Ms. Brooks, who I very much admire, is every bit as culpable as you are for being complacent, and for NOT pressing the ECUA to divert that effluent.

I have tracked this project for years. And, yes, I am following up with the ECUA and holding them accountable (unlike you).

Obtaining $21.8 million dollars in TDT funds is nothing for you to crow about, Jeff. You haven’t done anything to improve Pensacola Beach - quite the opposite. You have zero right to take credit for the popularity of Florida beaches.

And you are misusing the record $21.8 million dollars. Instead of using that money to pay for Escambia’s tourism expenses, you are funneling $10.5 million into additional advertising in order to draw in ever larger crowds to continue taxing our public infrastructure and further jeopardize the fragile environment of our beaches.

Certainly, those enormous crowds make you enormously popular with your fat cat developer buddies. Overwhelming demand allows them to raise prices - too bad that the average Escambia County citizen is being priced out. But who cares so long as you keep on “winning”?

Why are we wasting money on Visit Pensacola junkets to England when we are not reinvesting on our Beach?

You continue to mismanage both Pensacola Beach and Escambia County.

And while I applaud you for interacting with our great citizens; your acerbic, juvenile, ill-informed responses accurately make you appear petty to everyone aside from your handful of misguided sycophants.

Anonymous said...

You really are a pathetic insecure “human” Jeff. You have a blog but as soon as anyone disagrees with you then you jump on a bandwagon and belittle them. Horrific behavior for a so called leader

Tom Jardine said...

What happened to my reply, Jeff?

I made a reply to your childish nonsense on December 19th at 10 am.

Are you manipulating this forum in order to squelch legitimate criticism? Pretty wimpy, Mr. Commissioner.

Perhaps it is for the best. Our citizens are likely simply wasting our time when we attempt to persuade you to clean up your sloppy act.

I’ve always maintained that you do well approximately 50% of the time. For example; I have always admired your willingness to interact with the citizens.

But your performance on the TDC in 2022 was abysmal - you are squandering our 2022 revenue of $21.8 million and the final meeting of this year (the first fiscal quarter of 2023) is unwatchable. What difference does it make if we captured record revenue - you’ve squandered it.

We dumped over $10 million into Visit Pensacola’s budget - they were only expecting $7 million (and they were likely squandering 80% of that). I believe that they are taking junkets to England that pay zero dividends. Meanwhile, Escambia County is hardly reinvesting a dime back into Pensacola Beach.

Even if Visit Pensacola has success luring tourists - it’s debatable whether or not more crowds on our Beach are benefiting the great citizens of Escambia County.

You are clearly underfunding Pensacola Beach and are destroying the environment out here.

You are afraid to oppose Commissioner Barry no matter how many poor, unethical decisions that he makes. And you act like a immature third grader 50% of the time.

Merry Christmas! Perhaps you will be visited by three spirits that will lead you to an accurate epiphany that you need to change your wayward path. The great citizens of Escambia County are hoping for that Christmas miracle.

Jeff Bergosh said...

Tom Jardine-reading comprehension is not your strong suit-obviously. I never once edited or censored your comments, I posted them all. And I never once “wished” that you would walk in front of a truck and become a bedridden invalid. Are you off your meds?? What a strange thing for you to accuse me of? I said IF you intentionally walk in front of a bus and get hurt it is your fault and nobody else’s. IF you stare at the sun intentionally and go blind—it’s your fault. Please go back and re-read my response to your ad-hominem “comment” screed—and be sure to read it very S-L-O-W-L-Y ---and just maybe if you do, twice or three times, you will get it. Meanwhile, don’t melt down and decompensate like Astronaut Col. Steve West over something you think I said but was something you misread and could not comprehend all along. I get it you are very simple and fixated on me, my position, my blog, and hurling blame at me publicly for anyone who will give you an audience. But you will never do it on this site without being corrected and smacked down (metaphorically speaking, Tom, don’t have an apoplectic panic episode). I’m an elected official, yes, but not your pinata. Understand that. It is quite sad, Tom, to witness just how hateful, spiteful, deceitful, vindictive, and juvenile your comments are as they are directed my way in the form of vicious personal attacks wrapped in cordial platitudes-- not legitimate discourse over policy disagreements. I wonder what happened to you to make you such a hate-filled, vituperative malcontent? Here we are, during the holiday season, when most folks are enjoying family time and great revelry and fellowship—and here you are buzzing around the internet, chat sites on Facebook, and my blog, like a busy little beaver with one grievance after another directed at me. Although it is flattering that you think I as one Escambia commissioner control all things in the universe—I feel compelled to disabuse you of that fanciful yet inaccurate notion, Tom. Here's a newsflash for you: I don’t control all things, Tom. As an example of your projection--- I especially like the part where you glowingly sing the praises of ECUA and pontificate on how dandy you think they are for providing you water and trash service at a reasonable cost---then you pivot on a dime and instantly complain that it is my fault that ECUA dumps treated water into the sound -- while you yourself contribute to that issue by being a hyper-consumer of wastewater service from ECUA on Pensacola Beach. HUH? That’s kind of weird and makes no sense—-----kind of like you, Tom. You are mixed up and confused, and you make no sense. Then you bemoan the fact that we spend TDT dollars on advertising to introduce our beautiful area to tourists who come here and spend money and employ huge numbers of fellow citizens—and even as we have cultivated RECORD numbers and revenue increases by our strategic use of these statutorily controlled TDT funds—you think the TDC deserves “no credit” for bringing in tourists to our area. What? That makes no sense Tom, you sound delusional if you think record numbers "just happen." The first thing you need to do is figure out who is responsible for what, and then refocus your toxic venom where it is appropriate. Better yet—-----leave the complex problem solving and leadership to those of us who get things done and don’t try to grasp issues which are beyond your abilities Tom. It’s not a good look. Or, as I've suggested to you in the past--sign up to run for office. Heck, run against me and see how that works out for you Tom. Just go ask Karen and Doug's secretary and they'll fill you in I'm sure. Or, you can call me anytime on my cell 850-293-1459--I take calls Tom, even from you. In the meantime, Tom, you keep “Whining”—we’ll keep “Winning.” Happy New Year!

Tom Jardine said...

Jeff,

Keep dodging culpability for your continued mismanagement of both Pensacola Beach and Escambia County.

You have been an Escambia County commissioner for the past six consecutive years. You have served as the CHAIRMAN of the Escambia County Commission for two of those six years and, as chairman, you have been the citizens’ representative on the tourist development council.

Additionally, you yourself have recently accurately asserted that you CONTROL Pensacola Beach. Each of you commissioners appoints an Island Authority Board member and you possess VETO power over the SRIA.

But, by all means, continue to scapegoat private citizens such as myself for your own incompetence.

How much of the $21.8 million dollars of tourists development taxes that we generated in 2022 did you reinvest back onto Pensacola Beach?

Pensacola Beach is the primary source of that $21.8 million and is beloved by every Escambia County citizen. Not only have you failed to reinvest money back onto the Beach, you have threatened to withhold county services and you misappropriated a $3.355209 million dollar FEMA grant that was intended for sand replenishment on our public beach. And you brag about attracting record crowds to overrun our county park and tear up our infrastructure.

It’s not a difficult feat to attract crowds to our beautiful Pensacola Beach, Jeff. Certainly, it does not require $11 million dollars each year.

Regarding the 1 million gallons of effluent that you continue to allow ECUA to directly discharge into our beautiful Santa Rosa Sound each day: good luck scapegoating me, Jeff.

For the past two years, I have sacrificed one to two days of pay each month in order to speak at Island Authority meetings in opposition to your malfeasance. Corroborate that fact with your Island Authority appointee.

I have repeatedly spoken out against the three new private towers that you have gifted to Innisfree Hotels - each at the expense of our citizens and to the detriment of our environment - including the twelve story private tower that you approved for construction to be located directly ON Casino Beach

I was part of the team that successfully opposed private helicopter operations proposed and recommended from your twelve story private tower.

And yes, I have repeatedly done my best to pressure the ECUA to follow through on their Florida-mandated mitigation project of the 1 million gallons of daily discharge.

What actions have you and your Island Authority appointee taken to pressure the ECUA to protect our beautiful public Santa Rosa Sound?

Oh, that’s right, as a two-term Escambia County commissioner; “It’s not your concern”.

Start reinvesting part of that $21.8 million dollars back onto the Beach. You are running Pensacola Beach into the ground. There are very few activities for families with children when we have one-two weeks of rainy weather.

Spending millions on advertising schemes is a waste, and might actually be doing more harm than good.

Let’s put a wildlife sanctuary on Cowley Park to improve our environmental bona fides and to provide an enriching destination for families. Construct it within walking distance of our elementary school.

It’s time for you to begin to resurrect your reputation and to focus on building a positive legacy. I believe that the majority of our citizens who track the issues oppose you - that’s a horrible legacy.

When a public servant turns me against them; they have certainly walked a crooked path. Straighten up, commissioner!

Tom Jardine said...

Jeff, here is part one of my most recent letter to the ECUA. Let’s see you do better.


Mr. Perkins:

Happy holidays and congratulations on your recent re-election!

My name is Tom Jardine. I’m a 26-year Pensacola Beach leaseholder and ECUA district 4 constituent.

Like most, I’m concerned about the environment; particularly the environment of Pensacola Beach. As you are aware, Pensacola Beach is our largest and most popular Escambia County park, and the Beach is likely our most powerful economic generator.

Escambia County collected a record $21.8 million dollars in tourist development taxes in 2022; the majority of which was generated by Pensacola Beach. Most of that $21.8 million is funneled back into advertising - we spend over $11 million dollars in tourism advertising annually. We assure our tourists that Pensacola Beach is a clean, safe environment to which they can bring their families to enjoy.

However, as you are aware; we discharge 900,000 gallons of treated wastewater effluent directly into our beautiful Santa Rosa Sound every day (on average). My understanding is that we discharge 1.3 million gallons each day during tourist season. That number is growing.

Florida 2021 Senate Bill 64 mandates that we divert that effluent no later than 1 January 2032.

1. Are we progressing on schedule with our effluent discharge mitigation project?

We began a mitigation project in 2011. In 2014, I remember attending a meeting regarding the location of a proposed holding tank. Initially, that tank was planned to be located at Cowley Park, but ultimately, the holding tank was built near the entrance to Pensacola Beach. It was completed in early 2018.

My understanding is that ECUA was awarded a $4.5 million dollar grant related to the BP oil spill settlement in order to complete phases 4 and 5 of our mitigation project. That’s great! Has any physical work been completed since early 2018?

In December of 2021, Mr. Woody and Mr. Palmer spoke at an Island Authority Board meeting that I attended. I thought that the ECUA had promised that the next phases of our mitigation project were scheduled for THIS winter (2022). Is that plan still on track?

At our December 2022 Island Authority meeting, it sounded as though Mr. Palmer stated that our project is in jeopardy. However, I did not understand the issue that was cited.

It sounded as though Mr. Palmer stated that the 600,000 gallons of effluent generated each day during our “off season” would be insufficient to satisfy the demand for that effluent.

That doesn’t sound like a problem. Isn’t the diversion of that effluent from our waterway our objective?? Exhausting our effluent seems ideal. I’m more concerned about an over-supply of effluent.

It sounded as though Mr. Palmer (who certainly appears to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful) stated that potable water would have to be used to supplement the effluent during our off season. However, wouldn’t the 600,000 gallons mitigate the amount of potable water that is currently being used for irrigation by 600,000 gallons? That seems desirable.

Personally, I would like to use the effluent to irrigate the vegetation which maintains our dunes along the Gulf. But, more importantly, I think we should use our effluent to irrigate the vegetation that retains our coastline along the Santa Rosa Sound. We have a serious erosion issue on Pensacola Beach. Rio Vista Drive, immediately south of Baby Beach, is in immediate jeopardy due to sand loss.

I would like to see our plans be adjusted in order to irrigate our coastlines. And I would like us to move on this TODAY. Why have we not yet ordered the pipe?

Tom Jardine said...

Part 2 of my letter to my ECUA district 4 board member, Dale Perkins:



2. Is it true that we must receive a permit from the FDEP every five years to allow us to continue to discharge our treated wastewater into the Santa Rosa Sound?

I understand that momentum from environmental groups opposed to our receiving that permit is growing.

The Island Authority and our Board of County Commissioners have recently granted Innisfree Hotels three enormous 67% increases in hotel room density and three new enormous private towers. They also have granted Portofino conceptual approval to build towers six and seven. And as I mentioned previously, our county commissioners have provided $11 million dollars in 2022 to Visit Pensacola to attract a record number of tourists to our area.

So it appears that we are rapidly increasing our effluent discharge while, simultaneously, NOT progressing with our effluent discharge mitigation project.

Further, we advertise that we offer a safe, clean environment; while environmental groups opposed to our effluent discharge are gaining momentum.

Do these factors jeopardize our FDEP permit?

What is the plan to remove our effluent should our FDEP permit be denied?

Would ECUA absorb the costs of transporting, daily, our 900,000 gallons of effluent away from Pensacola Beach if our FDEP permit were denied?

While I am very pleased with the ECUA in general, I’m extremely disappointed that our mitigation project seems to be hopelessly stalled.

Mr. Perkins, can you provide an explanation that would give me a more optimistic perspective?



What have you done to clean up our beautiful Santa Rosa Sound, Commissioner Bergosh?

Jeff Bergosh said...

Tom--Get back on the meds. I've never once asserted that I "control" the beach. Where'd you get that? We have an SRIA board that administers the island. And if you are mad about ECUA and their continual sewage spills (like the massive one on Fort Pickens road Tuesday night----call them on it don't project that on the BCC who have no control over their operations. And you put out as a fact that I "mismanage" things as a commissioner--but you're glib, Tom. We are the legislative branch--we don't manage day to day work--although I am very proud of the work our emp;oyees do. You put out as some sort of fact that I need to rehabilitate my reputation but that is not a fact--that is your opinion (and eleven friends of yours on one site) only--definitely not true or else I wouldn't be in this position after five successive election victories. No, you are glib, frustrated, ignorant, and confused, Tom--and you simply like to whine and complain a lot, writing long screeds filled with outright lies and malicious accusations rolled in with an occasional cordial plattitude.... Give actionable factual specifics that are within our realm of control where we disagree or where you think we could have taken a different route and we can have a discussion about that. But like Drake you go zero to a hundred real quick to conclude we are corrupt, incompetent, and/or derelict--all of wich are untrue and simply figments of your wildly creative imagination. I truly believe you have mental issues Tom, and I hope you seek help, because I cannot make heads nor tails of your rambling, gibberish manifesto comments that are illogical. Try to enjoy the holiday season, get professional counseling, take the medicine, and by all means go and post this response to your misplaced attack on me------ out of context -----on the hate furnace facebook site. Happy New Year

Tom Jardine said...

Jeff,

You are so completely full of baloney that you can’t remember even half of the arrogant things that you have said. Although, I’ll readily concede that, in your case, half of the stupid things that you have said is an awful lot for any individual to track. You run your mouth nonstop.

Take an honest look at yourself, commissioner. You are an arrogant, train wreck.

At the 2 hour mark of the 19 May 2022 Board meeting, you and your idol, Steven Barry, both accurately agreed that you “CONTROL” Pensacola Beach.

Impressive how you quickly deny accountability whenever you find it politically expedient.

You, May, and Barry vote as a three-fools voting majority. You have the bully pulpit - you are permitted to run your big mouths nonstop during public meetings. You each appoint one Island Authority Board member a piece. And you have a 30 day veto power over the Island Authority.

Your unprofessional 19 May 2022 public meeting was the same meeting at which you derided every leaseholder for “HUBRIS” despite the fact that it was you and your boyfriend, Steven Barry, who championed our absurd tax policy. And despite the fact that at least 50% of the leaseholders pay FULL ad valorem taxes on both their land and on their improvements and an annual lease fee. You don’t differentiate - you facilely deride everyone.

Meanwhile, you possess a luxury Pensacola Beach condo on which you don’t pay taxes on the valuable land underneath.

And your boy idol, Steven Barry, has little room to criticize anyone. Mr. Barry recently attempted to clawback hundreds of thousands of dollars from the citizens of Escambia County because Mr. Barry regrets his choice of pension funds.

The pension plan that Mr. Barry originally selected pays a respectable 8% annual rate of return. Most folks would be deliriously pleased with that generous compensation. But the moment that Mr. Barry, our representative, discovered that there is an ethically-dubious annuity that pays a fulsome 57% annual rate of return, he not only switched horses, but he attempted to fleece our great Escambia County citizens for $200,000 to $300,000 in back pay. Outrageous!! Mr. Barry readily scapegoated both county staff and the citizens for his own decision.

And today he and Mr. May are suing our honorable Clerk of the Court. You three have no shame.

As you have accurately stated; you “CONTROL” Pensacola Beach. In my informed opinion, you are doing an impressively poor job with it. For example; you are allowing the ECUA to continue to discharge one million gallons of treated wastewater effluent directly into our beautiful Santa Rosa Sound every DAY, on average.

You have attempted absolutely nothing to stop it. You have not pressured the ECUA to progress on their languishing mitigation project. You are deaf, DUMB, and blind. Simultaneously, you deny all accountability.

Keep all “winning”, commissioner, as the great citizens of Escambia County keep on whining. You are a winner, Jeff.

Tom Jardine said...

Jeff,

Where is my 29 November 11am reply? Are you getting cagey with this blog again? Pretty cowardly of you, commissioner.

You know I don’t allow your deliberate falsehoods to go unchallenged. Perhaps it is YOU who should “get back on your meds.”

You did indeed accurately claim that you “CONTROL” Pensacola Beach. That fact is part of the public record. Cheeky of you to deny the truth.

Both you and your idol, Steven Barry, accurately asserted that you “CONTROL” Pensacola Beach at the 2:04:45 mark of the 19 May 2022 BCC meeting.

As usual, you were so unbelievably simpatico with your man crush, Steven Barry, that you were finishing Mr. Barry’s sentences for him. You were so tightly wedged behind Mr. Barry that there was zero metaphorical daylight between you two. The two of you nearly were singing a duet.

Speaking of which: How do you feel about Steven Barry’s recent attempt to scapegoat Staff and to clawback hundreds of thousands of dollars from the great Escambia citizens by demanding back pay because he regretted his own pension plan selection?

Are you man enough to answer that straightforward question for your constituents? My bet is that you will evade this question.

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