3-Year Buget Deal between BCC and ECSO on Tomorrow's Agenda

The proposed 3-year funding agreement between the BCC and ECSO to be considered tomorrow is the latest demonstration of this Board's support for public safety, first responders,  and law enforcement

There is a fairly profound agenda item on tomorrow's BCC regular meeting agenda.

Over the last several months, staff and personnel from the county and ECSO have been working toward a multi-year budget deal for the ECSO.  

The BCC had a similar, 4-year deal negotiated back in 2018.

If the board approves this deal and the Sheriff signs it--the two entities will have a deal that makes the budgeting for the next three years "plug and play."  No drama like we have seen before, no billboards, no negativity, just a fair and straightforward three year deal that provides what the ECSO needs--including significant yearly pay increases in each of the next three years--- while simultaneously necessitating NO tax rate increases for citizens and NO raising of the Sheriff's MSTU.

This will be a big deal if passed and enacted--which I feel fairly certain will happen.

It demonstrates this board's continuing support of public safety, corrections,  and first responders--as this comes on the heels of us providing historic raises and bonuses for ECFR, EMS, and corrections.

While it is easy for some to denigrate us and attempt to falesly accuse this board of "not supporting" public safety-----those false assessements fall flat in the face of our demonstrated support for public safety and first responders through our actions via this budget.

And this potential 3-year deal with ECSO is just the latest example of this effort and commitment. 

See the backup for this three year deal here.

Minutes in Underhill v. Bear Lawsuits Will Be Released

 

The minutes in these proceedings will make for an interesting read.......

Later this morning, the BCC will vote to waive executive privilege and and release a series of transcripts related to the still ongoing, but now substantially completed, litigation between Doug Underhill, the County, and David Bear.

Unlike the premature, unilateral release of the IIDC shade meeting transcripts by one member of the BCC (Doug Underhill) before completion of all litigation in that case---the board here in this case is taking the appropriate steps by voting to waive the privilege before releasing the transcripts.

If the board votes for release, they will be released shortly thereafter.

If the board votes against release, which is highly unlikely, the board will not release them.

It is all about following the law and the appropriate processes and protocols.

Like the purported reason for the transcript release in the previous IIDC case--this release is similarly being put forward to answer a public records request.

The transcripts will be a very interesting read for the average citizen, and will be an insight into some of the unnecessary yet bitter acrimony that has festered due to the conduct at issue that drew the suits, in addition to a host of other behavior online which continues to this day by one member of this board directed to four others.  And you the reader can work out which ones.

Yes, it will be an eye-opening, interesting read.

Look for those to be released at some point Friday.

Escambia County Administrator's Search Narrows to 4 Names: Where We Are & How We Got Here

Escambia County will soon be hiring our next administrator.  The sooner, the better.....

Thursday afternoon it was announced publicly that our search for the next Escambia County administrator was narrowed to 5 names.  That announcement came shortly before we were given the packages on the five finalists selected by the Florida Association of County Managers (FACM) panel we hired to help us narrow the field.

I spent time over this weekend reading all these resumes.

We had a huge list to work down from initially--and it was helpful and necessary to have a firm help us get to the short list.

We spent $5K to do this and I believe it was money well spent.

This panel we hired has been diligent in the way they have carried out this search and the way they narrowed the field.

Friday, they released their report to staff that described their members, their methods and metrics, and also their thought process in culling the large list down to five names.  They also list in detail the positives and negatives of each candidate on the short list.  Also, they list detailed next steps for us to take in the process to hire our next administrator--from negotiating the contract to transitioning him into the organization once we make the selection.  I thought this report was extremely informative--and I believe this group earned their $5K for what they have delivered.  Every citizen that is interested in this process should read this report because it is a very thorough and enlightening report.

(The Escambia School Board members should read this report and see how we have moved this forward as a preview into what challenges and issues they will face as they prepare to hire their first appointed Superintendent....lots of good information here!)

At last Thursday's meeting, there was some tension in the air about how this process concluded, and about the way the committee did the cut without consulting any member of the BCC.

There were questions about why no women made the cut.  "Were there even any minorities in the final list?" was another question I heard.

I happen to know there were several former military officers on the first list that appeared very well

On AM 1620 FM 92.3 This Morning

I was the guest this morning on AM 1620 FM 92.3 - Pensacola Morning News.

The singular subject was the board's budget meetings this week.

I'm bringing my budget axe to this week's BCC budget hearings...

For my part I simply stated that I will be bringing recommendations for cuts to the budget to prepare for next year's budget shortfall we will experience due to the all but assured passage of Amendment 1 which will cost us $5 Million from our general fund.

I hear people talking about making cuts, I see people online talking about making cuts.  As I said in the interview, I'm not just talking about it or woodpeckering online facebook sites exclaiming what a "super fiscal conservative" I am. 

Actions speak louder than words, and I'm coming to the meetings this week with my budget cutting "Axe."  We will see if the self-proclaimed super-duper conservatives will join me in actually making necessary budget cuts----- or if they simply want to talk about it.....we shall see this week.

Listen to the interview here   starting at 4:40 of the interview is where I talk about cuts...

On Good Morning Pensacola Today

I was just Interviewed by Don Parker and Jim Sanborn of 1370 WCOA about issues related to the budget, the ongoing tension with the Sheriff's office, and other issues of importance.  I was specifically asked about Thursday's meeting where we will discuss, once again, the LETF process that the State Attorney advised us to engage in. 

Interesting interview, with lots of dialogue on these subjects that constituents will want to hear.

Part I here

Part II here

My Issue with the Creekwood Agreement...

The ECUA crafted agreement with Creekwood smells worse than a fetid garbage dump.  I don't blame the homeowners for not wanting to sign this garbage.

Yes, I ripped up that garbage agreement at the meeting.

I ripped it to shreds and called it what it is----Garbage.  It smells worse than an ECUA sewage spill....

The County and the Homeowners have been working to get the ailing lift-station at Creekwood fixed; a majority of Creekwood residents have grudgingly agreed to take on a special tax assessment to the tune of $625,000 to get this done.

Nobody is happy about the language that keeps the HOA on the hook for any problems with the repairs and construction of the new, ECUA approved lift station, in their subdivision----but the language that forces the HOA to indemnify the County, ECUA, and the contractor during the construction (which may take as long as 18 months to complete) is just too much....

I was under the apparently mistaken impression that the contractor, once engaged in the construction, would be responsible for this lift station and the homeowners could finally breath a sigh of relief.  Wrong.  Why won't ECUA see that the homeowners are acting in good faith, they have secured the financing to fix the lift station, and they are prepared to move forward.  Why must the ECUA keep their boot on the collective necks of these homeowners, rubbing salt in the wound?  Why?

The garbage rhetoric I have heard is "It would not be fair to our ratepayers to take responsibility for this lift station before it is brought up to our standards"  But wait---these residents are ratepayers!  How about a little compassion for their plight!

Initially, I felt that the least I could do to keep this process going to get this lift station fixed was to get the County on board with the badly flawed agreement, which would allow ECUA to take action on it next, and ultimately it would allow for the HOA to sign it/not sign it--because ultimately the ECUA is controlling this process; they won't take the lift station until it meets their standards.

But when the attorney read some of the most onerous language that keeps the homeowners on the hook through the entire process--I just couldn't support it.

I have a new strategy I am formulating that I will soon be discussing with the HOA.

I think we can do better than that garbage agreement.

BCC's Jail Bid Award to be Protested....

The bid award for construction of Escambia County's new jail has been informally protested-- meaning the decision to ratify the board's action at last Thursday's COW will be stayed pending the completion of this protest process.  Step one is informal, with the director of purchasing and relevant staff hearing the facts of the case and the director of purchasing making a preliminary determination.  If the protest is dismissed at this level, step two (if the challenger wishes to appeal) involves hiring a special master to hear the case, with the special master's decision being brought to the BCC for their consideration/action at the next regularly scheduled meeting.  The BCC action on the special master's decision is the final step in the process, unless the losing party wishes to take the matter to circuit court--which is an option available after the BCC's process is completed.

Here is the email from the director of purchasing announcing the protest....

Notice of the meeting tomorrow (open to the public) is here...

Here is the email from Yates Construction protesting the bid award...

Upcoming Meetings and Events for District 1

District 1 will be hosting several meetings over the next month, and the public is encouraged to stop by and weigh in on topics of interest to you and your community!

1.  Coffee with the Commissioner:

Tuesday, March 21st 6:30AM-7:30AM  Denny's 4625 Mobile Highway Pensacola

2.  District 1 Round Table with ECUA, School Board, Sheriff's Office, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, and Property Appraiser's office:

Monday, April 3rd 6:00PM-8:00PM  West Florida High School Cafeteria 2400 Longleaf Drive, Pensacola.

3. District 1 Town Hall:

Monday, April 24th 6:00PM-7:30PM  Bellview Middle School Cafeteria, 6021 Mobile Hwy Pensacola.

On WCOA's "Difference Makers" Show

I was a guest on the Quint and Rishy Studer sponsored program "Difference Makers" yesterday morning on AM 1370 WCOA.  I enjoyed the chat with Don Parker, and appreciated the invitation to appear on the show.

We talked a lot about what my take aways from 10 years on the school board are, the Newpoint debacle, local school enrollment issues,  and also charter schools. 

We then transitioned into how I became a County Commissioner and some of the challenges facing the BCC (Jail, OLF 8, Infrastructure) and also some of the initiatives I intend to pursue in this office. 

All in all a fun show.

You can listen to a replay of the show here (part I) and here (part II)

Initiatives to Reduce Incarceration Rates in Order to Save Money

Some are of the opinion that the above graph points to the need to reform sentencing, I happen to think there may be a beneficial correlation with the reduction of crime rates being a result of the incarceration levels going up.....

The BCC will be discussing the topic of criminal justice reform at tomorrow’s Committee of the Whole meeting.  Presented for backup were several articles from Florida Tax Watch and a recent article from IN Weekly.

After reading the backup and speaking to folks very familiar with the courts locally, I have a few thoughts of my own on these recommended initiatives….but first, it is important to realize how the system works in real life.

Law enforcement officers make arrests.

The State Attorney is like a “Super Judge” and this office has discretion with respect to which cases get charged and what penalties are sought.  From time to time, Judges will disagree with sentences sought by the State Attorney, and this can create tension between the offices.

Judges try the cases.  Judges do what they do-prosecutors do what they do- and police officers do what they do.

To enact serious sentencing reform, we have to get buy-in and cooperation from the judges.  We have to elect good judges to the bench, and we have to understand that sometimes we will disagree with their sentences.  We must understand this as well:   judges know more about the cases than do the media and members of the general public.  Often the sentences the judges impose are mandatory and the judges have minimal discretion; in other instances the Judges do have discretion and wide latitude to impose various punishments-which they frequently exercise.

The media exacerbates the sentencing discretion issue when they fail to report on cases honestly or when they go after Judges in articles questioning sentences and/or condemning judges for statements made in court.  Some judges have been taken out of context and eviscerated by the local press—and the judges are powerless to respond.

If judges are ripped to shreds by the media for giving some offenders (ones that are non-violent with a high likelihood of successful rehabilitation) a second chance and a lenient sentence---the odds are that these judges may be hesitant to offer these sorts of chances again.

The system, while imperfect, works. It is slow, plodding, and cumbersome, but it works.  It works well when every independent agency does their job and works together (Law Enforcement, Judicial, State Attorney), staying in their own lanes.

Meanwhile, the costs of the system to the county are mounting, and the need to find savings within this system is paramount.

Florida Tax Watch has several initiatives they recommend to reduce the costs of incarceration.  Most of these recommendations will require coordination with Law Enforcement, State and Federal Legislators, and most importantly with the State Attorney’s office that prosecutes the cases and the Judges who impose the sentences.  Many of these initiatives will require laws to be amended in Tallahassee. The current leadership in the Florida Legislature may not be receptive to weakening the “tough on crime” sentencing laws on the books—so the BCC needs to be careful on pushing too hard for this at the state level.  However, we could advocate for some of the initiatives.

Some of the initiatives that make sense to me include:

1.        Looking at ways to substitute financial penalties for jail-time for non-injury Driving While License Suspended (DWLS) infractions.

2.       Reducing the number of non-violent prisoners in jail for minor drug infractions (users, not traffickers).

3.       Utilization of electronic monitoring for non-violent offenders (subsidized if the prisoner is unable to pay)

4.       Looking at a plan to release elderly, sick prisoners that do not pose a significant risk if released.

5.  Diverting a large number of low-level offenders to our road prison program

All of these sorts of ideas could be considered but all of these require close collaboration with the other stakeholders in the criminal justice system as well. 

Any of these things we can offer to the judges will help the system overall and will save taxpayers money.  Before I will go along with these changes, though, I will need to ensure that we communicate such potential changes with Law enforcement, the judicial and legislative branches, and constituents in my district. 

My constituents and I want safe neighborhoods and firm penalties imposed on criminals, not watered down, PC policies that could potentially increase crime locally.  I will move through these initiatives very carefully and with great trepidation, because I am a law and order Commissioner and I favor the minimum mandatory sentences, Truth in sentencing laws, and harsh punishment for violent offenders and drug dealers.  But I am open minded and not opposed to looking into the initiative I listed above and one BIG ONE below that didn't make the TaxWatch papers......

********Florida has the second highest number of prisoners that are illegal immigrants (second only to Texas) with THOUSANDS of undocumented prisoners being held in our prisons.  Why can we not turn these over to the Feds so they can be housed in the Federal system?  This would generate REAL savings locally!************

Dangerous Dogs

In 2012 My dog Rocky was attacked on my front porch by two
Rhodesian Ridgback dogs like the one pictured above.
Luckily the story had a happy ending for all concerned....

Today's PNJ has an article about the County Commission's discussion on the dangerous dog ordinance.

In it, I'm quoted about an incident that occurred in my front yard 4 years ago.....

My dog, Rocky, was on the front porch minding his own business when he was attacked by two Rodesian Ridgback dogs.  I immediately grabbed my pistol from the safe, and upon my return to the porch to attempt to rescue my dog, I was fortunately able to pull Rocky away without firing a shot at the other dogs. It would have killed me to shoot someone's dog--but on my property as they attacked my dog, I would have been within my rights to do so.  Fortunately, although  Rocky was rattled,  amazingly he was not injured.

(Ironically, a tru-green sales rep was in the cul-de-sac selling service contracts at the time of this event and he witnessed the entire event.  When he came up to my door after the incident and I answered still holding my .380--he simply said "Wow, this is quite a neighborhood, is it always this exciting?")

Anyway, after the initial fireworks,  I called animal control, they found the loose dogs, and notified the owner of those dogs about the issue.  They handled the whole issue very professionally.  I met with the owner of the Ridgbacks, and she apologized profusely.  I did not pursue any recourse and the story had a happy ending--thankfully.

But the state law has subsequently changed, and our policy on this matter was apparently dated and needed revision, so a new policy has been drafted by the County's legal staff.  It is very thoughtfully written, provides an appropriate level of due process provisions, and is something that I will support--as it protects the public, aligns with state law, and protects dog owners who are responsible and importantly it protects dogs.

You can read the policy here.