If Martin Donovan is able to get enough signatures, then the name of the Political Action Committee that battles him should be No Boss Marty. His petition drive really isn’t about the bond financing. It’s about his personal vendetta with Quint Studer and Mort O’Sullivan and his willingness to use this City to punish his enemies, regardless how the delays drive up costs and hinder job creation.
This isn’t about a waterfront park. It’s about Marty versus Studer and O’Sullivan.
During the Community Maritime Park debate, Councilman Donovan knew that the park bonds were more than $40 million. The minutes of the March 27, 2006 special meeting of the Pensacola City Council show that during the discussion of the park bond issue, Councilman Donovan asked City Finance Director Richard Barker what would be the amount of the bond issue. Barker stated “somewhere around $42 million.” Read Council 32706.
During 2006 debate over the park, Donovan said that he wanted a more open bidding process. Yet in 2008 when he was presented with an airport hotel lease deal that had only been negotiated with one developer, he voted for the lease and voiced no objection. The difference between the park and the airport lease —Studer and O’Sullivan weren’t involved with the hotel lease.
During the debate Marty said that his neighbors and constituents were clearly going to reject the park. Of course, he wasn’t voicing the opinions of his district.
Marty represented District 4. That district has three precincts: East Pensacola Heights Rec Center (35), Trinity Presb. Church (46) and Bayview Park Rec Center (40). The Yes votes were 2006; No votes 1562.
Now what did Marty do to help get the park cleaned up and built during his last term? I mean it’s clear that his district was one of the biggest supporters of the park. He did nothing. It’s why he was so soundly defeated in 2008.
We all thought that the 2006 referendum would end this debate. The people decided that wanted the park. Had the voters rejected the Community Maritime Park, we would have moved on. However Marty accepts no votes. The City Council approved the park plans 9-1 and yet he actively worked against that vote and forced the referendum. The citizens approved the park and Marty wants to invalidate that vote too.
He now has his band of followers believing that they will stop the park with this petition. The petition doesn’t. The petition is about the financing plan approved by the council. All the development agreements have been approved and signed. They can’t be overturned by a referendum. Has Marty told them that?
The Donovan petition only forces another referendum. If he gets the signatures, the council should immediately pass another financial plan that is contingent on the referendum. If Marty wins the referendum – which is very doubtful, the second financing plan goes into effect. Donovan will be forced to seek petitions to overturn the second financing plan while trying to get votes for his referendum that rescinds the first financing plan.
BTW: Donovan really needs to collect about 7,000 signatures to be sure he has the valid number of registered voters for the petition to be approved. According to his interview on the radio this morning, he still needs 2000 signatures by noon, Dec. 7.
If Marty gets his signatures, we will pick apart his lame arguments, but let’s wait and see how he does over the weekend.
Popularity: 16% [?]
Anonymoose:
The reality is Marty is desperately trying to make this petition about more than it actually is. He wants to reopen the 2006 debate on the park. This petition doesn’t do that. The petition is do you accept the financing plan approved by the city council– Yes or no. Meanwhile Marty may have cost the city $2 million in the stimulus money for the park and possibly $13 million for the maritime museum.
That sounds a little like semantics since the city council vote was for the financing of the park project. I thought his contention was that the city council shouldn’t have voted on the financing because he believes the developer/city dropped critical features that were originally promised in the contract. Either way, I agree with your point that it is a city vote so city staff and officers need to address the misinformation and not delegate that to CMPA.
Anonymoose:
Donovan is objecting to a city council vote. The Mayor, City Council and City Staff need to respond to the misinformation, not CMPA. It’s a city government issue. This is about a financing plan, not the park. I do believe Marty may have some legal issues if he is telling voters and others signing his petition something different.
Rick, there have been some changes made and discussed over the past two years to the park and the financing. The problem is that CMPA has not directly countered anything that is being said by Marty right now. If nothing else it gives the impression that CMPA doesn’t want to discuss it because it may be true. I know you’ve been making direct counter arguments against Marty, but in reality only a small number of people in our community reads your blog. The rest of them are being fed Marty’s misinformation and have to take it as fact because they aren’t hearing anything else and don’t have the time and, for some, the intellect to understand the truth. I would suggest giving the CMPA a little kick in butt to respond to the allegations if for no other reason than to give the residents some comfort in knowing that they are going to do what they said they would do three years ago.
What public amenities have disappeared? What do you think the voters voted for?
I understood that a deal like that will not even have to go to council under strong mayor.
Is that right? The mayor can just handle it?
I think the problem is that the council was ok with the CRA being strapped with the debt.
Now that the city’s general fund will be on the hook, that’s not ok
I still don’t understand how public ammenities have disappeared. the price has increased and the financing mechanism completely changed and we keep hearing that is what the voters voted for.
It isn’t.
What did he do when he found that he had been lied to? He approved the deal.
Rick
I will say that Marty did ask Paine “how many appraisals did you get” about the airport site. He was lied to and told 1.