City Freezes Hiring; Moreno Creates New $110K Position

Mayor D.C. Reeves and County Administrator Wes Moreno are heading in opposite directions on personnel decisions for Fiscal Year 2027.

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves’ budget director, Amy Lovoy, announced a citywide hiring freeze begins September 1, along with a freeze on non-mandated overtime and reduced cost-of-living adjustments for employees.

• Meanwhile, Moreno has hired former Florida Power & Light executive Rick Byars for a newly created position, Escambia County Economic Development and Planning Manager, with a $110,000 annual salary, plus a $250 monthly car allowance.

Hiring Freeze Explanation

The Pensacola City Council voted on July 16 to set tentative Fiscal Year 2027 millage rates at 4.2895 mills for the City of Pensacola and 2.0000 mills for the Downtown Improvement District, rejecting a reduction to the rollback rate of 4.126 mills. Read City Millage.

• Why? Budget Director Amy Lovoy told council members the current rate is needed to sustain city services amid a projected revenue decline. Even at 4.2895 mills, general fund revenues are expected to drop by $256,000 in FY27. Dropping to the rollback rate would cost the city an additional $1.12 million.

To offset the shortfall, Lovoy said the city has already moved to contain costs. A citywide hiring freeze begins September 1, along with a freeze on non-mandated overtime and reduced cost-of-living adjustments for employees. Nearly all general fund departments will be held to flat funding in the FY27 budget.

But Lovoy said some increases can’t be avoided without hurting public safety. The police department budget needs about $1.3 million more for salary adjustments and benefits, plus roughly $200,000 more to maintain and fuel the department’s vehicle fleet, costs that alone exceed the revenue already being lost at the current millage rate.

“Maintaining the current millage rate is not an attempt to expand government, but a necessary step to preserve existing service levels in the face of rising costs and declining revenues,” Lovoy said.

• The City Council voted unanimously to approve issuing the TRIM notice for 4.2895 mills. The first public hearing on the FY27 millage rates is set for Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers. It’s still possible that the council may roll back the rate.

New County Job Description

The Economic Development and Planning Manager sits under County Administration.

Job Duties

The position will lead the county’s economic development and redevelopment initiatives, with a focus on capital investment, job creation, and expanding the tax base. Duties include:

• Advising County Administration and commissioners on redevelopment strategy, incentive programs, and economic competitiveness
• Leading negotiations on development agreements, partnerships, and land use matters
• Coordinating between county departments, utility providers, developers, and outside agencies on major projects
• Identifying grant funding and incentive opportunities
• Serving as the county’s liaison to regional economic development groups, chambers of commerce, and business leaders
• Representing the county at conferences, public forums, and industry events
• Analyzing economic and demographic data to inform strategy
• Presenting development updates and policy proposals to the Board of County Commissioners

Familiar Moreno Tactic

This isn’t the first time that County Administrator Moreno has created a new job for someone that he wanted to hire. The individual is later moved into an interim position to help them build their resume so they can have a bigger job.

• In 2022, Moreno hired Nikki Powell, payroll supervisor in the Clerk of Court’s office, for a position he created, labor relations manager. Reportedly, she also assisted the human resources department in developing pay scales and analyzing employee wages and benefits.
• In December 2023, Moreno named Powell interim HR director, despite never having run or held a senior leadership position in an HR department. Six months later, he made Powell his full-time HR director. This past year, Powell has been at the center of the hiring controversy surrounding the new library services director.