While WEAR-TV reports that Escambia County Clerk Pam Childers has resolved the $2 million reimbursement issue with Visit Pensacola, few people have been willing to go on record about what happened at the closed-door meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
- Yesterday, WEAR TV reported Childers’ refusal to appear on camera, but she said that Visit Pensacola and its largest vendor (Showcase Pensacola) should receive payment by day’s end.
County Commission Chair Mike Kohler told Inweekly that he would give a “B” grade to the meeting, which included the Clerk’s staff, County Finance Director Stephan Hall, Visit Pensacola and Dick and Carolyn Appleyard. Kolher called the meeting “better than I thought” and “a step in the right direction.” He described it as productive despite some tensions.
- The “tensions” included a Festivus moment when Childers aired her grievances against Commissioners Lumon May and Steven Barry, who have nothing to do with tourism marketing or Visit Pensacola, and me.
Retired Navy Capt. Sterling Gilliam, the new Visit Pensacola chair, received high praise from Kohler, who said he “took the lead on trying to do what’s right.”
Mr. Appleyard and his wife were called “a class act” and handled themselves admirably. Dick Appleyard helped found Showcase Pensacola and manages the collaborative that markets Escambia County’s tourism.
- The meeting did not end with written guidelines for how Visit Pensacola and Showcase Pensacola should document future payment requests. However, Kohler said the meeting ultimately established an agreement to work more cohesively and with a general understanding of documentation and processes going forward.
Rules
The first and second rules of meeting with a Childers —W.D. or Pam — are not to talk about the meeting.
The third rule is that Pensacola likes things neat. As long as money flows, everyone is happy and wants to move on.
Background
From September 30, 2024, to this week, Childers’ office had refused to pay Showcase Pensacola invoices that have been outstanding for over six months. The same invoices sailed through the payment process for 12 years under Childers and decades under her predecessor, Ernie Lee Magaha.
- Constantly changing and unclear requirements trapped the agencies that have handled Escambia County’s tourism marketing since 2014 in an impossible situation: they delivered services and spent money on advertising but could not get reimbursed.
The Core Issues
Moving Goalposts: Vendors submitted documentation, only to be told weeks later that they need more information. Requirements kept changing with no clear guidelines.
No Communication: Despite repeated requests from the Tourist Development Council and the County budget office, Childers did not provide a clear checklist of new requirements.
Retroactive Objections: The Clerk rejected invoices after ads had already run and money had been spent, putting vendors in financial limbo.
Fear Factor: Many county employees and officials are afraid to speak publicly about the crisis because of the fear of retribution from Childers.
