County Administrator Wes Moreno has made a late addition to the Board of County Commissioners’ agenda tonight: “Recommendation Concerning a Human Resources Policy – Wesley J. Moreno, County Administrator.”
- It has no supporting documentation. The only explanation: “That the Board hold a discussion concerning a human resources policy regarding hiring practices.”
It will be a discussion on whether Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger, her aide Melanie Luna and HR director Nikki Powell passed by the BCC in October 2015.
Background:
In October 2011, the Pensacola News Journal aggressively investigated reports that County Commissioner Wilson Robertson tampered with the hiring process for the Escambia County Equestrian Center’s marketing director and then secured his preferred candidate a higher salary than was originally advertised.
Robertson issued a press release defending what the PNJ editorial board called “indefensible.” He said he got involved because the facility was in his district and losing money. He also defended allowing two applicants to list him as a reference, noting that many people knew him after 50 years of working and living in Escambia County.
He told the PNJ that “in all honesty” he believed Forrest Gibbs was “the most obviously qualified candidate” for the job. The daily newspaper pointed out that Gibbs had only a high school education, almost no marketing experience and a career mostly in road paving and heavy equipment sales.
- In an editorial, the PNJ wrote that Robertson owed “a sincere apology to taxpayers for engaging in one of the most egregious cases of insider influence peddling exposed at the county in many years.”
The editorial board continued, “One way he could do that is by resigning. But that’s his decision to make.”
PNJ reporter Jamie Page wrote that County Attorney Alison Rogers urged commissioners to stay out of county personnel and hiring matters because such behavior has the potential to trigger ethics charges. He also wrote that state law bans public officials from using their positions “to secure a special privilege, benefit or exemption” for others.
County Commissioner Grover Robinson stepped up and said Gibbs’s hiring was inappropriate and should be reversed.
- The issue came to a head on Oct. 20, 2011.
Commissioner Robertson moved that job applicants may not list a commissioner as a reference. His motion also created a recruitment selection blackout period during which “no Commissioner or Aide can contact Human Resources or the Selection Committee about the recruitment, hiring process or salary until an offer has been accepted.”
The policy also added that the following statements be be included in the Introduction of the County’s online job application and the Supplemental Questions Section for each Escambia County job posting, respectively: (1) “Candidates may not list a sitting Escambia County Commissioner as a reference in their application”; and (2) “I understand I am not to list a sitting Escambia County Commissioner as a reference, and, should I list such reference, I understand my application will be rejected.”
Read Oct 20 2011 Agenda Add-on.
Commissioner Robinson seconded the motion, and it carried 4-0, with Commissioner Valentino absent. County Administrator Randy Oliver removed Gibbs, and the county decided to re-advertise the position.
The state attorney’s office and the Florida Commission on Ethics later determined that Robertson broke no laws. There’s no record of the BCC repealing the policies passed on Oct. 20, 2011.
Library Director Hire
The Recruitment Selection Blackout Period for the Library Services Director position began on Jan. 2, 2026, when Christal Bell-Rivera noticed County Administrator Wes Moreno that she wanted the job.
- The Period ended after March 5, 2026, when the BCC approved Moreno’s selection of Bell-Rivera as the Library Services Director, thereby allowing the county administrator to offer her the job.
The text messages obtained by Inweekly show that Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger’s aide, Melanie Luna, twice violated the blackout period ban by attending the Library Board’s meetings and interviews and having contact with HR Director Nikki Powell.
Powell also violated the policy by visiting Luna and telling the aide that Bradley Vinson “has ZERO managerial experience.”
Hofberger mentioned Vinson having no management experience in her text exchange with Pensacola City Councilmember Jennifer Brahier, which might be seen as a violation on Hofberger’s part.
Commissioner Hofberger has defended her and Luna’s actions as due diligence.
I look forward to Moreno’s take on the policy.
