Escambia County Administrator Wes Moreno is asking the Board of County Commissioners to once again pass a policy the board passed in October 2011. The policy establishes in the county’s HR Policies and Procedures a recruitment blackout period that forbids a commissioner or his/her aide to have contact with Human Resources or the Selection Committee until a job offer is accepted. It also states job postings will include a statement that candidates cannot use a commissioner as a reference. Full Agenda.
The policy changes are nearly identical to what the BCC passed 15 years ago.
Moreno insisted the policy changes were never enacted. However, the statement regarding job applicants not using commissioners as a reference has been on job applications ever October 2011. Check out page 2 of Library Services Director Christal Bell-Rivera’s application that she completed in January: Application of Director.
Compare
Here are the Oct 20 2011 Agenda Add-on and the July 23, 2026 Changes: Section 13 and 14 – HR Policies and Procedures Edited 7.23.26
2011 No Commissioner Reference: The following statements to 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”;
2026 No Commissioner Reference: All job postings will include the following supplemental questions: (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”.
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2011 Recruitment Blackout Period: 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.”
2026 Recruitment Blackout Period: A recruitment blackout period will commence upon the posting of a job requisition and the duration 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.
- Note: There is no punishment for violating the blackout period.
Fact or Fiction
The complicating factor and the reason the BCC is going through with these games is that Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger’s former aide, Melanie Luna, and HR Director Nikki Powell appear to have violated the blackout period rule. According to her text messages, Luna and Powell discussed one applicant’s interview and spread rumors smearing the applicant that Commissioner Hofberger later repeated to Councilmember Jennifer Brahier.
- Moreno had to deny that the policy existed to protect Luna and Powell. However, we have produced an email from Oliver that proves the policy was enacted. The county administrator could have found it on the county’s server.
Two More “Luna” Policies
Aides Serving on Boards
In May, County Commissioner Mike Kohler questioned Luna serving as Hofberger’s aide and on the Contractor’s Board. County Attorney Allison Rogers had advised Hofberger that Luna needed to resign from the board, but Luna refused.
Hofberger defended Luna’s continued service, telling the board she had consulted with the county attorney and that no legal requirement existed to remove her. “I’ve had extensive conversations with Alison around this,” Hofberger said, “and there is no legal requirement for her to come off of that board.”
But when County Attorney Alison Rogers spoke for herself, her account differed in a telling way. Rogers confirmed there is no written rule requiring removal—the only stated requirement for committee service is Escambia County residency—but she added something Hofberger had not mentioned.
“It has certainly been my advice for many, many years that our employees should not be on our citizen committees for a number of reasons,” Rogers said. “It’s legally awkward at best.”
Kohler immediately pressed the issue: “Have you made that recommendation to the chair?”
Hofberger interrupted, not wanting Rogers to reply: “She did. I haven’t (removed Luna).”
Kohler said, “All right, so you just don’t care. That’s good to know.”
Hofberger replied: “No, it’s not that I don’t care. I took it into consideration, and there was no legal obligation for it. I did not appoint her. This board did not appoint her. We have not voted on anything from that board.”
- New Policy Before the BCC: Employees of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, including full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal, relief, and any other employment classification, are not eligible for appointment by the Board of County Commissioners to any board, commission, committee, council, authority, advisory body, or quasi-judicial body created by, under the jurisdiction of, or subject to the appointment authority of the Board of County Commissioners. An individual’s eligibility for appointment automatically terminates upon becoming an employee of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.
Lump Sum Payments
Commissioner Hofberger has been catching heat for paying Luna for 90-days after the aide resigned in late May.
New Policy changes it from 90 days to 30 days:
Employees will be eligible to receive a lump sum payment for accrued PTO and ELB as follows:
Resignation of Senior Executive Service (SES) employee in good standing-Upon the expiration of the thirty ninety (30) day notice period required under Section 8610 of the Escambia County Administrative Code, unless a waiver of all or part of the advance notification requirement has been recommended by the Human Resources Department and approved by the County Administrator.
Read Section 7 – HR Policies and Procedures Edited 7.23.26.
