Members of the Pensacola police union think Ashton Hayward will announce next month that he will seek a third term. His excuses will be that citizens have begged him to stay on and he doesn’t want the city to lose its momentum.
There are signs Hayward is leading up to a big announcement:
1. The groundbreaking for the Bayview Community Center was held yesterday before the final budget was approved and the contract awarded. Such ceremonies are normally handled after the construction contract has been signed and right before the site work commences. Why the rush?
2. A ribbon-cutting for the VTMAE facility is on the horizon. This week the council will vote on a resolution honoring Mayor Hayward for “his vision, foresight and efforts in bringing the VT MAE project to fruition.” Read RESOLUTION.
3. Hayward devotees have hinted that he has another announcement for the airport that the mayor will be making in June. Triumph Gulf Coast is considering a proposal for more maintenance and repair hangars at the airport, and that announcement could be made in early June.
4. The Police union negotiations have stalled. Members believe the mayor wants to hold any announcement until June.
5. There is zero information about what will be Hayward’s next job. Rumors about working for the Andrews Institute have died down. Some believe a job with a lobbying firm is still a possibility.
Of course, the problem will be whether Olson can keep city operations out of the news for the next month and half. The recent revelations regarding recycling weren’t helpful to mayor’s possible re-election bid.
Hayward has until noon, Friday June 22 to file for the mayor’s race.