From John Peacock:
DESPARATELY WANTED/NEEDED – CHANGE!!!
Over the past few weeks there has been much discussion within our community about our system(s) of government, consolidation of services, and the overall leadership abilities or capabilities of our elected officials. This is a great thing for the Pensacola area!! It is increasingly apparent to the public that our current form(s) of government have significant limitations. The recent joint meeting between the City Council and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) did nothing more than illustrate the need for significant change in the way we operate.
We cannot continue to complain about taxes, the slow pace of waterfront development, talent retention, environmental issues, education, affordable housing, poverty, economic development, etc., while continuing with the exact same forms of government that have allowed theses problems to fester. The Pensacola area continues to be the “hole in the center of the doughnut†in terms of regional economic development and growth. We have resigned ourselves to the fact that we raise and educate our children here and then they have to move away to find adequate employment.
This doesn’t have to be the case. Our system(s) of government must change if we are to improve and progress! On several occasions, I have heard City Council members AND members of the BOCC say something to the effect of “we have no idea what is going to happen in Januaryâ€, referring to the upcoming referendum on property taxes. My question is why wait. It is hard to argue against the need for more efficient government and the need to consolidate services if not government.
Why aren’t our elected leaders proactively moving in that direction now? Why wait until it is forced upon us? Why do we need an independent organization such as Tax Watch, which is funded by private citizens, to tell our government how to efficiently and effectively operate? The current system(s) of government provide little if any incentive for our elected leaders to get out in front of the issues and proactively seek solutions.
On August 20, a group of over 25 business and community leaders made a presentation at Pensacola City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting regarding a need for change. The group made the argument that it was not the individuals involved in government but the SYSTEM of government that was preventing progress. The current system does not reward or encourage leadership nor does it punish for the lack of it.
Our area is in desperate need of a single elected leader that can formulate the legislative and political agenda for the area, has the authority and capacity to act with the legislative branch to accomplish that agenda, and then be held accountable by the citizens for the success or failure of that agenda.  That elected official would be the “Go To†person responsible for directly addressing the major issues that we face as a community and on a positive note become the marketer-in-chief for positioning our community in the never ending and competitive battle for new jobs, for new investments and for a high quality of life as well as for talent that can choose to live anywhere.
This issue could have gone two ways. The first would have involved a citizen’s referendum.  This approach is very singular in purpose and takes place without much input from council. While that is not our preference, it is certainly remains an option.
The second option is that of a charter review commission. Since the Pensacola City Charter had not been reviewed in over 76 years, we recommended that an independent commission be formed in order to conduct a complete and comprehensive charter review.  Choosing the charter review route is a major undertaking and one of utmost importance.   There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
There are plenty of examples of the best ways to form and conduct a complete charter review. In situations such as ours where very passionate, sincere, and determined people are involved, this process would often include an independent body such as the Chief Judge of the District, Legislature, or even the Governors office to identify and appoint a charter review commission. The Charter Review Commission should be comprised of a diverse group of citizens from across the Pensacola area that will help shape the future of our fine city. This commission would typically get input from the Florida League of Cities, National Civic League, and even other city governments. After all, we’re looking for the brightest minds and best ideas to help us make sure that our government is prepared to and is best positioned for whatever changes and challenges lie ahead.
To their credit we found City Council receptive to the second option. They unanimously agreed to move ahead with charter review. Each member of council indicated that they felt that some level of change was necessary. I applaud City Council for recognizing this as an issue and the desire to move forward. There has been a lot of discussion of strong mayor versus no strong mayor. There are, however, many options along the continuum of forms of government between where we are now with the council-manager form and a pure strong mayor.
Somewhere along that continuum, which will identify specific powers for the mayor and for council as well as clearly state all the checks and balances, is where we need to be. Identifying the proper place along the continuum will ultimately be up to the citizens of Pensacola. Additionally, the charter review commission will also be able to research and update all aspects of our current form or system of government to move Pensacola forward! The charter review commission should produce a charter that the citizens can vote on to define how we are to be governed in the future.
This same level of discussions should occur in the county. The county is currently providing much of the area with urban services. It was not designed for that. Those tasks are typically associated with city government. Most individuals don’t want to be part of the city for the following reasons 1) they are getting city-type services without the city taxes and 2) there is no perceived benefit to be part of the city.
I submit that an elected leader, responsible to the voters for proper budget management, could identity enough cost savings by consolidating services to minimize if not eliminate the need for additional taxation. We should be proactively working on reshaping the Pensacola area and not waiting for Tallahassee or anyone else to do it for us. Change is inevitable. It can either happen in a random manner or we can control our own destiny. It is time to be businesslike about much of the public’s business.
There is no better time to determine how we are going to conduct business going forward and how we are going to make both the city and the county, the entire community known as Pensacola the best city in the State of Florida! Clearly, the status quo is not working! Again, I applaud the City Council and we look forward to working with them to make the charter review commission a success and implementing their recommendations for change NOW!