April 7 Committee of the Whole meeting notes: In talks about the Penny for Progress capital projects list, and the creation and possible closure of community centers in particular, Deputy Mayor John…
Category: News
Florida Senate to raise property taxes
The Florida Senate wants to raise the millage rate for the Northwest Florida Water Management District to come in line with the rest of the state from 0.05 to 1.0 mill. On…
Miller skips two votes
Congressman Jeff Miller (R-Chumuckla) did not vote on two bills recently. H.R. 5501, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis,…
City spends $12 mil on pensions
According to its latest audit, the City of Pensacola pensions cost the taxpayers $12,081,768 in 2007. General Pension Plan: $5,962,692 – June 2007 closed plan moved to Florida Retirement System Retirees &…
More Pensacola Exodus
Since I wrote the Outtakes on Pensacola Exodus, I’ve received a steady stream of emails on young people that have become discouraged about their futures in Pensacola. Here is the latest. I’ve…
Port costs Pensacola $1.45 mil
According to the 2007 audit, The Port of Pensacola revenue was down 41 percent last year. The operation lost $1.45 million. The staff is projecting fiscal year 2008 estimated revenues of $2.6…
Area blanked out Dem delegate slate
The Florida Democratic Party State Executive Committee elected Saturday a slate of 27 party leaders and elected officials for the Democratic National Convention. NONE ARE FROM NORTHWEST FLORIDA….just proves my recent Outtakes….
Code Head Walker out
Code Enforcement Division manager Charlie Walker is taking early retirement – as we first reported. Walker has cost the county two lawsuits (Bubbas on Patrol), possibly more. WEAR TV 3 – Asked…
Petition to Crist for Markes
Dianna Fitzgerald and the Lissencephaly Network have an online petition asking Gov. Crist to help Erin Markes: Dear Governor Charlie Crist: Erin’s son was dealt one of the cruelest hands in life….
Wall Street Journal tackles hospitals
WSJ focused on the huge profits reported by non-profit healthcare systems – Nonprofit Hospitals, Once For the Poor, Strike It Rich. Riding gains from investment portfolios and enjoying the pricing power that…
Baptist merger costs county $1.07 million
If Baptist mergers/buys West Florida Hospital and the Davis Highway complex becomes a non-profit entity, Escambia County will lose $1,070,436 in property taxes annually. Not saying the merger/purchase is a bad thing,…
Escambia – Murder Capitol of NWFL
The Uniform Crime Reports Program of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has released the 2007 Annual Statewide Crime Report. Once again, Escambia County is the Murder Capitol of Northwest Florida (20…
County ombudsman to be created
The PNJ story on county reorganization missed a key point. The restructuring creates an “Ombudsman” position. The Ombudsman will hear taxpayers’ complaints or suggestions about county service and be tasked with helping…
Notes: BCC regular meeting 4.03.08
Rawson’s Providence Manor final plat passed unanimously. His Roads, Inc was given two more road contracts – Blue Pit Drainage Improvements for $126,126; Ziglar Road Improvements for $136,126.90. This was very good…
Ford suggest deep cuts to commission salaries
According to WEAR’s Dan Thomas, Clay Ford has suggested to putting county commissioner pay on equal footing with state legislators. In Escambia County that would mean a pay cut of about 44…
Review of BCC add-ons
We’ve gone back a year and reviewed the minutes of every Escambia County Commission regular meeting. We can’t find another time that a commissioner has added a final plat to the agenda…
Notes: BCC agenda meeting 4.03.08
All County Commissioners present except Commissioner Grover Robinson, District 4. Call to order at 9:05 a.m. Items to be added to the agenda: Commissioner Kevin White added the “property exchange” issue to…
Please be consistent, Mark
In his column today, Mark O’Brien praises the relocation of the Main Street Sewage Treatment plant. Call me crazy, but I feel optimistic about Greater Pensacola’s economy. The official ground-breaking takes place…
Bay Co. cuts impact fees
In an attempt to stimulate a lethargic economy, the Bay County Commission, in a split vote, approved a steep reduction in impact fees for 18 months. Fees for fire protection, parks and…
Springdale set to open baseball park
The Springdale, Ark. held a referendum for a 1-cent sales tax to pay for a minor league baseball park in July 2006 – about six weeks before Pensacola approved the Community Maritime…