From Jack Moran, Century: To the Pensacola City Council, This move (to give ECAT to Pensacola) by the county would be the kiss of death for the ECAT bus route (once a…
Category: News
How to fund ECAT
Escambia County could easily cover ECAT’s budget shortfall if it would cut the number of secretaries, administrative assistants and aides in county government. Currently they are 337 such positions, costing us $10,412,035.82…
State vs. County on cuts
It’s interesting to see how the state of Florida handles its budget cuts. Lawmakers are looking at cuts in the state’s airplanes ($1.5 million) and letting non-sex offenders out of prison three…
Get real, EC
The daily newspaper reports that Escambia County plans to trade Pensacola the Escambia County Area Transit system for the West Florida Public Library System. Get real! Let’s quit playing games, Escambia County,…
PNJ calls for Touart retirement
The daily newspaper has finally spoken on the Touart/Bauer land deal. Their position is that County Administrator George Touart should retire. The hard truth is that the adage “innocent until proven guilty”…
Thank Buck for US 98
When Escambia County commissioners and the Pensacola city councilmen voted to take $65 million in state and federal funds that had has long been intended to six-lane U.S. 98 near Gulf Breeze…
Highly political week ends
Here is the scorecard: City of Pensacola: No strong mayor, but will review charter. No to another industrial tenant to the Port of Pensacola – Rinker withdraws lease offer. Escambia County: Daily…
Touart survives
The Bauer Road deal got canceled. Touart may have his contract modified so that three votes on the BOCC can remove him from office. The commissioners may even suspend him in September…
PNJ offers no opinion of Touart/Land deal
The daily newspaper has devoted two days to the George Touart/Bauer Road land deal. Yet their editorial board has written no opinions on the issue. Mark O’Brien has also avoided the issue….
Not first time for ethics policy
In January 2004, then-County Commissioner Janice Gilley brought up the idea of instituting such a code of ethics for county employees and an annual performance review of Touart and County Attorney Janet…
Musings on Touart/Land deal
First, I believe that the Bauer Road land deal is fair and fulfills a public recreation need. [In the interest of full disclosure, Neal Nash at one-time was an investor in this…
Touart updates
The INDaily has been following up on the Touart/Bauer Road land deal. We have the statement that the County Administrator plans to read tomorrow before Board of County Commissioners; the statement of…
Firefighter letter to BOCC
From the Firefighters Union: August 22, 2007 Dear Commissioner, Since March ‘07, the Escambia County Professional Firefighters Union has presented the County with numerous unsafe situations for the career personnel, the citizens…
Touart must come clean
Tomorrow morning the Escambia County Commission will hold a special meeting on the Bauer Road land deal and I assume on the employment of County Administrator George Touart. You bet Touart and…
Internet rules on news today
Today reporting on the Internet was fast and furious. PNJ.com came to battle with articles on Touart’s land dealings – posting a full article for the first time before it appeared in…
Touart should have disclosed relationship
After reviewing the documents, the County purchase of land from Christine Marks and Martine’s Corp. appears to be a solid business deal. The land was appraised fairly. It meets a public need….
PNJ nails Touart
The Pensacola News Journal has posted an article by Michael Stewart detailing a business relationship between County Administrator George Touart, developer Neal Nash (whose mother-in-law owned the Bauer Road property) and Ron…
Latest on County/Touart land issue
The INDaily has posted the appraisals and the payment request on the $1.41 million purchase of land on Bauer Road by Escambia County. Appraisals: Appraisals for Bauer Road Land Payment Request: Payment…
Downtown buzz
Heard on the street: Margaritas Downtown is closing. The buzz is that a gourmet pizza eatery with over 300 beers on tap and live music will replace it. Projected to open sometime…
Could Rinker/Cemex still pass
If Jack Nobles, Marty Donovan or any councilman is able to bring the Rinker/Cemex lease back up for a vote, there is a chance it could pass. Right now – Nobles, Donovan…