This “crisis” over whether the Studers made one or two pledges for $2-million plus surfaced because the CMPA staff misrepresented the park budget and suddenly had to tell the CMPA board and Mayor Hayward that it had a projected $4-million cost overrun.
The City needs to have an independent investigation of the expenditures at the park, especially the soft costs for the project. Contracts, change orders and all expenditures (pre- and post- Maritime Park Development Partners) need to be analyzed and a report issued to the public.
The public has the right to know who has made money off this project and who has authorized those payments….and more importantly what did the public get for those payments.
The CMPA can’t investigate itself. The Pensacola City Council has the power to investigate, but it is compromised because three of its members sit on the CMPA board and all of them sit on the CRA board.
It’s up to Mayor Hayward to call for it. Yes, it will cost money but an independent investigation is the only way we can find out what has happened to the millions spent on this project.