The City of Pensacola has sent to the media its official responses to CFO Blaise Ingoglia’s allegations of wasteful spending. Please note the CFO has yet to send a final report on its findings. I covered the his misrepresentation about the Welcome Sign this morning.
Saenger Theater
While the City of Pensacola received no formal inquiries on the Saenger during the DOGE audit in August or follow-ups in September, we are pleased to share its financial partnership with Legends Global, the company it has contracted to manage the Saenger Theatre for the past 21 years. Instead of a taxpayer cost, we are proud to say that taxpayers have seen the theatre turn an operational profit to our city, returning more than $1 million to the city in just the past three years alone.
- In FY 2022, the City of Pensacola profited $140,000
- In FY 2023, the City of Pensacola profited $205,000.
- In FY 2024, that amount was $418,000.
- And in FY 2025, $252,000 has been returned to the city in profits, with another $75,000 expected once the books close on the fiscal year.
This includes nearly $500,000 collected from a per-ticket fee during the same period that allocates specific funding to maintain the 100-year-old theatre for generations to come.
As has been the case for two decades, per our contract with Legends Global, the City of Pensacola’s budget advances the operator of the Saenger Theatre $150,000 to ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly until the profits from the events catch up and surpass that amount. Those are only to be used as operational dollars, and not, in any way, a subsidy to any of the many specific acts that perform throughout the year.
We are grateful that revenues to our taxpayers continue to surpass the $150,000 advance.
Legends Global and the Saenger Theatre attract national, regional, and local acts thanks to the tremendous support of the patrons and the City of Pensacola. Beyond the financial returns, discounted rental rates are available to non-profits, which helps bring the local symphony, ballet, opera, and other local arts performances to the public at affordable prices. These discounts are made possible from a portion of the ticket sales from Broadway shows, comedy acts, touring bands, and other productions that come through our city.
Equitable Development Values Survey/Strategic Plan
The “Equitable Development Values Survey” was developed as one small part of vast, public outreach efforts that occurred over six months for the development of the Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park. The outreach efforts conducted by a third-party consultant included several surveys, public engagement events, and workshops in which the consultant engaged with the community to identify priorities that led to the development of the survey questions. As was shared with the DOGE team, no city policies have been adopted from the existence of one single tool over a six-month project. This was a $161,110 contract.
The “Strive to Thrive: Pensacola 2035” strategic plan was developed over a 12-month period by a consultant. The process involved a series of public engagement events, stakeholder meetings, and workshops through which the consultant collaborated with various community members to identify key goals and focus areas that created the final plan. This was a $132,000 project that is helping us shape what the city does, based on the feedback from city taxpayers.
City of Pensacola Welcome Sign
Funding for the new “Pensacola Welcome Sign” came largely from the Florida Department of Transportation, as part of that agency’s agreement with the City of Pensacola before the construction of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. This was needed because a prior “city entrance” feature had to be removed during construction.
In total, FDOT contributed $470,000 for the new welcome feature, money that was earmarked to be used only on the replacement of the previous structure. It could not be spent on any other project. The remaining $185,000 came from federal funds allocated to the city from the American Rescue Plan Act. No local property taxes or any other city revenue streams were used in this project.
