Before the Pensacola City Council voted yesterday on its new president and vice-president, Councilwoman Sherri Myers handed out a memo entitled “Time for a Fresh Start.”
In the memo, she described the council president – who was Maren Deweese in 2011 and Sam Hall in 2012 – as the “face of the city council.” She wrote that the president must be perceived as a “person of integrity, one who is forthright, honest and transparent.”
She praised council newcomer and first-time elected official Charles Bare for his detailed resume on his nomination form and disparaged Jewel Cannada-Wynn for only listing as a qualification that she was a former council member and Brian Spencer for not providing “empirical evidence” of his community support. Myers didn’t mention that she contributed to Bare’s political campaign.
The councilwoman dismissed P.C. Wu and Spencer as viable contenders for the council presidency because they appeared at a press conference in support of Mayor’s veto of a council budget amendment. She believed that the council members violated the Sunshine Law and cast a “shadow of doubt” on the city council by appearing with the mayor.
Myers went on to ask that the selection of council president be removed from politics and pledged to reform the President selection process and protect it from self-serving political interest. She urged the council to support Bare because of his demonstration of good judgment, character above reproach and organizational skills.
And while she had problems with Cannada-Wynn and Spencer not listing in detail their qualifications to lead the council, she had no problem with Megan Pratt not doing so and supported Pratt for vice president.
In the end, the council elected P.C. Wu council president –with only Myers and Bare voting for Bare. Cannada-Wynn was elected vice president.
Here is the memo: Myers’ Fresh Start