Last night, the Escambia County Commission held an hour-long discussion about the Escambia Children’s Trust waiver request that highlighted fundamental questions about how we best serve our community’s children. The debate centered on whether to grant a tax waiver to the Children’s Trust and how to allocate approximately $495,000 in funds – should it go toward youth programs or community infrastructure improvements?
Programs vs. Safety Infrastructure
Commission Chair Mike Kohler made his position clear: “No one’s against student programs here. We’re a hundred percent in support.” Yet he passionately advocated for using funds to improve infrastructure in underserved communities, arguing that basic safety needs must be met before programs can succeed.
“Safety is the second ring in a person’s life before they can get even to self-actualization”
—Kohler explained, sharing his concerns about communities lacking lighted fields, basketball courts, and other safe spaces for children.
Commissioner Lumon May, who serves on the Children’s Trust board, brought another perspective: “If I ever err, I’ll err on the side of helping children.” May advocated strongly for using funds to expand the county’s Summer Youth Employment Program, noting that 1,300 young people had applied for jobs, but funding only existed for 175 positions.
- “We had over 1,300 kids to apply for a summer job,” May emphasized, “When they still don’t have money to buy their school clothes, when they still don’t have money to eat… and the only people that get paid are the people that’s staffing it and the poor children that you think that you’re feeding them a cheeseburger and a hot dog go back home hungry and can’t buy underwear, then it doesn’t help.”
The Search for Middle Ground
The commission explored several potential compromises:
- Using back payments from previous years (approximately $700,000) for the youth employment program while using current year funds for infrastructure
- Expanding the employment program to serve more of the 1,300 applicants
- Creating a multi-year commitment to youth employment funding
Children’s Trust Director Lindsey Cannon expressed openness to collaboration: “I would say that decision would be from our board. I couldn’t speak to that, but I think anything is possible if you are willing to work collaboratively, which is what we’ve been asking from the beginning.”
Safety First
Both sides acknowledged the critical importance of basic safety. Commissioners shared powerful stories of children affected by violence and unsafe conditions.
Commissioner May described the reality: “I don’t care what program you have, if children are not safe walking out of their house, then they’re not going to go to any program. It can be the best program in the world.”
Chair Kohler shared how safety cameras transformed an Easter event at Lexington Terrace: “We had the sheriff put up a camera, we had to change the whole thing, and we had kids out there doing Easter eggs. It was a beautiful thing. We had hundreds of people out there.”
The Path Forward
After thorough discussion, the commission voted 4-1 to schedule a second public hearing for May 15, allowing time for the Children’s Trust board to consider a potential compromise that might address both infrastructure needs and youth employment funding.
This debate highlights the complex challenges our community faces in supporting its youth – balancing immediate needs like jobs and income with infrastructure investments that create safer neighborhoods where children can thrive.