Escambia County Commission chair Grover Robinson shared this email that he sent to Gulf Breeze City Manager Buz Eddy regarding the Pensacola Bay Bridge:
Dear Buz,
In all the conversations we have had on the bridge I am disappointed to see where we currently find ourselves. Your council is welcome to make whatever decisions they want to. However, your decisions have a serious impact to the region and I am shocked that your council members would disregard that impact.
Before you vote on anything, it is your obligation to inform your board what is at risk. I agree with your member who says they will have to build a bridge. However, that does not have to be a free bridge. It can be financed with a toll. It also means that DOT would take over full design with toll booths so that you have traffic backups on two sides of your community.
I have had this confirmed by people within the state three weeks ago and just this afternoon received a call from a former local road contractor pursuant to the PNJ article that confirms the same. I realize your community has not been supportive of this bridge ever and the status quo seems to be a good defensible position. You are underestimating the adverse options that are available to FDOT.
Do not make a Brexit vote that you will regret within 24 hours of making it. Your board needs to consider every adverse possible option that is far worse than the status quo before making your decision. If nothing else, you can not claim ignorance. You are gambling with the region’s future and you at least owe the rest of us to make a rational decision as opposed to an emotional one.
Look at July, 1914 Europe, all of those people made decisions solely from their perspective never believing the other side would do what they did. While I do not consider this to be in any way as grave as that, I do believe there are parallels in how people felt going in and what happens coming out.
Again, I ask you to consider all outcomes before making any decision.
Grover