A series of emails given to Inweekly show that when Mayor’s leadership team met with county staff to resolve the issue over the distribution of the local option gas tax the council executive was excluded from the meeting, even though any inter-local agreement has to be approved by the Pensacola City Council.
The email trail also shows that the city had first attempted to meet with the county last Friday, but were evacuated from the building because of the shooting. Inweekly staff did see City Administrator Eric Olson, CFO Dick Barker, City Attorney Lysia Bowling, and Asst. City Administrator among the crowd of people leaving the Escambia County Administrative Complex as the Pensacola Police blocked off South Palafox Street on Friday afternoon.
Here are the emails:
On Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., we posted our interview with Commissioner Grover Robinson about the city and county reopening negotiations on the local gas tax. Council Executive Don Kraher sent this email to City Attorney Lysia Bowling and City Administrator Eric Olson:
From: Don Kraher
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2016 9:20 AM
To: Lysia Bowling ; Eric Olson
Subject: Verifying Information
Lysia
I am trying to verify information just learned…is City Staff meeting with County Staff in reference to the LOGT?
Please verify.
Thank you in advance,
Don
Don Kraher
Council Executive
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City Attorney Bowling replied three hours later:
From: Lysia Bowling
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2016 12:28 PM
To: Don Kraher
Subject: RE: Verifying Information
Good Morning Don:
Yes, the meeting from Friday was rescheduled for today.
Thank you,
Lysia
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Replying within 10 minutes, Kraher asks to sit in on the meeting:
From: Don Kraher
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2016 12:36 PM
To: Lysia Bowling
Cc: Charles Bare
Subject: RE: Verifying Information
Thank you.
Would I be allowed to sit in on the meeting as a representative from the City Council? I would have no input, obviously, but would at least have a seat at the table, since the matter will have to come before the City Council.
I will await your response.
Respectfully,
Don Kraher
Council Executive
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Kraher waited two hours for Bowling to answer his question:
From: Lysia Bowling
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2016 2:46 PM
To: Don Kraher
Subject: RE: Verifying Information
Thank you, Don.
I will confer with you after the meeting.
Thank you,
Lysia