Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers says she feels like City Administrator Eric Olson and CFO Dick Barker stabbed her in the back when the city appealed the Local Option Gas Tax issue to the Florida Cabinet on Wednesday afternoon.
“They agreed that I should meet with Commissioner Lumon May and try to work out a paving plan that could be agreeable to both the city and county,” Myers told Inweekly, “We met at the Sacred Heart cafeteria and work out something he could take to his commissioners and I could present to the city.”
Myers was also stunned to learn that Mayor Ashton Hayward had already borrowed $15 million without having an inter-local agreement in place.
“He’s put the taxpayers in a horrible position,” she said, adding that the council had approved the loan in July with the understanding that an inter-local agreement would be approved by the council before the money was borrowed. “It’s malfeasance to borrow $15 million without a funding source.”
Councilwoman Myers said she has asked Council Executive Don Kraher to draft a resolution of “no confidence” in Hayward, Olson and Barker for their actions.
Meanwhile, Council President Charles Bare has notified the state that Hayward’s appeal was done without the knowledge or approval of the Pensacola City Council.
“The governing body was never presented with or asked to weigh in on this decision,” wrote Bare. “The Pensacola City Council has not taken any action in regards to this appeal.”
Read Bare letter.