When the mayor’s administration wanted to get an outside legal opinion on whether the city council could extend Varona’s food concession lease at the airport while the city goes through another RFP process, the city didn’t get a business contract expert.
Instead, the city asked its labor relations attorney Rob Larkin of Allen Norton & Blue to render an opinion.
Through a public record request, the Independent News found out that the city has paid Larkin’s firm $376,620 over the past two fiscal years.
Per the City Finance Department, the amounts paid to the law firm of Allen Norton & Blue were as follows:
FY 2012: $198,593.82
FY 2013: $178,026.40
I’ve asked a business attorney to review Larkin’s opinion and the ordinance that he cited. He pointed out that the labor attorney completely ignored the first sentence of the ordinance:
“Special services may be rendered or special facilities may be provided on such terms as the council may prescribe from time to time.”
In his opinion, the Pensacola City Council can extend the contract. The mayor can choose not to sign the contract and veto the extension. The council could override the veto and the mayor would be required to give written authorization.