The interlocal agreement that Councilwoman Megan Pratt and her attorney Doug Sale have created for the City of Pensacola’s CRA and the City of Pensacola would have elevated Becky Bray to CRA Executive Director. Bray would report directly to the CRA chair (Pratt) and not the mayor. The CRA board would have the power to fire her and must approve whomever the Mayor puts in the position to replace Bray.
Anyone looking for a definition of “power grab” needs only to read the Pratt proposal. It’s important to understand the CRA board never voted that this clause be drafted. The agreement was never “workshopped” and Pratt is the only CRA board member who has had input with Sale on the draft.
The normal course of action-one that would have been transparent to the citizens and allowed for public input-would have been for the CRA chair to ask from motions from her fellow board members for amendments to the interlocal agreement. Discussion could have taken place. The public could have commented. The CRA board could have voted on the amendments and then the staff and the chair could be directed to draft the appropriate legal language for the final hearing and vote.
Instead, the CRA board must vote on the agreement that was prepared outside of the Sunshine two days before the current one expires.