Since the mayor has refused our interview requests, we sent his Public Information Officer Vernon Stewart our questions and requested written responses.
Last year, the Pensacola News Journal had to do the same thing during the August 2015 shake-up of his office. They ran his replies on the opinion page: Editorial: Mayor Hayward responds.
Here are the questions we submitted:
Why did Mayor Hayward not bring the settlement agreement with William Reynolds (attached) to the Pensacola City Council for approval?
To what accounts did the finance department charge the expenditures to Reynolds and his attorneys?
Why didn’t Mr. Barker or Mr. Olson inform the city council of settlement during their monthly reports?
According to the city charter, City Attorney Lysia Bowling handles all legal matters regarding the city. Why did she not inform the City Council of the settlement?
Without council approval, what keeps the mayor from settling any lawsuit for whatever amount he wishes? What kept the mayor from giving Reynolds $800,000 instead of $81,113?
When did Mayor Hayward learn that City Administrator Reynolds gave the employee’s complaint against his former chief of staff to Maren Deweese?
We will post the mayor’s answers when they are received.