City pensions soar 417 percent

That isn’t a typo. City pensions and retirements have jumped from $2.479 million in 2001 to $12.814 million in 2007!!!!! Read Feed The Beast And…

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Note: City Committees 4.21.08

April 21 Committee of the Whole meeting notes: Divisions over east versus west side Pensacola projects surfaced again Monday during a discussion about Penny for…

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Notes: Pensacola City Council 4.10.08

April 10 City Council meeting notes: Thursday night’s City Council meeting didn’t last 20 minutes, partly because four committees, such as Neighborhood Services and Enterprise…

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Notes: Council Committee meetings 4.07

April 7 Committee of the Whole meeting notes: In talks about the Penny for Progress capital projects list, and the creation and possible closure of…

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City spends $12 mil on pensions

According to its latest audit, the City of Pensacola pensions cost the taxpayers $12,081,768 in 2007. General Pension Plan: $5,962,692 – June 2007 closed plan…

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More Pensacola Exodus

Since I wrote the Outtakes on Pensacola Exodus, I’ve received a steady stream of emails on young people that have become discouraged about their futures…

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Real issues vs. false ones

The concern of Councilman Marty Donovan over city hall security is another distraction from real issues. It also proves my theory that government always finds…

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Notes: Council Committee of the Whole

March 24 Pensacola City Council Committee of the Whole notes: In the end, the Committee of the Whole approved the budget for the Charter Review…

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Notes: Joint City-County meeting 3.18

Joint Meeting of the Escambia County Board of Commissioners and the Pensacola City Council 18 March 2008 Hagler Mason Conference Room, City Hall Note: This…

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More on Charter Review

We also received this email report on the meeting: “Sharon Barnett from the League of Women Voters made a very good point that I think…

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Notes: Charter Review Mar. 17

Much of Monday night’s Charter Review Commission meeting centered around questioning City Manager Tom Bonfield on his duties, ethics, his relationship with the council, and…

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Recycling hot

Expect recycling to heat up in the Pensacola area. Our cover story (Trash Talk) frames the issue and the players. The Pensacola City Council and…

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Fleming to retire

Pensacola City Attorney John Fleming is retiring effective July 18 after working for the city 28 years. The City Council is considering candidates by either…

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Charter Commission notes

From last night’s City charter review commission meeting: Charter Review Commission notes: The scheduled two-hour-long Pensacola Charter Review Commission public hearing Wednesday night lasted for…

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Legislative delegation provides cosmetic leadership

In the Sunday edition of the News Journal, an article on our local state legislative delegation listed their proposed bills for the 2008 session. Sen….

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City held hostage 545 days

545 days since the CMP referendum was passed. 545 days without 1500 construction jobs and their $1 million dollar payroll circulating through the city. 1…

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Should City opt out of pensions and retirement

The total budget for pensions and retirement contributions for Pensacola city employees is $12,810,80. This costs every man, women and child living inside the city…

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More from Feb. 28 council meeting

From the council’s follow-up paperwork: Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a ten-year lease with Robert A. Cole d/b/a Bob Cole Imports for…

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City insisted Fire Captains get 10 percent

At meeting today with Fire union members, we were told that the union sought an 8 percent across-the-board raise for all ranks during the negotiations…

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Council passes fire agreement, 9-0

Everybody approved it. Mike Wiggins was absent. So much for cutting the city budget.

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