From the Pensacola Police Department: Pensacola Police will be saturating areas within city limits at various times and days in the near future in an effort to address an increase in gun…
Tag: Ashton Hayward
Inaccurate City of Pensacola website hampers accountability
Mayor Ashton Hayward  has proclaimed often that  transparency, and accountability are cornerstones of his administration. Unfortunately, the reality doesn’t match the rhetoric. He declared in his first State of the City address that his…
Bubba Watson for Mayor garners national attention
The idea of Bubba Watson being Pensacola’s next mayor has caught national attention. Is it possible? Yes. The two-time Masters champion has two well-connected local business partners – Quint Studer and Sandy…
Buzz: Simmons headed to ECSO, Alexander fights to keep job
Escambia County Assistant County Administrator Chip Simmons will leaving the county to work for Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, according to sources close to both agencies. Simmons retired as Pensacola Police Chief…
What does the Pensacola Powder Keg look like?
Quint Studer believes that the westside of Pensacola is a powder keg. He wants to see economic development in that part of town. It’s why he tried to get Mayor Ashton Hayward…
Pensacola Police Chief says little can be done about rise in homicides
The City of Pensacola homicide rate is the highest since 2012. The Pensacola Police Chief and Mayor were much more proactive about combating the violent crimes and gun violence four years ago…
Mayor sells historic Pensacola street markers
Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward has put up for auction 30 historic street markers. They are to be sold “AS-IS†on the website GovDeals.com. Their condition is described as “20 in good condition…
Residents around Blount site know nothing of Hayward redevelopment plan
Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and his staff have been working for months on a plan for the redevelopment of the Blount Middle School site on the corner of C and Gregory streets…
Lobbyists earn nearly $30 million last quarter in Florida
The News Service of Florida reports lobbyists earned about $30 million during the year’s third quarter for their work in the Legislature, according to a preliminary estimate Tuesday. Lobbying firms were required…
Cities and counties debate how to handle pot dispensaries
The City of Miami Beach passed last Thursday a four-month ban on the opening of marijuana dispensaries. According to city officials, the moratorium gives the city time to create regulations for where…
Hammer: private dollars should pay for lobbyists, not public
In a viewpoint in the Tallahassee Democrat, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer said that she agrees with incoming Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran when it comes to using public dollars to lobby the…
Corcoran sets out new Florida House rules, will City of Pensacola follow his lead?
Yesterday, Speaker-designate of the Florida House Richard Corcoran released the 2016 – 2018 proposed House Rules. The new rules push for more transparency and place more restrictions on lobbyists. “It is time…
Hayward proposes 2017 Street Paving plan, $15-million loan for Pensacola Energy
On Nov. 17, the Pensacola City Council will consider the 2017 Street Paving Plan that Mayor Ashton Hayward has proposed. The 2017 plan covers approximately 618 blocks, primarily in downtown Pensacola and…
House Speaker could cut off Mayor Hayward’s lobbying efforts
House Speaker-designate Richard Corcoran last week told the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald that is was a “disgrace for cities and counties to hire lobbyists.†Corcoran told the media that he was considering…
Is panhandling the next big problem for downtown Pensacola?
In a letter sent last Friday, Downtown Improvement Board chair John Peacock has asked Mayor Ashton Hayward and the Pensacola City Council to address “a significant alarming rate of increase in the…
City set to borrow more money
At the Oct. 10 Agenda Review Conference, the head of Pensacola Energy told the Pensacola City Council that he will be bringing to the board a bond issue to fund the replacement…
Fact finding: VT MAE Briefing Book
Two weeks ago, Mayor Ashton Hayward provided the most detail explanation of the $46-million VT MAE MRO facility at the Pensacola International Airport. A briefing book was given to the Pensacola City…
Workforce housing town hall meeting, Oct. 27
Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announced two weeks ago that he would be presenting a workforce housing plan to Pensacola City Council in November. Other than a couple community meetings held three or…
Pensacola Mayor can moonlight, maybe
One section of the 2010 Pensacola City Charter that has made some reluctant to run for mayor is Article IV, Section 4.01(a)(14), which states the mayor is “to devote his or her…
City of Pensacola has $24 million in bank for VT MAE hangar
Last week, the Mayor Ashton Hayward’s staff gave the Pensacola City Council and Escambia Board of County Commissioners an accounting on the funds for VT MAE. The report has not been posted…
