Good News

This is a huge step in the right direction. Escambia County Commission reduces the county’s 2007-08 property tax millage rate from 8.017 mils to 6.9755…

Continue Reading

Panel needs to study ECSO budget

Okay, it’s time we quit ignoring the pink elephant in the room. The biggest sinkhole in the Escambia County budget is the Escambia County Sheriff’s…

Continue Reading

Notes: BCC agenda review 5.15

Board of County Commissioners Agenda Review May 15, 2008 – 5:30 p.m. Call to Order at 9:04 a.m. All County Commissioners were present. Items to…

Continue Reading

Notes: Special meeting

SPECIAL MEETING BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS County Governmental Complex 221 Palafox Place May 15, 2008, 8:55 a.m. Call to Order at 9:03 a.m. All County…

Continue Reading

Notes: Commission Agenda meeting 5.08.08

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WORKSHOP BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Escambia County Government Complex 221 Palafox Place May 8, 2008, 9:00 a.m. Called to order at…

Continue Reading

BTW: Wells retired

Rusty Wells who is currently an assistant City Attorney and part-time attorney ($60K) for the Escambia County Sheriff’s office retired in August 2004 and is…

Continue Reading

Notes: BCC meeting 5.01.08

Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting – 1 May 2008 Governmental Complex – First Floor Call to order at 5:33 p.m. All Commissioners were present….

Continue Reading

City attorney candidate works for ECSO, too

Asst. City Attorney William “Rusty” Wells – and candidate to replace John Fleming as the City Attorney for Pensacola. Wells has a dual career. He…

Continue Reading

Is Alan Scott dropping out?

The buzz tonight is that Alan Scott has dropped out of the Escambia County School Superintendent race. If so, then Malcolm Thomas would be the…

Continue Reading

Notes: BCC agenda meeting 4.17.08

Board of County Commissioners Special Meeting – April, 17, 2008 – 8:55 a.m. Called to Order at 8:56 a.m. A recommendation was made to ratify…

Continue Reading

Code Head Walker out

Code Enforcement Division manager Charlie Walker is taking early retirement – as we first reported. Walker has cost the county two lawsuits (Bubbas on Patrol),…

Continue Reading

County ombudsman to be created

The PNJ story on county reorganization missed a key point. The restructuring creates an “Ombudsman” position. The Ombudsman will hear taxpayers’ complaints or suggestions about…

Continue Reading

Board closes 7 schools

Not here. The Volusia County School Board will close seven schools in three years. The five board members overwhelmingly voted to close the schools, saying…

Continue Reading

What’s wrong with Escambia County

Last night’s county commission meeting is the perfect example. A contractor – who has made hundreds of thousands from the county in the Hurricane Ivan…

Continue Reading

County code enforcement

The 2007-08 budget for code enforcement is $2,454,000. It’s funded by fines and fees ($1,654,000), General Fund ($300,000) and Solid Waste ($500,000). Two years ago…

Continue Reading

Code enforcement has problems

This week Sheriff Ron McNesby took away the badges and arrest powers of the Code Enforcement officers. Why? Because of the liability. The Bubbas have…

Continue Reading

Unified Fire Service delayed two more years

The delays and stall tactics continue. This time its at the county level with fire protection. Last June, a citizen task force advised the county…

Continue Reading

McNesby budget under public scrutiny

Over and over again, I hear discontent in the community with the Escambia County Sheriff’s budget – that has increased over 30 percent since Ron…

Continue Reading

Why so few County Administrator candidates?

Let’s face the Escambia County Administrator job is no plum job for anyone, especially if you have no roots in the area. Just this decade…

Continue Reading

PNJ reports Touart wants better pension

Three days have you read it here on the blog, Pensacola News Journal reports Touart fighting for his pension. The county commissioners didn’t take the…

Continue Reading