As Escambia County Commissioners prepare for their May 15 meeting, three major issues await resolution, with one notable absence from the agenda. Like the historic Roman date that marked a turning point, this session could reshape county priorities and services for years to come.
Youth vs. Infrastructure: The ECT-CRA Compromise
The Escambia Children’s Trust has proposed an interlocal agreement to resolve the debate over tax increment dollars from Community Redevelopment Agency districts. Executive Director Lindsey Cannon has chosen collaboration over court battles.
The proposal would redirect nearly $500,000 to the Summer Youth Employment Program, which currently turns away over 1,100 motivated youth. Commissioner Lumon May has strongly advocated for this expansion, noting that 1,300 young people applied for jobs, but funding only existed for 175 positions.
“When they still don’t have money to buy their school clothes, when they still don’t have money to eat… and the poor children go back home hungry and can’t buy underwear, then it doesn’t help,” May emphasized.
See my podcast interview with Lindsey Cannon – here.
Fire Safety Renaissance: New Stations Across the County
Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger’s $34 million proposal to build five fire stations will be a key topic. Working with Fire Chief Adam Harrison, Hofberger identified these priority locations:
- Replacement of the Lillian Highway station
- New station at Highway 97 and Kingsfield Road
- Paradise Beach, where a closed station has led to higher insurance rates
- Gulf Beach Highway’s outdated station
- White Ash Road, currently staffed by volunteers
Commission Chairman Mike Kohler supports the proposal, noting, “Public safety is probably our premier job, our first priority.”
Commissioner Steve Stroberger has advocated for the Paradise Beach station, highlighting how its absence affects approximately 3,000 homes. He noted, “A friend of mine talked about his insurance rates going up from roughly $2,055 to $6,000 a year.”
To learn more, read County Commissioners support Hofberger’s fire safety plan.
The Fire Funding Dilemma: MSBU Rate Increases
The commission will debate significant increases to Municipal Service Benefit Unit (MSBU) fees for fire protection. Options include:
For Pensacola Beach:
- Residential fees increasing from $201.38 to $454.95
- Commercial rates rising from $0.0726 to $0.8372 per square foot
For the Mainland:
- Residential fees increasing from $125.33 to $226.78
- Commercial rates rising from $0.0526 to $0.0985
A third option would establish uniform rates across all areas.
Chair Kohler emphasized, “We cannot continue to run millions of dollars deficit in the fire assessment across Escambia County.”
Commissioner Hofberger questioned whether beach residents receive superior services justifying higher fees, while Commissioner Stroberger proposed taxing beach hotels as an alternative funding source. However, the Santa Rosa Island Authority doesn’t have the MSBU or a “hotel tax” on its agenda this week.
To learn more, read County debates how to equitably fund fire protection
Notable Absence: Baptist Hospital Demolition Contract
The Baptist Hospital demolition project is conspicuously absent from the agenda. The city’s decision to award the contract to North Star at $13,498,800 rather than Independence Excavating’s lowest bid of $10,665,500 prompted Commissioner Kohler to voice concerns about the city’s use of $2 million in county funds.
Kohler criticized the process: “If you want to take other people’s money, you should at least have them in the room in the bid process.” Despite this, he emphasized the county remains willing to help, though perhaps not at the full amount originally discussed.
A Defining Moment
As May 15 approaches, Escambia County stands at a crossroads. The decisions made will shape the county’s priorities, define its commitment to both youth and public safety, and potentially reset intergovernmental relationships. Unlike Caesar, who was warned to “beware the Ides of March,” county leaders have received ample warning about the challenges they face.
I appreciate the county taking up the issues. But to go up on the MSBU for fire when the people on the west side do not have adequate protection and this has been going on 7 years. It doesn’t look as if the patrons will get relief for at least 2 or 3 more years.
Youth vs. Infrastructure: The ECT-CRA Compromise: May the BCC acting in its separate legal role as the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board spend Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Revenues outside the boundaries of the boundaries of each Community Redevelopment Area (CRA – “A” = Area)? The operations of a CRA (“A” = Agency) is governed by a specific part of state law. If the CRA (“A” = Agency) has no legal authority to spend TIF District revenues outside of the limited boundaries of a TIF District then it seems very unclear if the BCC – acting unilaterally or as the CRA board – can in the alternative agree to allow another element of local government, such as the Escambia Children’s Trust (ECT), to do the same. If a governmental act is unlawful, it is still unlawful even if done indirectly using the ECT as an agent. This seems a very obvious question for the BCC to direct the County Attorney ask to the Florida Attorney General. By the way, is the county’s Summer Youth Program open to “all” county youth or only those in the “county” CRA? (None of the city (or Century) is “in” any part of a county TIF district.)