Yesterday’s county budget workshop brought to light the financial challenges for Escambia County in the aftermath of the April flooding and the jail explosion. County staff and a couple of the county commissioners always like to point to sheriff’s budget and try to pick it apart, but that is only misdirection to keep the public from seeing how the county handles its share of the general fund and the local option sales tax.
You could see department heads bristle when questioned by Commissioners Steven Barry, Grover Robinson and Lumon May. Tough decisions are ahead and cuts will have to be made in accordance with the priorities set by the BCC. Staff can expect more pushback from May and Barry, who are now in their second budget cycle and understand the process better.
Meanwhile, the city has yet to hold a workshop on its budget. In his first two years in office, Mayor Ashton Hayward delivered his budget and gave a “State of the City” address explaining it. Last year, Hayward just plopped the budget binders in their chairs, took a vacation and waited to give a speech until late October.
This year?
The Pensacola City Council doesn’t appear that interested in budget. It doesn’t like to meet in the summer, holding only one regular meeting per month in June and July.
Wouldn’t it be great if the Pensacola City Council held workshops like the Escambia County Commission and the mayor attended to answer questions and explain his budget? The citizens of Pensacola deserve that and to also have an opportunity to weigh in on the budget.
Stormwater is on the mind of the Pensacola voters, but will Hayward’s 2015 budget deal with the issue? He put nothing for stormwater projects in his L.O.S.T. wish list.
The only council member wanting to hold forums on the tax and the stormwater problems is Sherri Myers—and the mayor’s supporters are doing their best to get her defeated in the November elections.