The News Journal published on Friday, May 23, that Escambia’s Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to vote on repealing the ordinance that established the Human Relations Commission at its next meeting on June 5.
- The article’s summary states: “The decision comes after a scathing report from the clerk of court saying the organization was not being run with ‘transparency’.”
Missing Internal Audit Report
Did the Clerk Pam Childers’ Office of Independent Internal Audit do an audit that it failed to post on its website?
No, the “report” is a letter, dated Feb. 5, to County Attorney Alison Rogers and Escambia Commission Chair Mike Kohler, requesting “further information from the County regarding use of these public dollars. Without more information, the Clerk’s office may be forced to cease funding as the public dollars expended may be contrary to ordinance or law.”
- She added, “At the very least, there will be an audit scheduled in the near future.”
- Read Feb Childers HRC.
Where is the OIIA audit report? Was it conducted or even scheduled? Nothing is posted on the website.
- The audit would have independently and factually supported Childers’ suppositions.
Questionable Timing
The PNJ article was posted the morning after the Pensacola City Council voted 6-1 to approve a land lease to allow Commissioner Lumon May’s Southern Youth Sports Association (SYSA) to build the $3-million Rafferty Center to expand its programming.
Escambia County has not posted its June 5 agenda on myescambia.com. It’s unusual for the once-daily newspaper to cover a commission agenda item two weeks before the actual meeting.
- Why do it the morning after a big victory for May, SYSA and the Black community?