There is much discussion on whether his fellow commissioners would ever actually vote to remove Mike Whitehead as the chairman of the Escambia County Commission. There is some worry that this would be the first time that this has ever happened.
Well, it is not. Twelve years ago Whitehead successfully removed Johnny Reading as chairman of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.
Here are the circumstances:
In 1996, the commission meet twice on regular meeting days. In the morning meeting of May 29, 1996, Chairman Johnny Reading handed over the gavel to Comm. Tom Banjanin so that he could make a motion that the Board, by June 4, 1996, receive from County Administrator Barry Evans his resignation. Whitehead made a quick substitute motion to adjourn that passed 4-1 and the Board never discussed Reading’s motion.
That night, Whitehead made a motion that removed Reading as chair and appointed Tom Banjanin chairman and made Mike Bass the vice chair. It passed 3-2 – Banjanin actually vote no.
Whitehead said that he had given a lot of thought at the events that happened at the morning meeting and he was very concerned. He said he believed the attempt by the Chair to politicize the office of Administrator was unacceptable and totally inexcusable.
He said that he believed the attempt to gain County Administrator Evans’ resignation was poor judgment on the Chair’s part, and he did not understand the rationale behind it.
Reading defended his actions the had several reasons for asking for Evans’ resignation, but refused to elaborate.
Reading had to hand over the gavel permanently that evening. Banjanin finished the meeting as chairman.
Note: This past fall when Mike Whitehead was defending George Touart as county administrator, he said that Barry Evans was one of the worse county administrators ever.