Posted in News

Will politics plague PEDA?

   May 15, 2009

Will PEDA bring more politics?

That is one of the big questions I have about the Valentino plan for economic development. The Escambia County Commissioners have the largest block of members appointed by the three governmental bodies– five. Will their members serve solely at the whim of the commissioners? If a PEDA member doesn’t follow the wishes of his commissioner, will he be removed from the board?

I asked Commissioner Valentino these questions yesterday. He said that he didn’t want to go into specifics until the Tuesday meeting.

Two years ago we saw Commissioner Valentino remove the man the he had appointed to the Santa Rosa Island Authority Board because that board member did not vote on an issue the way that Commissioner Valentino wanted.

In June 2007, Commissioner Valentino removed Kelly G. Robertson. The quote Valentino gave to the media at the time was: “This is the problem we have with people in government who get out ahead of the policy-makers with tainted or incomplete information.”

Robertson was removed as the County Commission was voting on ordinances concerning condo-hotels on Pensacola Beach. Robertson favored shorter stays and limits on room sizes. Valentino did not. Robertson was booted off the board.

Will the same politics come to play on the proposed PEDA? What happens if a PEDA board member doesn’t push his Commissioner’s agenda?

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