The Cease and Desist letter from attorney Alistar McKenzie regarding the City Administrator Eric Olson allegedly threatening the president of the North Hill Preservation Association was dated July 20.
When Mayor Ashton Hayward announced on August 10 that Olson would assume the duties of his former Chief Operations Officer, the mayor knew about the allegations. The charges are significant and deserve an investigation and response.
Did the mayor look into the allegations?
A phone call to the Navy and Melanie Nichols’ bosses would have verified whether Olson tried to cause problems at work for Nichols. If Olson had the emails on July 2 when he called the Lt. Commander, the city’s Sunshine Center should be able to present them immediately. If the city can’t produce the hundreds of emails that the city administrator said Nichols had sent using her work account, then Olson needs to step down.
The mayor cannot condone his administrator threatening a citizen and lying. If the facts prove otherwise, then Hayward needs to call a press conference and state those facts.
Mayor Hayward has until next Monday to clear this up. Otherwise, Olson will face questions from the Pensacola City Council at its Agenda Review on August 17.