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Consolidation Plan Fails, Likely Dead
February 23, 2010
The Escambia County legislative delegation failed to pass the plan created by the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission to consolidate the government of Century, Escambia County and Pensacola.
Meeting Monday night in Pensacola, the delegation did not pass a motion that would have sent the plan to the Legislature and then to a public referendum in 2010, and a motion to delay any possible vote to 2012 also failed.
“The local consolidation bill needs the support of the delegation,” Rep. Dave Murzin (pictured left) said. “It is pretty much dead for 2010.”
“I just had some issues that they (the consolidation committee) were not willing to work on to make it be a better bill,” Rep. Greg Evers told NorthEscambia.com after the vote. “I could not support taxation without representation, and I was afraid that this bill did that to the north end.”
A motion by Sen. Don Gaetz to send the consolidation study commission plan to the Legislature died without a second. Then Rep. Greg Evers made a motion to give the Consolidation Study Commission until November 2011 –if half the meetings were held outside of Pensacola and 25 percent were held north of Nine Mile Road. Ken Bell, who chaired the consolidation committee, then told the legislators that he felt the members of the now dissolved committee would not be willing to reconvene.Evers’ motion was seconded for discussion purposes, but failed 2-2 with Evers and Rep. Clay Ford for and Gaetz and Rep. Dave Murzin against.
Evers’ stipulation that any future consolidation meetings be held across Escambia County came over concern that the Consolidation Study Commission had not held throughout the county. As NorthEscambia.com reported Monday morning, 84 of 85 consolidation related meetings were held south of Ten Mile Road.
“I felt like if we were going to have consolidation, the meetings needed to be across the county,” Evers (pictured left) said. “The folks in the northern end needed to have the same input as the folks in the urban areas.”
Gaetz reintroduced his motion to send the plan to the Legislature this session, but it failed 2-2 with Gaetz and Ford for, and Evers and Murzin against. Legislative delegation member Sen. Durell Peaden was not Monday night’s meeting due a legislative meeting in Tallahassee.
“The local delegation did not need to be involved in this process at all,” Murzin said late Monday night. “In order to create a consolidation proposal, the group did not need the legislative delegation’s blessings…they (consolidation supporters) came to the delegation because they wanted us to show support.”
Evers said he introduced the bill last year in the Florida Legislature that empowered the Consolidation Study Commission only because he was chairperson of the legislative delegation. “If you are chair, you work for the other members; if a bill passes the delegation, you carry that bill to the Legislature.”
Murzin said he would reconsider supporting a consolidation bill if Century, Pensacola and Escambia County were to create the plan and present it to the delegation.
But the plan created by the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission did not have the support of any of the governmental bodies in the county. Century pulled all support before the committee was even formed. Pensacola failed to support the plan, and Escambia County asked that any public referendum be delayed until at least 2012.
“I went into this with an open mind,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said Monday night, one of about dozen people to address Monday night’s legislative delegation meeting. “I am not for it because it was rushed, and we need more time.”
Pictured below: The only Escambia Consolidation Study Commission meeting held north of Ten Mile Road was held in Century last October. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
26 Responses to “Consolidation Plan Fails, Likely Dead”
Me 2- Me is a demoncat they get to vote early ,often and all over Escambia county.
Thankfully.
The article stated that even Century, Pensacola, and Escambia County didn’t support it. Why should we?
They’ll bring it back up. We’ll go through this again and again until one day we get caught not looking and they slide it through.
I read it and there was nothing to be gained for the rural residents.
County government buildings are in Pensacola for the same reason state government buildings are in Talahassee and national government buildings are in Washington, D.C. Pensacola is the county seat of Escambia County.
Me, quick question for you… How have you voted for Greg Evers (twice) AND Clay Ford (once). When did you move? North or South???? I think, Mr. Me, you are Mr. Murzin. And no matter what you say about Greg up here. We aren’t voting for you. And we sure aren’t supporting Mike Hill. We’re with Greg. He’s like us.
Here’s a new idea for consolidating…. let’s just dissolve the City of Pensacola. Or better yet, get it annexed into the Bay. It’s just awful that these folks are trying to force themselves and their debts onto us. Ain’t gonna happen.
Loving our NORTH FLORIDA Peaden & Evers.
Me -didn’t you forget about the train man murz!!!!
A watchman said -Vote for Mike “like a good neighbor” hill for the change, I seen that change he talks about in his campaign reports. He’s way to high class for me. Staying at the Ritz Carlton and flying everywhere on the campaign dime, What or who was he even doing in hotlanta? He would have to have a plane on stand-by for tally ot at the least a limo. By the way did hill send out those state farm rate increases yet!!!!!! That is (git-r-done) for us hicks. That is (get er done) for the downtown folks! They are beating Evers like a drum in the pnj … Hope he has thick skin, but they may be able to turn the murz! But peaden said send it to the senate and he will kill it. Got to love DOC PEADEN!! He said this thing is even illegal.
Let’s see if I understand this?? Greg Evers introduced this white elephant in the first place, but now votes against it. Did he get the reward that was promised and then sold them down the river?? I think he is a snake in the grass. The kind of politician we don’t need!! I was a sucker and voted for him twice. Shame on be once, shame on me twice!! Maybe I am a low learner, but I have learned. NEVER AGAIN! I will do everything I can to prevent this man from ever serving as a representative of the people again!!! Looks like I have to add Clay Ford to this list as well. I am ashamed to admit it but I voted for him as well. NEVER AGAIN! The ballot box is a powerful tool. Gaetz you are not exemp either!! VOTE THE SCROUNDALS OUT!! ASK YOUR NEIGHBERS TO VOTE AGAINST THEM TOO!!!
Could any of the supporters of Consolidation tell me why I should vote for something that takes away my voice in matters such as the local option sales tax, the gas tax and how land will be used in my neighborhood. How about it Mr. Bell, Mr. Peacock or Mr. Remington, could either of you give me the reason I should give up these rights. Because this is exactly what Section 12.04 does, anyway you look at it.
Section 12.04. Power of Referendum.
Upon sixty (60) days following the effective date of a measure passed by the
Council, the electors of the Consolidated Government shall have the power to
require reconsideration by the Council of any ordinance or resolution passed by
Council. If the Council fails to repeal a measure so reconsidered, the electors have
the power to approve or reject the reconsidered measure at a special election to be
called by the Council. The electors are not empowered to reconsider measures that
extend to providing an annual budget, levying taxes, setting salaries of officers or
employees of the Consolidated Government, land use ordinances (comprehensive
plan, land development code, rezoning, variances, conditional uses, development
approval) or bond resolutions.
REGARDING:
“I have a question I hope someone can answer. How come all the County buildings are in downtown Pensacola? Shouldn’t all the County offices that the whole county funds with tax payer dollars be in the middle of the county (school board, court house).”
The idea is to serve the people. If all the people lived in Penscaola and three people lived 50 miles away, you can see how silly it would be to place the court house 25 miles from both groups. AT one time, most of the people lived in Pensacola and the rest were distributed throughout the county. Much of the county is swamp or cotton field.
Population has shifted since then as has the way we do business. Even now, though, the highest population is close to where the existing structures were built. So the question to ask yourself: is it worth it and is it beneficial to move at this time?
Considered the question on a national level with the geographical center of the states somewhere around Nebraska. Imagine moving the capitol over there.
To which the people of Nebraska say, “How have we sinned that you bring such misery on us?”
David favoring Minot to cool government down
It looks like Gaetz and Ford are still pushing consolidation for da ex-judge and company. I wonder if these two will try to pull a last minute meeting with Peaden before Friday at 5 p.m. (since he didn’t attend nor vote last night) to push this over the edge by a 3-2 margin. Evers isn’t off the hook completely either as he tried to push this monster out another year in his attempt to appease the downtown crowd. Remember, he owes the establishment.
It looks Murzin was like a fish flip-flopping on a hot deck.
Evers at least was consistant and did the right thing – vote this bad boy down.
Heard Murzin on the radio the other day – said he thinks Pensacola should have the Senate seat. What about the rest of the county and the other counties?
Maybe Murzin should run for Mayor of Pensacola and he can continue to cuddle up with those snakes that run the city.
The best way to consolidate the County into one governmental form is TO DISSOLVE THE CITY OF PENSACOLA and CENTURY. To fuss, no muss… (did I say no fuss???). Lets see how they would like THAT proposal downtown.
To “Supporter”
We don’t need to reinvent government. We just need to learn to use the government we have to serve ALL the people, not just a few. We can gain all of the supposed benefits of consolidation within the current system while NOT violating the Constitution.
Vote em all out! Evers & Gates tried & tried to get er done and still not loose th support of common folks in an election year. Bah-Humbug! I’m voting for Mike Hill.
I have to agree with Mark O’ Brien in the PNJ yesterday. How many of the anti group have read the bill? If it has failed—welcome home to Mayberry.
I have a question I hope someone can answer. How come all the County buildings are in downtown Pensacola? Shouldn’t all the County offices that the whole county funds with tax payer dollars be in the middle of the county (school board, court house).
REGARDING:
“Are you sure this thing is dead????”
Nope, you can’t kill it.
It keeps coming up from the grave no matter how many times the voters bury it.
David considering the undead
Consolidation as a whole is the problem! I agree with Bama54. And here’s the way it looks from my point of view.
Imagine having a wonderful job working for a company that has all their ducks in a row. Wouldn’t you want it to stay that way? You’ve put everything you’ve had into this company and it’s stable and working for the good of everyone involved. You wouldn’t welcome changes that you aren’t sure are in your best interest. It’s too risky. I can’t imagine being “for” this change unless I was unhappy with the status of my company or the company I work for. I’m speaking as an internal person whose job would be affected by this. And my job is my life.
To me, this is like saying, “Hey, my bank account is always running kinda low, could I combine mine with yours so you can share my burdens and I can take advantage of how far you’ve come??”
To Supporter, we the people of the north end (9mile N.) have had dealings with the south end of the county for years. The end results is you cannot trust them to do things the right way. I’ll speak for myself, when I say if you want to make this county grow and make the county a continuous body then start by building things north of 9 mile rd. Example: I love baseball, but I want drive to downtown to watch it. It would have been a better deal for the county if they would have put it north of 9 mile so everyone could enjoy the game. Nothing wrong with a park downtown, but don ‘t ask the county to support it if you’re not going to benefit the whole county. The perception is the downtown crowd have big plans for “downtown”, but need the money from the north end to make it work. I could write a book about the deal making in this county, but I just close for now. I am really glad this thing failed.
Is it just consolidation as a whole that you all do not like or just the current plan?
I think you can stick a fork in it, it is done.
Thank you Rep. Evers!!!!! You showed real leadership tonight.
I wil be proud to have you as my Senator
Greg Evers is a hero to the people.
He has always voted for the taxpayers.
He voted against the ScamRail bill when Murzin for the south Florida rail deal.
I like Evers, he keeps our tax dollars here in the Panhandle.
I think you can stick a fork in it, it is done!
Thank you Rep. Evers!!!! You showed great leadership tonight..
I will be proud to have you as my Senator.
Huge success for the citizens and for Progressive Pensacola and North Escambia.
The citizens and the elected officials were heard. Ford said it tonight. “The folks you have here to stand up dont effect me, because I know what I have read and heard from the elected officials and the citizens”
Evers did stand up for North Escambia. He stated that to move it forward for 2 years he would require
25% of meetings north of 9 mile road
50% of meetings outside of Pensacola
Century seat on transition council
Bill needed to address taxation without representation
Murzin also sided with Evers on a later bill to move it forward as is
4 total motions were made
Gaetz to move forward as is No second
Amend and extend by Evers – Failed 2-2 Evers and Ford for
Gaetz attempt to send to extend – Failed 2-2 Murzin and Evers NO
Gaetz motion to submit as is. No second
CONSOLIDATION WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD
Well… so much for your theories about Evers…. He came through in the end. As always. Guess they didn’t have him under control after all…. He is still with us. Thank you, Greg!!!!!!! Thank you for doing the right thing.
Are you sure this thing is dead????