Deadline Near For Consolidation Plan; Chance For Public Input

February 19, 2010

The local legislative delegation will listen to the public and then vote Monday whether to submit an Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission bill to the full Legislature.

If approved by the legislative delegation, the proposed consolidation of the governments of Pensacola, Century and Escambia County will be up for a public vote in November.

readplan.jpgAll three  local governments are opposed to the plan — the Pensacola City Council vote for support failed, the Escambia County Commission recently voted to ask the legislature to delay any vote on consolidation until at least 2012, and the Town of Century withdrew all support for the plan early last year.

The legislative delegation will hold a public forum Monday at 5:30 at the WSRE-TV studios at Pensacola Junior College on College Boulevard. The public is invited to attend and speak.

Supporters and opponents of the plan are asking the public to express their views on the plan to each member of the legislative delegation. Contact information for each is below.

Rep. Clay Ford – District 3, Legislative Delegation chair
clay.ford@myfloridahouse.gov
Capitol Office: (850) 488-0895
Local Office: (850) 595-5550

Rep. Greg Evers — District 1
greg.evers@myfloridahouse.gov
Capitol Office: (850) 488-8188
Local Office: (850) 983-5550

Rep. Dave Murzin – District 2
dave.murzin@myfloridahouse.gov
Capitol Office: (850) 488-8278
Local Office: (850) 494-7330

Sen. Durell Peaden — District 2
peaden.durell.web@flsenate.gov
Capitol Office: (850) 487-5000
Local Office: (850) 484-9898

Sen. Don Gaetz — District 4
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
Capitol Office: (850) 487-5009
Local Office: (850) 897-5747

Comments

6 Responses to “Deadline Near For Consolidation Plan; Chance For Public Input”

  1. W.D. Moran on February 19th, 2010 1:29 pm

    This is a very good thing, NO GREAT THING . . . that NorthEscambia.com is doing publishing the contact info on our state legislative deligation.

    I encourage ALL READERS to email AND call and let your elected representatives know what YOU think and feel about Consolidated Government.

  2. W.D. Moran on February 19th, 2010 12:50 pm

    I think the comment and link by “Resident” is so good, it needs to be repeated . . .

    Go here

    http://progressivepensacola.com/2010/02/17/6063/

    There is one form to fill out and email all of them at one time.
    Name (required)!

  3. W.D. Moran on February 19th, 2010 12:46 pm

    There are many reasons both for and against consolidated government. The strongest argument for consolidation is the obvious financial savings and the strongest argument against consolidation is the loss of representation which has proven itself as a negative in Jacksonville; and the taxpayers of the county having to make good all of the indiscretions of the city – like their retirement fiasco and economic development decisions.

    The problem for me here, is not those arguments, but rather that I DO NOT TRUST the individuals involved in this REMIX of government to be wise enough, capable enough or divinely inspired enough to develop a new government that is better than our time tested method of government and representation? Trust me; the money won’t matter if WE the people are not fully and equally represented or if we do not have sufficient representation to be heard on any given issue!

    Until I am comfortable enough; that is, when I personally feel that the authors of the plan for consolidated government are either more capable than our founding fathers, or equally if not more divinely inspired than our forefathers, then I must prudently and diligently vote NO and support a NO vote.

    This does not limit or reject an orderly evolution in government and public resource management. Can we consolidate some functions of Pensacola government with county government? YES WE CAN! Especially things like purchasing, human resources, and employee benefits management; and many others. Can we make public resource management more efficient WITHOUT CONSOLIDATION – YES WE CAN!

    The indiscretions and foolish decisions of the past cannot be fixed by another impetuous and imprudent decision regarding the future. I am too old to move if consolidation is passed; but, I will VOTE NO and support a NO VOTE.

    BTW, I fully intend to vote to “clean house” in the next election too.

  4. Cheryl on February 19th, 2010 10:56 am

    To Resident,
    Great link for sending a VOTE NO email to all the politicians all at the same time. Thanks for sharing…

  5. Unrepresented on February 19th, 2010 8:26 am

    On at least two other occasions this has come up for vote before Escambia County. On each time, the people of the county have responded with an unequivocal “NO.” Yet four years later, LIKE CLOCKWORK, here it comes again.

    “NO” MEANS “NO!” In some circumstances… this is tantamount to rape.

    The county had absolutely no vote in Pensacola’s Maritime Park boondoggle. The State finally ruled that Pensacola could not use county tainted money since we were not allowed for participate in the vote. So AS IS TYPICAL in corrupt Pensacola, they cooked the books and shuffled the money around so that they could be technically be within the law.

    And now we get big steaming pile of fecal matter.

  6. Resident on February 19th, 2010 7:44 am

    Email all of them and tell them to VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!

    Go here

    http://progressivepensacola.com/2010/02/17/6063/

    There is one form to fill out and email all of them at one time.