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Secret Deal? Update: Century Responds To Records Request On No-Bid Anonymous Contract To Sell Town-Owned Land
January 8, 2024
This is an update to a story we first brought you on January 3.
The Town of Century says there’s only one written document regarding the mayor’s request to allow him to negotiate an anonymous, no-bid sale of vacant residential land currently owned by the town to a private individual.
“The resident would like to make a no bid offer,” Gomez said, bringing up the item that did not appear in that agenda.
“The reason to put anonymity. It is if the property’s jacked up. It’s just tied up or the boundary lines or not clear. Is he don’t want his name out there,” the mayor said after declining to name the person or the location of the property.
“He don’t want his name out there,” he said again.
NorthEscambia.com submitted a formal public records request for any document in any form regarding the land transaction. Town Clerk Leslie Howington provided one document (below) with the handwritten notes used by Gomez during the council meeting.
In an email, she said it was “the only document responsive to your request”. By doing so, Howington is maintaining that as of last Thursday afternoon, the person’s name, the address of the property or any other information regarding the offer has not appeared in any email or been written down by anyone with the town — those items would be public record under Florida’s Sunshine Law.
“Everything is above board with the attorney involved,” Gomez told the council.
The mayor’s request was approved 4-1 by the council, with Shelisa Abraham voting no.
Florida law allows anonymous negotiations with potential businesses for the purpose of economic development, but there’s no obvious provision to secretly negotiate with individuals for residential property.
NorthEscambia.com file photo and images, click to enlarge.
Comments
29 Responses to “Secret Deal? Update: Century Responds To Records Request On No-Bid Anonymous Contract To Sell Town-Owned Land”
Would another apartment complex built at the site proposed by @MS on Hwy 4 still be zoned as “residential?” If so, my money is on a Good Ol’ Boy System backdoor deal. Follow the money, and I’ll bet you eventually find out Gomez will get a kickback. “Silent partner?” Small town politics. GOTTA love it!
“A crow will never be a Falcon” is a metaphorical expression that means one thing will never become another, no matter how much it might aspire to. It’s often used to convey the idea that certain qualities or characteristics are inherent and cannot be changed.
Sounds much like the current Century leadership .
I agree with Mike buy low sell high. If it’s the 7.5 acre lot look where it’s located. Nice size property for a Dollar General .Keep an eye on who buys this property and if they turn it for a quick profit. City could sell to developer who builds low income housing for the people of Century. My money is on a very close friend to Mayor. Smell kick back Please line my pockets.
Here’s a quote I found from Mr. Gomez in the NorthEscambia article from January 2023 when then-mayor Boutwell wanted to negotiate a lease for the helicopter building.
“We can’t even do due diligence. We can’t do no type of research. We can’t see what the background is, but we are supposed to just come in here and give him (the mayor) the authority to negotiate on behalf of the town and then accept or not accept whatever they come up with. I’ve got to stick to my convictions. I’m just tired of people coming into Century wanting to hide,”
Sounds like Mr. Gomez’s ‘convictions’ change fairly regularly. This makes Gomez a hypocrite.
I bet it is this one. 7.5 acres, 7700 block of Century Blvd.
https://www.escpa.org/ecpamap/?s=055N303301002001
I’m with Alan
Looks like a buy low sell high deal to me too.
This sounds just like Florida’s version of Prichard, AL.
Let’s see…
1 – Mayor appointed by council (from council)
2 – Mayor accepts and announces he’s unqualified.
3 – Mayor hires “consultant” to do his job for him.
4 – Mayor decides his job is to sell off city property.
Wonder if this property is fronted by an off the books water main?
Not sure if public aware but I heard a law passed that Mayors has to report any value over a thousand dollars. Has to make a report to keep job. Not sure is this why all of sudden this comes up.
How does one get in that level of leadership without the ability to spell correctly?
@ mike; My bid is 23 dollars and I wil dispose of all rotten apples.
So no one kept minutes from the meeting? Tha would mean another document that should a have benn provided. Sunshine Law Fail!
A mockery of the town, a mockery of democratic institutions…it’s hard
To imagine nothing with the purported purchaser’s name is written down some where.
22 dollars and bag of oranges my final offer.
How is this city even a thing?
Personal favors pertaining to public property poses powerful potential problems.
How would the town as a whole benefit?
If the town would not benefit, why should the thought even be entertained?
It is already costing the town.
David for reason
That “Century Land”, maybe we can sell it off to China?
That is sticking it to them!
I sympathize with the purchaser’s desire for privacy.
I myself too would be embarressed, if the general public knew that I had spent good money for to purchase land in of all places; Century.
“Local”resident? What does that even mean?
And if you want to see what property the town owns, look it up on the county tax appraiser web site.
Sounds like another buddy buddy deal that no one (town) included will profit from except the mayor and his ghost buddy will profit from
Here we go AGAIN with unnamed people and businesses.
Whatever happened to the “Unnamed Foreign Company” that was to come to Century with jobs and investments?
It would be interesting to see where this land is located.????
@Native
My thoughts exactly! Sad that the town is lead by such leadership!
The town shouldn’t “own” residential property because it serves no public interest except during a short transition period. All town “owned” residential property should be immediately appraised then advertised for sale at public auction. It could even be sold through a sealed bid process to the highest bidders. Returning the property to the tax rolls should be the end goal.
His notes and comments seem to make a big deal out of the fact the land is “zoned residential”. My guess is, the land would be purchased for a paultry amout (it is only residential land) and 3-6 months down the road there would be a zoning request to change it to commercial, at which point the land would be put up for sale for 10 times what was paid, if not more.
All someone needs to do is call them on it and put a rider on the contract that a request for zoning change or resale of the property cannot be done for 10 years from date of sale.
Simply put, it sounds like the state attorney needs to have a chat with the city attorney for Century. “Everything is above board with the attorney involved” Gomez told the council.” My, my, my, what we have here is a failure to communicate. Maybe these folks in Century need to just let the mayor due as he pleases. Let the council give him the authority to privately negotiate land that is “jacked up” with this anonymous person. In fact maybe the Century City Council should hold their meetings in the mayors backyard around a fire barrel sit’n on 5 gal buckets. They could pass around a bottle of whiskey as they scribble down the mayors plans to keep everything “above board” with someone who doesn’t want their name out there. There is nothing good ole southern politics, backdoor deals, folks selling land they don’t own, scratching each others back. Oh! What is “jacked up” land? Is that a new real estate term or is it a legal term?
Reading how the mayor spoke then reading his written notes, it’s sad how a town in such desperate need of leadership has at least one leader without the ability to communicate in an educated manner.
You can’t spell Luis Gomez without SLIME.
Yeah, okay, right.
Y’all see their little game?
Disband the failed little town. Pull the charter. Sell off assets.
Only real choice in any other city or county would be list the land for AUCTION and have an apraisal for the land before auction with a starting bid of apraisal. Put more money in the bank!