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Mayor Responds To Salzman’s Plan To Request State Review Of Century’s Operations
February 9, 2024
Hours after publication of a NorthEscambia.com story reporting that Rep. Michelle Salzman will be asking the Chief Inspector General to take a look at the operations of the Town of Century, Century’s mayor emailed a letter to Salzman
“As Mayor, it is my priority to ensure transparency and accountability in our municipality’s operations,” Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. wrote. “I understand that you intend to request a state agency to audit the Town, and I believe it is essential to provide you with insight into the proactive measures we are taking to address any concerns and improve our community.”
Gomez then explained that an interim town manager had been hired.
“At our last Town Council meeting on January 16, 2024, we were presented with an action plan that outlines key objectives and timelines for addressing various challenges facing our town,” Gomez said in the February 8 letter to Salzman. The council’s last meeting was not January 16 as Gomez stated; it was actually February 6. In January, Brown discussed work on an action plan, including the need to hire a “procurement specialist”, but no action plan was approved by the council.
Gomez wrote that the town hired U.S. Water to address environmental deficiencies in the town’s water and wastewater operations. On February 6, the town approved spending up to $33,630 for U.S. Water to address FDEP water warning letters from 2023.
“I believe that by sharing this overview of our action plan, you will have a better understanding of the proactive steps we are taking to address concerns within our community,” Gomez wrote in his letter to Salzman. “I am confident that with your support and collaboration, we can work towards a brighter future for the residents of Century.
The mayor also requested a 30 minute meeting to discuss the situation further.
“This is literally the first official communication I’ve received from Century since former Mayor (Ben) Boutwell was ran off,” Salzman said in her emailed response late Thursday afternoon, saying that should be happy to hold a Zoom meeting since she is in Tallahassee for the Legislative session. “I have one more meeting with state agencies here before I know what my next steps are for your community.”
Comments
23 Responses to “Mayor Responds To Salzman’s Plan To Request State Review Of Century’s Operations”
Century has to get cleaned up for all the newly displaced and low income citizens of Pensacola from downtown & beyond coming their way. If there were no plans, no one would care. No one has done anything for 4 years with any government $$. The purses are all of a sudden opening for.all these buildings to be torn down and new development for very expensive housing and property. Where do you think people will be pushed and where all the affordable housing is going to be built?
Gomez 1 million percent did not write that. From the professional letterhead with the cute little tracks under the logo, to the layout, the grammar of the content, and how professional it sounds, it’s the new CYA managing firm he hired for $7,500 a month kicking in.
I mean, “I ain’t got nothing else to say to you. Talk to your momma…makes my ass hurt,” is an actual quote from Gomez speaking to William in an official town meeting. Ain’t no grammar/style editor powerful enough to clean that up.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY STAY OUT OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jus Me: If the residents of Century were really tired of the circus the town has become, they would quit re-electing the clowns. None of the so called “town council” knows what they are doing , and none of them seem anxious to learn! Just sad…and criminal.
Please escambia county… take over and fix the dead end
It would be laughable if it didn’t hurt so many people; they make a mockery of our system of government. Before it’s all over those failing Century will attempt to play the race card and cry foul even though the issues causing the chaos has nothing to do with race and everything to do with poor governance.
@ JJ and NPC…. The new town manager wrote the email guaranteed not Gomez. He can barely speak English none the less compose an email of such caliber. But… no matter what the letter says, hopefully Salzman knows he is blowing smoke. SEND IN THE AUDITORS. GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD. THE RESIDENTS OF CENTURY ARE TIRED OF BEING THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE NORTH END..
Laughable comments anre always associated with the Century, Florida articles. Only reason why I visit the website.
@JJ………… Yours could have been poat of the month , choosing to be more discreet
Well they need to been look in to because northing every gets fix like it should they talk about all this grant money the town of century has but yet they keep asking for more I hope they investigate a lot more on town of century
Did they post the date and time of the last TOC meeting in a manner that the public could see it? If so, the mayor could call anyone in the TOC and ask them when the last meeting occurred. His could clear up some of the mayor’s confusion…
NOT!!!
Did the city council person ever pay back the loan that city made to fund her business?
This letter is nothing more than CYA and an attempt to get Rep Salzman’s to give more time to “get things right”. While it may help with the CYA I doubt she will be swayed at all.
I do think it is unfair to lay the entire blame for Century’s problems on the current city administration as this has been going on for literally decades. Gomez is just the latest in a long line of Mayors and Council members attempting to game the system.
@NPC
GLAD I READ YOURS BEGORE CPMMENTING. My very
Thoughts. I was going to just write
‘who wrote the letter!?’
You get the government you voted for. Not happy with how things are run? Vote them out of office.
Sounds like the mayor is playing “Damage Control”!
Sounds like the Century Mayor is in the CYA mode. Not very specific in his letter to his representative. It would be nice to hear an elected official admit in something like the Town of Century leaders would admit that they are in trouble, folks have screwed up and this is how we are going to fix it.
The plot thickens….
So, this is the “first official communication” she’s had with Gomez in all this?
i.e. right after learning his feet are in the fire. Funny he had plenty of time to hire his help and look for city property to sell.
* popcorn *
Don’t think the good and honorable mayor needs to ruffle Representative Salzman’s, or Senator Broxon’s, feathers.
He’s already got our two state legislator’s eyes on him and the town government. Does he think the town can survive a state investigation after the DEP and a state grand jury already have made negative findings?
The town is hiring people, left and right, to address problems, with money they don’t have, because they, and their predecessors, have mismanaged the town so badly.
The sound one hears isn’t the sound of a prosperous future, it is the groans of a dying entity. Be merciful and put it out of its misery.
The town has failed its citizens and its businesses. It is time.
Does anyone else feel that this email was not written by Gomez? Previous communications of his have sounded nothing like this.
Ol’ Gomez is doing the ususl BLAH-BLAH-BLAH while his Town founders near the edge of collapse in finances and infrastructure.
He doesn’t even know when the last Town Council Meeting was held.
Lord, help the Good Citizens of Century, you have a mess caused by poor leadership.
With all of the corruption that takes place in Century, I’m almost shocked that there hasn’t been a Battle of Athens there.
Sounds like the Mayor has got things under control…….not.