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Why Were Millions In Grants Pulled From Century? This Is What Our Investigation Found.
August 29, 2024
Millions of dollars in state grants to the Town of Century have been terminated, and a NorthEscambia.com investigation has uncovered what has actually happened and why.
FloridaCommerce pulled $12,877,137 in grant funds from Century for a hurricane shelter/community center and bridges and awarded the money instead to Escambia County. The state also terminated $2,740,350 in grants for community center construction on Jefferson Avenue, ending that project in its tracks. (Read more...)
Why does the mayor believe the state terminates the grants with Century?
Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr. told his council and local citizens that the grants had been taken away from the town by FloridaCommerce, which is the Florida Department of Commerce.
“They took that and said that the Town of Century has financial woes. It had nothing to do with these five people sitting up here (the town council) nor myself. They based their findings on the last three or four years of financial audits, meaning that whoever was in charge three to four years ago, the audit that they did.”
Gomez was first elected to the town council seven years ago in 2017. He was voted council vice president in January 2020, and council president in January 2021. Gomez was appointed interim mayor in August 2023, later to be elected mayor.
A Century audit filed late with the state in 2024 showed a “deteriorating financial condition” and over $4.5 million in fund deficits. Earlier audits during Gomez’s tenure showed signs of a financial emergency in Century and multi-million dollar deficits. Also during Gomez’s term on the council, a 2019 grand jury investigation found the Town of Century lost over $1 million in utility accounts in just two years, could not account for over 40 percent of their natural gas, made loans not revealed on audits for 14 years, improperly borrowed about $3 million from accounts with a 750-year payback plan, and a state of financial emergency.
Of the current council members: Sandra McMurray Jackson has been on the council since 2010; Dynette Lewis took office in January 2021. Henry Cunningham, Alicia Johnson, and Shelisa McCall Abraham first joined the council as an interim members in 2023, later winning elections to their current seats.
What does FloridaCommerce say?
In a May letter, the state agency said they were taking back $12.8 million for a hurricane shelter/community center and bridges ”due to financial and fiscal solvency issues the Town is facing”. In additional emails provided by the town, the agency provided little additional reasoning.
Gomez and consultant grant writer Robin Phillips said they were never really told why and did not know who made the decision, with Phillips adding that her contacts at the state said the decisions were made by someone higher up.
NorthEscambia.com emailed and called the Office of Communications and External Affairs at FloridaCommerce on August 22. The agency did not respond to our requests.
State representative says she was ultimately responsible based on the town’s actions
In an exclusive interview, State Rep. Michelle Salzman told NorthEscambia.com that she started a process that ultimately led to the state terminating the grants with Century. Salzman said she went to the Florida Auditor General to look at everything involving grants to Century and look for any concerns or red flags.
“I just have concerns that they are throwing money away and do of the constituents,” she said. “I have concerns when the mayor comes in and pays this new guy and he makes more than I do.”
Salzman was referring to Howard Brown, principal of Local Government Consulting Group (LGCG) of West Palm Beach. He also serves as interim town manager.
Moments after being sworn in interim mayor in August 2023, Gomez said he needed help to make sure he could properly run the town.
“I know that I am in over my head, but I don’t want the town of Century to suffer due to my lack of experience in this position,” Gomez told his town council before introducing a consultant. That individual was not hired.
In the months that followed, the town hired a South Florida company to manage many of the town’s operations.
In December 2024, the town signed a contract with LGCG of West Palm Beach for $7,500 per month. That amount was later increased in June 2024 to $8,000 per month. The council also approved paying an additional $3,000 per month for grant writing services and $175 per hour for Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Consulting Services.
LGCG also serves as “Coordinator of Ongoing Projects Services” for $40 per hour. LGCG representatives Howard W. Brown Jr., Erin Connelly, and Cheryl Harrison-Lee were to provide the various services.
Under the agreement, the town should pay the group $11,000 per month, plus additional hourly and consulting fees. As state representative Salzman is paid $29,697 per year, according to a Florida House database.
Salzman said she told Gomez during “a not very nice conversation” in March that she was making the request to the Florida Auditor General for the inquiry.
“I told him them if you are doing what you are supposed to do and doing your audits, your money is good to go with the county being in charge and your projects are going to be done. But when you are not complying with general Florida government requirements, and you want more? The citizens of Century need to be taken care of by their local government.”
“I pushed really hard for years to build that town up, and now they back pedal Salzman said,” citing millions of dollars of other state grants still in place for other Century projects including help for failing or failed water wells, water meters, the wastewater treatment plan, wastewater lift stations and more. She also obtained a rural designation for Century. The designation makes Century eligible to have matching fund requirements waived for state programs and grants.
“If Century wants to continue operating the way they have been operating, they will have to live with it,” Salzman added. “I will not provide additional grants or funding until they get their ducks in a row.”
Pictured top: Century resident Gary Bradley stands in front of a monitor at a recent Century Town Council meeting. Bradley pointed at interim Town Manager Howard Brown (lower left on the monitor) and asked why Brown was attending the meeting remotely via Microsoft Teams rather than in person. Pictured below: Another citizen listens during the meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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