The Buzz 4/10/25
GOP STRONGHOLD BROKEN Democrat Gay Valimont achieved in the April special election what no Democratic candidate has accomplished in nearly two decades: securing more votes in Escambia County than her Republican opponent in a federal race. Despite Republican Jimmy Patronis winning Florida’s first congressional election overall, Valimont’s performance marks the first time since 2006 that a Democrat has outpolled a GOP candidate in the county.
Escambia County reported an unexpectedly high voter turnout of 33.45%, with Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender noting that voting traffic steadily increased throughout the day. “We started the day at 1,800 votes an hour for the first few hours,” Bender said, “but by late afternoon, the county was processing nearly 4,000 votes per hour between 4-6 p.m.”
The surge in voter participation led to a brief ballot shortage at St. James Missionary Baptist Church, where voters reportedly had to wait 10-15 minutes for additional ballots to arrive. Bender confirmed that his office had “already dropped off a hundred ballots at that location, and more were on the way” to remedy the situation.
Complicating the day was confusion about the location of Precinct 98. The Valimont campaign alleged that Bender had relocated the precinct on Election Day without proper notice, but the supervisor firmly rejected this characterization as “disingenuous.” Bender explained that Macedonia Baptist Church had notified his office in January that it would no longer serve as a polling location, and his office had communicated this change through multiple channels, including sample ballots, election day tips and 3,009 individual letters sent to registered voters in the precinct.
The escambiavotes.gov website did list Macedonia Baptist Church as Precinct 98’s location but included a disclaimer directing voters to enter their address for information on temporary polling locations.
The last Democrat to outpoll a Republican opponent in Escambia County was incumbent Senator Bill Nelson, who narrowly defeated Katherine Harris in the 2006 general election, 42,964 to 42,573 votes. Nelson went on to win that statewide Senate race with 60.3% of the vote.
The results of the April 1 special election may indicate shifting political dynamics in a traditionally Republican-leaning county, making Valimont’s performance a notable development in Florida’s political landscape.
AUDIT NEEDED The General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. Memorial Plaza project has raised concerns about financial transparency and escalating costs after it missed the deadline to provide the City of Pensacola with an annual report and its year-end financial report. What began in 2018 as a $500,000 tribute to the Pensacola native who became the first Black four-star general has ballooned to a $2.3 million project with unclear financial accounting.
According to public records obtained by Inweekly, the project’s timeline has continuously shifted while costs have more than quadrupled. Although Foundation chairman Cris Dosev has claimed it has raised $1.3 million, financial documents reveal concerning discrepancies. A balance sheet from March 2025 shows $200,441 in the checking account, along with $1.63 million in “other assets”—half of which was an anticipated but not secured county grant.
More troubling are revelations from the Foundation’s 2023 Form 990, which showed the organization was essentially insolvent in January 2023 with only $17,867 in its account while owing Dosev $100,000. Despite this precarious financial position, Dosev told the Pensacola News Journal that construction would begin by spring 2023.
State Rep. Alex Andrade has expressed concerns about how the Foundation has used $700,000 in state funding, questioning whether they’ve violated terms of their appropriation request. Meanwhile, the Foundation failed to submit a required annual report to the City of Pensacola by the March 2 deadline.
Budget documents show the Foundation needs approximately $760,000 more to complete construction, plus an additional $250,000 for the maintenance endowment they’ve claimed to have but apparently don’t. If the group returned to the original, simpler design from 2018, it could complete the project with existing funding and pass on spending nearly $1.2 million on the massive plaza.
Under its stewardship agreement covering the Foundation’s use of Wayside Park for the monument, the City of Pensacola has the right to conduct a full financial inspection and audit before the Pensacola City Council moves forward on the project.
BAY CENTER Last week, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves addressed the Escambia County Commission during its Committee of the Whole to discuss the city’s position on the future of the Pensacola Bay Center. He asked the commissioners to collaborate on a comprehensive plan for renovating the Bay Center and possibly developing the surrounding area.
“This area will define the city and county for generations to come,” Reeves told commissioners. “I believe how we work together can be the determinant of which way this redevelopment goes.”
Mayor Reeves believes there is a consensus among elected officials and the community at large on the need to renovate the existing Bay Center facility. He joked that he has “never received an email or been stopped on a street corner by anyone saying how modern and aesthetically pleasing the current Bay Center is.”
The mayor proposed that the city fund a district development master plan. Unlike previous studies that concentrated only on particular venues or facilities, this plan would examine the entire surrounding area, including aspects like community engagement, connectivity, urban design and traffic impacts.
The approach would digest all previous studies conducted over the past decade and provide a data-driven economic analysis to identify what works best for the community, its citizens and taxpayers.
Mayor Reeves also committed to addressing the Grand Hotel property, a key area adjacent to the Bay Center. He stated that the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency is already working with current owners and interested parties on the renovation or overhaul of that property.
Reeves also promised that if the county agrees to collaborate, the comprehensive master plan would be completed by this fall. He proposed a joint meeting at City Hall within 30-45 days to secure the master plan development firm with all stakeholders present.
Mayor Reeves acknowledged the “analysis fatigue” felt by officials and citizens after years of studies, but he emphasized that with a potential $100 million investment at stake, it’s crucial to “get this right” through a collaborative, comprehensive approach.
Following the mayor’s presentation, the commissioners discussed immediate next steps to maintain momentum. Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger specifically asked what formal action the board needed to take to move forward with the collaborative study.
County Attorney Alison Rogers advised that the discussion was heading in the direction of creating a formal task force subject to Sunshine Law requirements. This would require determining whether it would be a county committee with outside entities or a city task force with county representation.
Mayor Reeves offered to work with county staff to develop a proposal for the suitable structure, highlighting the necessity for a group that could “move more nimbly” than large joint meetings. Commissioner May supported this approach, adding that at least one “at-large stakeholder” from the community should be included to ensure citizen representation.
The parties agreed to further discuss the details further in a previously scheduled meeting between city and county staff. Commissioner Hofberger stressed the importance of choosing “the quickest path forward” to show progress to the community, while Commissioner May urged them to “make it as simple as possible.”
HOPE SCRUTINY State Rep. Alex Andrade, Chair of the Health Care Budget Subcommittee, has initiated an investigation into Hope Florida, an initiative championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis.
The probe comes amid allegations that the program’s charitable foundation has failed to comply with state laws governing oversight, ethics and fundraising requirements. According to a House committee report, the organization has not provided mandated documentation to the Legislature or conducted required annual audits.
“I’m looking into reports of strong-arm tactics that the governor’s office has used to force state vendors to donate to Hope Florida,” Andrade stated in a recent interview. He expressed concern about the “lack of transparency and their unwillingness to actually disclose who their donors are, what their operations are, what their performance has been and who’s actually working on the program.”
Hope Florida was established in 2021 as a program to connect Floridians seeking assistance with resources outside of government, primarily from nonprofits, faith-based organizations and private businesses. In January 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis formalized the initiative by creating a Hope Florida Office within the Executive Office of the Governor, appointing Erik Dellenback as Executive Director.
The administration claims Hope Florida has helped more than 30,000 Floridians reduce or eliminate their reliance on public assistance. However, Andrade has questioned these figures, suggesting they may simply reflect normal Medicaid disenrollment patterns.
The investigation takes on additional significance as Gov. DeSantis is seeking to codify Hope Florida into state statute and secure dedicated state funding for the program.
Andrade emphasized that his investigation must conclude before the end of the legislative session. His committee will examine whether state employees have been coerced to work for the foundation instead of performing their authorized duties, and whether state vendors were pressured to donate prior to contract awards.
The Hope Florida Foundation operates as a “direct support organization” under state law but appears to be overlooking several legal requirements associated with this designation.
MAJOR MERGER Effective May 1, Phelps will combine with Beggs & Lane, Pensacola’s oldest law firm. The move will expand Phelps to more than 425 attorneys across 17 offices, strengthening its presence along the Gulf Coast.
Marshall Redmon, Managing Partner of Phelps, emphasized how Beggs & Lane’s reputation and culture align with Phelps’: “Pensacola has always appealed to us as a strategic location that offers a vital connection across the Gulf Crescent from Houston to Tampa.”
The combination connects Phelps’ existing Gulf Coast offices and enhances its expertise in various practice areas, including employment, healthcare, energy, real estate, tax, white-collar defense and intellectual property. Both firms have long histories of client service, with Phelps founded in 1853 and Beggs & Lane in 1883.
“It became clear over the past nine months in our talks together that Phelps shared our pride in maintaining strong long-term client relationships,” said Beggs & Lane Managing Partner Bill Mitchem, noting that the merger will offer clients a broader platform and expanded services.
PERDIDO REDO Envision Perdido, a newly formed organization, has launched an initiative to gather community input on future development priorities for the Perdido area. The group aims to create a platform for dialogue concerning growth, environmental issues and quality of life through a series of planned meetings with local organizations, followed by public events designed to obtain broader community feedback.
According to their announcement, Envision Perdido’s mission is to foster “a shared community commitment to preserve Perdido’s culture, protect its natural beauty and balance progress with local values and environmental stewardship.” The organization positions itself as a facilitator of community discussions rather than an advocacy group with predetermined stances.
This initiative comes in the wake of an unsuccessful incorporation effort in 2023 led by We Are Perdido. That campaign sought to establish Perdido as a municipality in Escambia County, arguing incorporation would give residents greater control through “Home Rule,” preserve quality of life and ensure more tax dollars would be reinvested locally.
Despite a feasibility study by BJM Consulting that concluded incorporation was financially viable without new taxes and initial support from local representatives, the effort stalled when State Rep. Alex Andrade declined to file the necessary legislation. Andrade cited significant issues with the feasibility study, particularly regarding revenue projections that he calculated overestimated potential city income by “about $327 per household.”
Community members interested in Envision Perdido’s activities can find more information at envisionperdido.org or contact the organization at info@envisionperdido.org.
UNDER THE RADAR GE Vernova has unveiled a new Customer Experience Center at its Pensacola facility, marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by CEO Scott Strazik. The center features multiple conference rooms, collaboration spaces and direct access to the production floor.
This development is part of GE Vernova’s recently announced $600 million investment plan for its U.S. operations over the next two years. The Pensacola facility has proven its strategic importance by producing wind turbines generating over half of the 2.4 GW ordered for New Mexico’s SunZia wind farm project.
The company has also secured new orders for 109 wind turbines for RWE New Energy developments in Texas, with shipments beginning later this year. Since 2024, the Pensacola operation has manufactured nearly 500 repower turbines, delivering more than 850 MW of capacity for repowering initiatives across the United States.
TRANSPORTATION 2025 The Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) seeks public feedback on its proposed 2025 Transportation Project Priorities through April 25. These projects aim to improve mobility, safety and connectivity throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, as well as Orange Beach and Lillian in Alabama.
Explore the project priorities through the Virtual Open House at ecrc.org/flalpriorities. The virtual open house features an interactive project map, a list of proposed projects and a link to the survey to gather input on how they should be prioritized based on community needs. Projects range from roadway improvements to safety enhancements, bike/pedestrian connections and other regional priorities.
The TPO also created a Project Priorities Toolkit with outreach materials for community organizations, which can be accessed by contacting marketing@ecrc.org. The TPO Board will approve the final priority list on May 14, and it will then be submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation as part of the regional planning process.
SPRING HIRING EVENT Escambia County Public Schools is hosting an in-person Teacher Hiring Event to fill teacher positions for the 2025-2026 school year. The event will take place 9-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, at Booker T. Washington High School, 6000 College Parkway.
All interested persons must have a bachelor’s degree or higher, complete the online application to attend the hiring event and submit official transcripts before the day of the hiring event. Full-time teaching positions at all grade levels will be available for the 2025-2026 school year.
Applicants should be prepared for on-the-spot interviews and job offers and must bring their resume and identification cards. Onboarding will be completed at the hiring event.
“We want our schools to be fully staffed for the new school year in August and persons interviewing may have the opportunity to secure a teaching position before leaving the event,” said ECPS Director of Human Resource Services Melia Adams. “We need educators who will make a great impact on the lives of our kids.”
School administrators and staff will be conducting interviews. Available instructional positions include English, math, science, social studies, music and art education, elementary education, special education and foreign languages. New teachers’ starting salary is $48,300, and benefit packages will be explained.
Please visit apps2.winocular.com/escambia/jobs/jobpost.exe and click on “2025-2026 Teacher Hiring Event (In-Person).” Application deadline is May 1. Applicants will receive an email notification if eligible to attend.
For more information about the Teacher Hiring Event, please contact Melia Adams, Director of Human Resource Services, at (850) 469-6111 or madams@ecsdfl.us.
