There are four seats up for election on the Escambia County Board of Commissioners. In District 3, incumbent Lumon May is running unopposed. We reached out to all of the candidates and will update this story as more responses come in. Interviews may be condensed and edited.
District 1
Candidates:
Tyler Aulger
Jeff Bergosh (Incumbent)
jeffbergosh.com/
Jesse Casey
votejessecasey.com/
Justin Smith
Steven Stroberger (Winnner)
votestroberger.com/
Jeff Bergosh
How can the county commission best support, protect, expand, and leverage our military missions?
Bergosh: We do this by actively supporting the local military installation leadership—listening to their needs and collaborating with them to provide support and advocacy for them through our spheres of influence. The county engages with the military via the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee—with one member of the Board of County Commissioners sitting on that board. We also funded a portion of the costs to stand up the Northwest Florida Defense Coalition and several of us from the county flew to Washington DC to have a face-to-face, sit-down meeting with Admiral Scott Gray, the official that oversees all Navy Stations worldwide. We listened to him and then expressed our concerns and had a great meeting. This direct engagement has subsequently produced several appropriations for our region, including money for a Child Development Center at Whiting Field, and an appropriation for hangar repairs at NAS Pensacola. The county has also worked with the military on several land conservation agreements with the county limiting additional development on the parcels that surround the base. This was done to help protect the Navy’s flight training mission at NAS Pensacola. As chairman of the board in 2022, I worked with Representative Matt Gaetz to help increase funding for military housing—by signing the letter on behalf of the BCC in support of Gaetz’s legislation which was passed in congress. Because the DoD spend in our community comprises 52% of our economy—we do and will continue to do what is necessary to protect the existing military missions here and to also expand the footprint of new missions to include expansion of the highly successful cyber mission at NAS Pensacola Corry Station.
Escambia County has seen a surge of gun violence and drug overdoses in recent years. What do you think is driving this epidemic of violence and despair? And what do you feel the county’s role should be in addressing it?
Bergosh: This is a national issue caused in large part by Federal inaction; the nation’s southern border is broken, and Chinese Fentanyl is pouring over thousands of miles of this porous border along with millions of illegal aliens and illegal weapons. This creates a fresh supply of super-powerful drugs to areas nationwide — including Escambia county — that in turn provide the market for the consumption of illegal street drugs. Sadly, we are losing 100,000 citizens nationwide yearly to these opioid overdoses, and locally we lead the state, per capita, in lethal overdoses. The gun crime and violence closely follow the illegal drug trade. Most shootings in our county arise, in one way or another, from actions that are drug-related. If the illegal drug issue can be contained—the shootings and gun violence would be reduced by orders of magnitude. It is for this reason as a county commissioner I have prioritized record budgets for law enforcement, including high-tech equipment for the real-time crime center. We are also utilizing federal grants and opioid settlement funds to assist folks who are addicted and to provide ongoing support for anti-drug advertisements in our community. If we can educate citizens to not do drugs, help folks who are battling addiction, and also utilize the services of nonprofits to assist in this (and for the provision of free Narcan) to save lives of those who overdose and then engage these individuals with our CORE program to offer intensive counseling and support—if we do all these things we can and are making a dent in the demand side of the illegal drug trade equation.
Our coastal communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis — with our area expected to realize real impacts from sea level rise and more frequent and intense natural disasters within our lifetimes. What do you feel the county should be doing to confront these realities?
Bergosh: We will continue to work with Federal and State officials to build coastal resiliency which can serve to mitigate, to an extent, the effects of sea level rise locally. We will continue to utilize grants and other funding sources to renourish the county’s barrier islands while also working with the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program to reconstruct critical coastal habitat, native grasses, and plant species to further buffer our coastlines from the rise of seawater. With respect to natural disasters, statewide our Emergency Management Division is a leader in keeping our citizens informed when storms are nearing our area. Working together with the National Weather Service and other local governments and municipalities, we have developed a comprehensive approach to storm preparation that we share with our citizens. During any storm event, we work closely with FEMA and the FDEM to coordinate speedy recovery and have a demonstrated history of doing this over the last several decades. As we have done in the past, we continue to invest in people and equipment for our Emergency Management Division so that our citizens can be fully informed, protected, and then if a storm comes, cared for in a manner that leads to a rapid recovery for our area.
Affordable housing is one of the top concerns locally and nationally. What actions can the county take to help mitigate this problem?
Bergosh: Affordable housing is an oxymoron in this crazy, inflation-ridden economy the federal government has created, and we are now dealing with at local levels nationwide and right here in Escambia County. Salaries have not kept pace, in most cases, with the costs of basics including rent. We as commissioners are using escheated property we own to construct houses that are made “at cost” so we can help folks that are working and need housing to acquire these homes. We also work closely with Habitat for Humanity in their efforts to increase the supply of price-subsidized properties that can also be financed at subsidized interest rates to assist folks in getting into a home. We are also utilizing a portion of our Federal Home ARP funds to partially and for a time-certain period subsidize working citizens who are currently unable to afford market rent and who are currently utilizing space in homeless shelter locations. Helping these working poor gives them a hand up while simultaneously opening vital shelter beds for homeless individuals who currently have no place to live and who camp outside or downtown on our streets. The overall housing and rent cost crisis is, at its root, a supply and demand issue. There simply is not enough supply to meet the demand so the costs are high. As more housing is provided by the private sector at an assortment of price points, rental prices will recede. That is part of the equation to fix the issue. The other part of the fix is working day and night to support the private sector’s immense power to create jobs. We do this by supporting great companies that want to locate here, by offering incentives, and by tying such incentives to job creation, which is something the county is doing right now. When citizens have good jobs, the entire community succeeds. Because we have been effective at this (bringing several large and successful companies here leading to a much more diverse jobs base), our unemployment rate remains low and those that WANT to work can find employment at various starting salaries based upon their qualifications and levels of experience. For those that by choice do not work, will not work, and have no desire to be productive and yet are otherwise able-bodied (and there are citizens here in this category)—there is NO fix the government can or should apply to assist such individuals.
If you could accomplish one, catalytic “Big Idea” you feel could take this county to the next level of success, what would it be?
Bergosh: As county commissioners, we make decisions that affect every resident in the county. But each commissioner is only voted on by one-fifth of the residents of the county. In most other modern American counties, each commissioner is seated and must reside in a geographical district, and every registered voter in such a county gets to vote for him/her AND every other commissioner, too. This allows every resident in the county to vote for every commissioner which is a MUCH better way to keep all commissioners accountable. Having every commissioner accountable to every voter will allow for tough decisions to be made by EACH district’s commissioner — even those decisions that are right and necessary but that would enrage a commissioner’s own specific district’s citizenry — because the at large citizens of all other districts would see and recognize the act for what it is/was: necessary and appropriate. The flip side of that is when a commissioner DOES NOT vote to do something that is entirely necessary, recommended by staff, and that makes perfect sense taking the long view, but instead votes it down or stalls it unnecessarily so as to not lose the “support” of his/her district’s constituency. The complexifier here in Escambia County is race. Escambia County has several court rulings that were borne of the deliberate attempts by some, historically, to prevent people of color from winning local elections and representing their neighborhoods and communities. This led to litigation, which led to court proceedings, which led to rulings that led to two things happening: 1.) A deliberately gerrymandered (and mandated) majority-minority district, and 2.) single-member district elections for all our county commission and school board members. A 21st-century fix, that I believe would address the issue (and create more opportunity and add strength to the minority voters in Escambia County) would be to pass legislation modifying state statutes to allow Escambia County to finally, once and for all, construct a modified system of county-wide elections. It would require working through the legislature to allow for such a modification that would work like this: The minority-majority district’s citizens would be allowed to vote for all five county commissioners on the ballot every election (staggered every two years with three commissioners in some elections, two in the subsequent elections). The other four district’s citizens would be allowed to vote for every other county commissioner in the other four districts of the county—but NOT the minority-majority district. Such a change would allow four-fifths of Escambia’s citizens to have much more say at the ballot box in deciding who should be their representatives in the four districts that are not minority-majority. For the citizens in the minority-majority district—the news gets better. These citizens not only get the exclusive vote for their own district’s representative, they also get a vote on the other four-fifths of the commissioners whose votes affect them, too. This would also give the minority-majority voters the opportunity to potentially back minority candidates in other districts, with a large and strong voting bloc, which could lead to even more representation by minorities on the county commission. Such a change would lead to more solid governance, less pandering, more power for the voters, greater accountability for the commissioners, and better outcomes for all citizens county-wide. I know this system would be much more effective — so this is the one catalytic idea I would implement if I were king for a day here in Escambia County.
District 3
Candidates:
Lumon Many (incumbent, unopposed)
lumonmay.com/
District 4
Candidates:
Ron Helms
facebook.com/revronhelms/
Ashlee Hofberger (Winner)
voteashlee.com/
Buck Mitchell
votebuckmitchell.com/
Walker Wilson
facebook.com/jwalkerwilson
Ashlee Hofberger
How can the county commission best support, protect, expand and leverage our military missions?
Hofberger: The Escambia County Commission can best support the military presence by actively advocating for federal and state funding to enhance local infrastructure and services that benefit military families and installations. They can establish partnerships with local educational institutions to ensure military children receive high-quality education tailored to their unique needs. Supporting local businesses that provide goods and services to military families through incentives and grants will bolster the local economy and create a supportive environment. The commission can expand veteran services by increasing access to healthcare, housing, and employment opportunities, ensuring veterans are well-integrated into the community. Promoting community engagement programs that involve military personnel in local events and volunteer opportunities will strengthen community bonds and enhance mutual support.
Escambia County has seen a surge of gun violence and drug overdoses in recent years. What do you think is driving this epidemic of violence and despair? And what do you feel the county’s role should be in addressing it?
Hofberger: Although violent crimes have been down over the last four years, drug-related crimes are not. Our community is being inundated with fentanyl and we are losing our kids, neighbors, and families to it.
Our Sheriff has done a phenomenal job using the limited resources he has. As our population continues to grow, I would like to see a plan where first responders are automatically added to the workforce based on population milestones. Many of the drug OD stories you read, especially from our high school and college-age victims, are due to them buying drugs laced with fentanyl. Our county can also institute a Prison Entrepreneur Program (PEP) which is targeted at taking drug dealers off the streets and “rewiring” and educating them to use their skills for good. There is only a 7% prison re-entry rate from PEP graduates, national average is 50%.
Our coastal communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis — with our area expected to realize real impacts from sea level rise and more frequent and intense natural disasters within our lifetimes. What do you feel the county should be doing to confront these realities?
Hofberger: Coming from the emergency restoration industry, I have a unique perspective on disaster response. I spent a decade of my life selling emergency response plans and encouraging the private sector and public sector to be ready with a plan so you can be proactive and not reactive. Every dollar spent in preparation of a natural disaster saves $10 once the disaster actually occurs. We live on the Gulf Coast and we are at risk for all types of weather events, our county and our community must be prepared for these. In addition to preparedness, we must invest in infrastructure. Our roads and bridges can’t handle the influx in traffic of a holiday weekend, much less the mass exodus that would occur if we were to become the target for a Cat 5 Hurricane.
Affordable housing is one of the top concerns locally and nationally. What actions can the county take to help mitigate this problem?
Hofberger: We need to plan for growth. We should budget for infrastructure and public service upgrades based on the growth patterns over the last 5 years. This would make development move faster, lessen the holding cost on the developer and reduce the cost for the homeowner. I’m also against impact fees, it’s a pass-through fee that only impacts the homeowner, adding to the cost of homeownership. I would like to see us encourage multigenerational housing. Not only does Escambia County struggle with affordable housing, but we also struggle with childcare and care for our seniors. With a multigenerational approach, families would be encouraged to stay together, allowing grandparents to help with childcare and live a more active and connected lifestyle. This would also help with unsupervised young people who so often don’t get the attention they need because they come from a home where the parents are desperately trying to make ends meet. The overarching benefit is the cost of housing and utilities are more affordable.
If you could accomplish one, catalytic “Big Idea” you feel could take this county to the next level of success, what would it be?
Hofberger: I’ve run enough business to know it’s not one idea that will make you successful. It’s the execution of doing many things well. For us to have a safe and thriving community we need to do a few things well.
1) More resources for our first responders. Recent reported ambulance wait times are over an hour and a half. No one in our community should pick up the phone and call 911 and not know if an ambulance is going to be able to respond.
2) We have to make it easier to do business in Escambia County. We are missing out on the opportunity to create jobs through small businesses in our community because the carrying cost to do business in Escambia County is too high due to lack of automation, too much bureaucracy, and little accountability.
3) We must invest in our natural and historic resources to generate more tourism throughout the whole year so our economy is not relying on the three months of summertime. I have been advocating for the United States passenger ship to be dropped as a dive reef. This would be huge for our economy and our ecosystem.
District 5
Candidates:
Steven Barry
facebook.com/stevenbarryforcountycommissionerdistrict5/
Joshua Roberson
joshuaroberson-d5.com/
Joshua Roberson
How can the county commission best support, protect, expand, and leverage our military missions?
Roberson: Show local leaders, regional force commanders, and Washington that we here in Escambia County are ready and can support the next mission. From a drone program, intelligence platform, to the new-age fighter. We are capable of keeping the encroachment boundary around our bases, and we can provide top-notch quality-of-life services here in Escambia County from medical to schools, to police. Our transportation infrastructure WILL be corrected and ease of transit will increase. We will not just wave a flag and say we support you, We will provide by all means support to any and all missions from the DOD and any other department of the Federal Government that may need operations from Escambia County.
Escambia County has seen a surge of gun violence and drug overdoses in recent years. What do you think is driving this epidemic of violence and despair? And what do you feel the county’s role should be in addressing it?
Roberson: As horrible as these issues are, they are not unique to Escambia County. Terrible circumstances enable and allow for opportunities of this type of violence to occur. What kind of person would I be if I had the answer to solve these problems and did not share them until now? Many are working on these issues and most of the ones working on them are experts in their fields. But yet we still have gun violence and drug addiction issues. Finding the root cause is a key factor in any problem. Trying to solve or assist in any issue without knowing the "why" we are just putting Band-Aids on compound fractures. Education is key I believe, early and often. Providing options and opportunities along with the education early and often as well. The county's role is to ensure the funding for the sheriff's officers, firefighters, educators, correction officers, EMS is there when it is needed. Enough to cover training, equipment, personnel, and continuation training to keep current as our environment is ever-changing. To aid in any red tape issues with State Legislation by forming a partnership and working relationship with the State representative to assist in Escambia County for counselors, treatment centers, and medications.
Our coastal communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis – with our area expected to realize real impacts from sea level rise and more frequent and intense natural disasters within our lifetimes. What do you feel the county should be doing to confront these realities?
Roberson: I appreciate the question and concern for our coastal communities in relation to sea level rise and more frequent natural disasters. My response is not based just on our coastal communities though. If I am not mistaken one of the tallest points in Escambia County is 198 feet above sea level. That is not high at all. When there are big storms, a lot of rain, or even long periods of excessive heat with no rain the area is always showing signs of stress. Both rivers that we have for West and East borders flood over, the sea rises with storm surge, and the creeks and smaller waterways also flood over which all cause massive amounts of damage to homes, infrastructure, personal property, possible loss of life, natural habitats and man-made areas created for living that nature wanted for wetlands. When the excessive heat and no rain is here the rivers are low, the creeks are almost dry, wetlands appear like a pasture and we believe relief will never come. Building so compact and clear-cutting is not the answer. The tree roots, natural vegetation, and soil are not there to absorb any extra water. Keeping Wetlands and a Natural buffer to ease the density of the storm surge from incoming sea water is a positive idea. Creating storm evacuation routes that make sense and that will work is key to not losing our county.
Affordable housing is one of the top concerns locally and nationally. What actions can the county take to help mitigate this problem?
Roberson: Here is where I agree with (rezoning). Rezoning has to happen in some areas to create workforce housing. The county is offering incentives to others to come here and do business, so why not offer incentives to build workforce housing? In no way should the County get involved with a partnership for any real estate venture however offer incentives. Also when the minimum wage goes up, does the "workforce" wage go up? The answer is no. So again no more Band-Aids, what is the real issue? Everything recently is inflated and prices are going up, making $45,000-$60,000 a year to be in the workforce is not going to get you a house but maybe an apartment. So now back to you can work here but not truly (live) here. So comparable living wages for all first responders, educators, correction officers, and taxpayer-funded work-force employees. Create attractive incentives for developers, owners, and agencies to become workforce housing areas, and utilize rezoning properly to accomplish the need not a want for useless money grab.
If you could accomplish one, catalytic “Big Idea” you feel could take this county to the next level of success, what would it be?
Roberson: Get to work immediately and correct infrastructure and public safety. Fix major issues with the improper planning of Escambia County's (District 5) Infrastructure in relation to its planning of a building. Find funding for the Escambia Fire Department to function and build the proper amount of firehouses to serve our country. Get EMS on the right track and respond when and where they need to. The county pays leaders in all these departments who know more than anyone else about their needs, listen to them, work with them, hold them accountable, and allow them to do their job. I know I covered more than one however I could not narrow it down.
Affordable housing is one of the top concerns locally and nationally. What actions can the county take to help mitigate this problem?
Roberson: Here is where I agree with (rezoning). Rezoning has to happen in some areas to create workforce housing. The county is offering incentives to others to come here and do business, so why not offer incentives to build workforce housing? In no way should the County get involved with a partnership for any real estate venture however offer incentives. Also when the minimum wage goes up, does the "workforce" wage go up? The answer is no. So again no more Band-Aids, what is the real issue? Everything recently is inflated and prices are going up, making $45,000-$60,000 a year to be in the workforce is not going to get you a house but maybe an apartment. So now back to you can work here but not truly (live) here. So comparable living wages for all first responders, educators, correction officers, and taxpayer-funded work-force employees. Create attractive incentives for developers, owners, and agencies to become workforce housing areas, and utilize rezoning properly to accomplish the need not a want for useless money grab.