Escambia County’s kids need the Escambia Children’s Trust. They also need the adults in charge to treat every tax dollar with discipline and respect.
That is why I support keeping the Children’s Trust in place, while calling for serious reforms to how it operates.
First, the big picture. The Trust exists for a good reason. Voters created it to invest in children’s health, safety, and education using a dedicated property tax. When it funds things like school readiness, after-school care, mental health services, and safe neighborhoods, our whole community benefits.
I believe that mission is worth protecting.
I do not support throwing the fund out.
I support fixing it.
Here are my concerns and the changes I want to see.
Lack of clear policy on how money is spent
Right now, taxpayers do not see an easy, plain-language roadmap that explains:
- What types of programs will be funded.
- What percentage of dollars should go to direct services versus overhead.
- How grants are ranked, approved, monitored, and renewed.
When public money is at stake, “case-by-case” decisions are not enough.
The Trust should adopt written funding policies that:
- Set clear priorities and caps for admin and overhead.
- Require measurable goals for every grant.
- Tie renewals to independent performance data, not just good intentions.
Excessive administrative and overhead costs
Taxpayers expect the majority of each dollar to reach children, not bureaucracy.
I am concerned that too much of the Trust’s budget has gone to salaries, consultants, administrative layers, and non-essential expenses instead of direct services. Some overhead is necessary, but it should be lean and justified.
I support:
- A hard target for administrative costs as a share of total spending.
- Detailed public reporting on salaries, benefits, contractors, and travel.
- A written commitment that new administrative positions are added only when they clearly improve outcomes for kids.
Transparency to the taxpayer
The Children’s Trust is funded by a separate line on your property tax bill. That demands a higher standard of transparency, not a lower one.
Taxpayers should be able to answer three simple questions without digging through multiple documents:
- How much did the Trust collect this year.
- Where did every dollar go.
- What difference did it make for Escambia County children.
To restore confidence, I support:
- A simple quarterly “taxpayer report” published to residents.
- A searchable online checkbook that shows all grants and major expenses.
- Public dashboards showing how many children were served, in which neighborhoods, and with what results.
Support for a full audit and deep dive
I strongly support a comprehensive independent audit of the Trust.
Not just a routine financial review, but a top-to-bottom deep dive that examines:
- Administrative costs and staffing levels.
- Grant selection, monitoring, and renewals.
- Compliance with state law and county agreements.
- Measurable outcomes for children across all funded programs.
This is not about punishing anyone. It is about earning back trust.
If the audit finds that money has been used inefficiently or opaquely, then the Trust must course-correct. If it finds strong programs delivering real results, those should be strengthened and expanded. Either way, the public deserves the full truth.
Five-year voter renewal requirement
Voters created the Children’s Trust. Voters should also have the regular right to renew it.
I support a new requirement that the Trust’s taxing authority automatically returns to the ballot every five years. That would:
- Force leadership to prove results to taxpayers on a regular schedule.
- Encourage constant improvement and efficiency.
- Give voters a clear choice: renew, reform, or replace.
If the Trust is delivering real, measurable value for children, it should have no problem earning renewal. If it is not, taxpayers should not be locked into a decade of underperformance.
What good use of funds looks like: school meals
The Trust should fund high-impact, common-sense programs that directly touch children’s daily lives.
One strong example is school meals.
When children come to school hungry, they struggle to learn, behave, and stay healthy. Funding programs that ensure every child has access to nutritious breakfast and lunch is a smart and compassionate use of Children’s Trust dollars.
Strategic support for school meal programs can:
- Reduce food insecurity for the most vulnerable families.
- Improve classroom performance and attendance.
- Support working parents who are already stretched by housing and transportation costs.
This is the type of focused, tangible investment that residents can see and understand.
Where I stand
- I support the Escambia Children’s Trust as a dedicated fund for children.
- I do not support waste, vague policies, or hidden budgets.
- I support a full, independent audit to increase efficiency and transparency.
- I support strict limits on administrative costs and clear rules for spending.
- I support a five-year renewal vote so taxpayers stay in control.
- I support using funds for high-impact needs like school meals, early education, safety, and mental health for our children.
Escambia County’s kids deserve strong programs and honest stewardship of their future.
We can have both.