Escambia County’s budget reflects the values we choose as a community. When the County funds “grants” or “outside agency” allocations, we’re making a promise to taxpayers: that public dollars will produce public benefit.
That’s why I believe grant awards must be scrutinized, outcomes must be measured, and the process must be fully transparent—not just in the budget book, but in the real world of payments and results.
What the County budget shows for FY ending 2025
For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 (FY 2024/2025), Escambia County’s total adopted budget is $798,672,479.
Within that, the County’s published Allocations to Community Partners schedule shows FY 2025 adopted allocations totaling $16,918,039 across multiple funds.
That means roughly 2.12% of the County’s adopted budget is dedicated to these “community partner” allocations.
Two things can be true at the same time:
- Many organizations on this list do valuable work.
- Taxpayers still deserve rigorous oversight, verified payments, and measurable outcomes.
Who the budget lists as beneficiaries
The County’s adopted “Allocations to Community Partners” schedule identifies beneficiaries and amounts across funds, including:
General Fund (Total $951,886):
Organizations listed include Community Health Northwest Florida, Lakeview Center, Council on Aging, Health & Hope Clinic, and others.
Tourist Development Tax allocations (multiple cents; totals include $10,415,000 and $4,508,750):
Large allocations include Visit Pensacola and various event-related or tourism-related entities and projects.
Local Option Sales Tax Fund ($860,000):
Includes PEDC, Northwest Florida Defense Partners, Town of Century economic development initiative, and others.
Solid Waste Management Fund ($182,403):
Keep Pensacola Beautiful, Inc.
In total, that schedule adds up to the $16,918,039 figure in the FY 2025 adopted column.
Here’s the problem: budgeted isn’t the same as paid
A budget is authorization. It is not proof of payment, not proof of performance, and not proof of value.
Escambia County points the public to its Check Register as the record of actual disbursements.
But at this time, the “beneficiaries list” above is not yet verified against the check register for the FY ending 2025 period. In plain terms: the adopted allocations are documented, but the actual payment totals, dates, and transaction records have not been tied out in a single public, user-friendly place that residents can easily confirm.
That gap matters—because transparency isn’t a slogan. It’s a process you can audit.
Why scrutiny matters even when the cause is popular
Grant spending is often defended as “for a good cause.” Sometimes it is. But “good intentions” are not a substitute for:
- Clear eligibility rules
- Conflict-of-interest safeguards
- Performance metrics
- Independent verification
- Public reporting of actual payments
- Results that taxpayers can see
If we can measure crime rates, traffic counts, and tourism bed taxes, we can measure whether grant-funded efforts are delivering tangible benefit.
The question I want every taxpayer to consider
How do you feel about these grants?
Are you comfortable knowing that about $16.9 million in adopted “community partner” allocations exist in the budget, while the public still lacks a simple, consolidated way to verify, by organization:
- what was budgeted,
- what was actually paid,
- when it was paid,
- what outcomes were achieved, and
- whether performance matched promises?
This isn’t an accusation against any organization. It’s a demand for a higher standard of public accountability.
My position: measure benefits and prove them
I support grant funding only when we can answer, clearly and publicly:
- What problem are we solving?
- What measurable outcome are we buying?
- Who is responsible for reporting progress?
- What happens if performance falls short?
- Can the public verify the payment record and results without filing a special request?
Taxpayer dollars should never operate on trust alone. They should operate on verification.
The fix: a public Grants Dashboard on the County website
Escambia County can solve most of this with a simple step: publish an online Grants/Outside Agencies Dashboard updated monthly.
It should include, at minimum:
- Budgeted amount (by fund, by beneficiary)
- Actual paid-to-date (from check register / Clerk payment data)
- Contract or agreement link (scope, term, reporting requirements)
- Performance measures (outputs and outcomes)
- Status flags (on track / behind / under review)
- Contact and oversight owner (department and staff lead)
That dashboard should allow residents to click a beneficiary name and see: budgeted vs paid vs results—without needing to hunt through PDFs or raw payment listings.
The standard should be simple
If an organization receives public funds, the public should be able to see:
- the amount,
- the payment record,
- the purpose,
- the performance,
- and the outcome.
That’s not “anti-grant.” That’s pro-taxpayer, pro-accountability, and pro-results.
Closing
Escambia County residents deserve a government that treats transparency like a duty—not an afterthought.
I will push for a system where grant funding is:
- clearly documented,
- easily verified,
- tied to measurable outcomes,
- and reviewed publicly, regularly, and rigorously.
And I’ll keep asking the question that matters most:
How does the taxpayer feel about these grants—and what results are we actually getting for the money?