(PENSACOLA) --- It’s time for citizens to ask candidates the hard questions, not media outlets.
That is why OpGov.ai asked longtime resident Mary Konopka to drill all Escambia County Board of Commissioners District 2 Candidates, including Mathious Robinson and incumbent Mike Kohler.
Why? Because I have watched Konopka stand before the Board of Commissioners, who undoubtedly respect the resident and small business owner.
The owner of Bellview Small Engine Repair finds her business becoming a gathering place for community concerns, which is why Konopka started her own Our County Newsletter to share news that could help her neighbors.
Her detailed information, direction, and recommendations, all gratis, provide priceless resident information, which is why I chose her to interview Glenn Dorsey last week at the Waffle House in Mobile.
Glenn Dorsey and Mary Konopka Interview
Dorsey broke bread with Konopka, who got right to the point: What does Glen bring to the Gulf Coast table? Casually dressed but very confident, Dorsey made one thing clear before answering any question.
“I have been here 30 years, and I didn’t really want to be in politics by any means,” Dorsey said honestly, adding that he is, by nature, a businessman, owning myHomeSpot. “It was a hard decision for my family and me.”
Then Dorsey answered the question, noting his first point of contention: county roads.
“I drive down the road, and I feel like I am going to lose my suspension,” Dorsey said, adding that it is unacceptable when property taxes rose four years straight. “It just keeps going up and up and up, and I am driving down the road, going, where are my taxpaying dollars?”
The roads led Dorsey right into his next issue without any prompting from Konopka.
“You can’t drive down Main Street sometimes because of the flooding,” Dorsey said, adding many other county roads have potholes and are in disrepair.
District 2 is suffering from the lack of sewer facilities that are throughout the county, according to Dorsey, which led to Konopka’s next question.
How does he feel about developer impact fees?
Glenn Dorsey at citizen-inspired interview last week
While Dorsey admits his answer may cost him some developer votes, he will not back down from approving them. He will also not back down on Konopka’s next question.
“How do you feel about term limits?” she asked him.
Dorsey’s answer: hard eight years.
“I am all for term limits, and I think 12 years is too long for myself, “ Dorsey said, noting Incumbent Mike Kohler prefers 12. “It is not the salary that is the concern to me; it is the retirement benefits that these folks are being given to elect and serve in those positions.”
Speaking of position, Dorsey noted he favors Sheriff Chip Simmons, but not necessarily some of the financial aspects of his administration.
Konopka asked Simmons herself, in his office a couple of weeks ago, the same question about the Law Enforcement Trust fund and its support for various community groups, which you can read in her Our County Newsletter.
Dorsey has concerns about discretionary funds.
“Are we trying to protect the community or to buy favor with folks?” Dorsey said.
Konopka, like any good reporter, asked the inevitable question.
“What do you bring that the incumbent does not have?” she asked.
Answer: The business experience of having to deal with very tight and limited budgets.
Mary Konopka interviewing Glenn Dorsey
“A lot of times people hire a management company because things are falling apart,” Dorsey said, adding that aesthetics is the first. “Nobody has done any budgeting for long-term planning.”
Konopka sees this as well and notes the huge increase in the Multiple Service Benefit Units (MSBU) on “fire tax.”
The county is notorious for grant fund waste, according to Dorsey, noting there is a proposed 3-million-dollar grant for upgrades to South Navy Boulevard.
“We are going to get 3 million dollars and buy all this stuff, and then three years later, the taxpayers are burdened with trying to support a system that is not sustainable and may not have the value,” Dorsey said
The lack of sunset programs also came up in the nearly one-hour-long interview.
“The way we did things 20 years ago is not necessarily the best way to do them today,” Dorsey said, noting that time should be up for certain programs.
I watched closely as Dorsey answered Konopka’s questions, noting he was far less interested in impressing the press than answering Mary’s questions.
“I do believe, but I may be naïve, that there are good people in the community with a business background and time in life to give back, without having to pay them,” Dorsey said.
He is right, even I will give him that.
While Konopka cannot vote for Dorsey since he is not in her district, she wants everyone to know about all the county candidates, saying, “You look at ads, but you still don’t know about them.”
And don’t even get Konopka started on the hateful, blaming ads candidates use against each other that also offer no information. It is for this reason that Konopka is the official citizen interviewer.
“People should know who they are voting for,” Konopka said
Until the next candidate interview, email Konopka at ourcounty@yahoo.com to subscribe to her free newsletter that details all board meeting information.
And if you want to know more about Dorsey, you can check him out on his campaign website.
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