(PENSACOLA) --- Staff funding was a main topic of discussion at the Pensacola Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Review.
The detailed budget breaks down the Urban Core, Westside and Eastside areas, offering Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenues, expenditure worksheets and budget items. For nearly two hours on July 23, elected officials discussed allocating resources, specifically for park maintenance and community policing.
(Photo: Community Redevelopment Agency Annual Fiscal Year Budget Tax Increment Financing Figures from 2023-27)
Finance Director Amy Lovoy’s proposed funding model shift from 50/50 General Fund/CRA splits to 90/10 cost splits was discussed at length, with Chair Allison Patton asking the most questions.
“Every year we go through a reallocation, and we look at everybody's salary,” Lovoy said. “They change slightly every year; this one, however, is a more significant change.”
In the past, the three proposed crew members in the new funding appeared on the Parks and Recreation budget because organizationally they reported to the department, according to Lovoy.
“This will change those three people from the Parks and Rec supervisory chain into the CRA supervisory chain,” Lovoy said. “That is specifically so that the CRA can have closer supervision over this crew so they can provide a higher level of service to the assets.”
Council President Allison Patton wanted assurance the three-person crew would remain busy under the new direction. Economic Development Director Anna Kate Baygents assured Patton they would, using the empty parcels around Baptist as an example of CRA region-related work.
(Photo: Community Redevelopment Agency Board Member Casey Jones and Chair Allison Patton at the July 23 budget workshop)
“That would be a cost savings, and we can deploy them when we want to,” Baygents said.
Patton also wanted more information on the community policing changes. According to Lovoy, in the proposed 2027 budget, “you're going to be paying for full-time officers at 90%."
“90% from CRA, 10% in the General Fund, and the 90% will be split amongst the three CRA’s,” Lovoy said, adding the intent is to expand the community policing program into all three regions.
That led to Patton questioning Police Chief Eric Winstrom on community policing roles under the new funding model.
(Photo: Community Redevelopment Agency proposed staff funding changes for community policing in the three regions)
“I think we've had discussions about whether the CRA officers are doing CRA functions,” Patton said. “Once we understand what those responsibilities are and then how that is going to look for West Side and East Side?”
Winstrom explained community police officers are "not tethered to the radio.”
“They're not responding to name calls, which gives them the ability to do everything from attending a community meeting to very serious proactive policing,” Winstrom said, adding duties also include addressing armed individuals, violent crime and suppression. “And everything in between.”
Patton questioned the community policing officer's role in homelessness, adding she admits it “needs work and someone to be there to address it.”
“How much of their role is outside the CRA areas?” Patton asked.
Winstrom said while community policing officers are “not dispatched to calls, but have the freedom to dispatch themselves,” specifically if it's “something associated with their core mission of improving the neighborhood.”
(Photo: Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom laying out the community policing roles at the CRA 2027 budget review meeting)
That “ranges from walking into a store and having a conversation with the employees,” to “getting the feedback from those in the CRA district and how we can best utilize them" is important according to the police chief.
Boardmember Jennifer Brahier noted her concern that while the Eastside may be “reluctant but pleased with the presence” of more community policing, before noting community policing is a legitimate use of CRA funds.
Finances brought up the hiring freeze and how that would affect funding models and priority positions. City Administrator Wes Moreno cleared up any confusion, noting any new position “would have to come to the administration and come through some extra steps” to be approved and added to the budget.
(Photo: OpGov.News Key Takeaways from the July 23 Community Redevelopment Agency 2027 budget review)
Along with live coverage, OpGov.News summary platform picked up the meeting, reporting additional discussions on park revitalization, specifically in the Urban Core areas including Plaza Ferdinand and Civil Square. Unclear plans and "interim sprucing up" were criticized, as well as a "strong sentiment among board members to prioritize maintaining existing infrastructure over embarking on new, ill-defined projects."
OpGov.News also picked up Key Takeaways, offering every matter at the meeting to the public below, including Bruce Beach Phase 3 development and East Side priorities.
The last takeaway notes the need for more public restrooms and the ability to safely maintain and monitor them, "leading to a suggestion for co-locating them with community policing outposts for security."
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