New charter or not, things are looking up

All City voters should by now have received their mail ballots for the City Charter referendum. Some have even sent them back. On the evening of November 24, the votes will be tallied, and we’ll find out whether or not we’ve decided to change the structure of our City government.

Whether we choose to change, or to keep our current charter and form of government, though, we think things are looking up in Pensacola.

Sure, we have large and serious issues to tackle. We need jobs. We need to nurture the businesses we have and do everything possible to attract new ones. We need to expand the City limits and ensure the City’s continued financial soundness. Let’s take a look, though, at some of the things going on around us.

Despite the down economy, we’ve had new business open downtown and thrive. Restaurants like Hopjack’s and Will Call have solidly established themselves as downtown hotspots. New entrants like Artissimo are adding even more life. The spectacular renovation of the Saenger Theatre and the recent additions of Blazzue’s, the Ready Room, and the under-construction Vinyl Music Hall are helping to make downtown Pensacola the lively destination we’ve always known it could be.

Out at the Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport, we missed out on Southwest Airlines, but we remain the region’s dominant airport. Next year, United Airlines will establish service to PNS from Washington-Dulles and Chicago-O’Hare. Existing carriers U.S. Airways and American will add new service to PNS from Washington-Reagan and Miami. After these additions, Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport will have service to eleven airports in ten cities, compared to Mobile’s five or VPS’ seven. Meanwhile, significant expansions to the Airport terminal, parking areas, and rental car facilities have been completed or are underway.

With the exception of a few follies, the City Council which took office in January with four new members has been refreshing and progressive. The new Council is younger, more visionary, and exponentially more responsive than the previous one. It’s implemented curbside recycling, a new tree ordinance, and unveiled the new Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Community Centre and Tryon Branch Library.

Now, this isn’t to say that the current system of government is fine — it isn’t. If the proposed charter fails at referendum, then we need to go back to the drawing board and make some changes within the council-manager system. First and foremost would be the implementation of the “leadership mayor” idea, which would, within the council-manager framework, give the mayor additional resources and authority. Whether we’re mayor-council or council-manager, we need a clear leadership position.

Regardless of the form of government City voters select, though, Progressive Pensacola will continue our mission to inform and empower. We will continue to promote progress in the City of Pensacola, and to encourage City residents to speak out and get involved. Together, we can build a better community.