News Staff Report
The problems facing the Escambia County Commission over the next year will be virtually the same as in the past. So will the commission’s leadership.
At its December 20 meeting, the five-member governing panel chose continuity in the effort to bring the county’s finances back into balance while also dealing with repairs and resurfacing of several rural roads, some of which have been paid only token attention — or no attention — for decades due to a lack of funds.
To continue the effort to gain a foothold on that problem and others the commission faces, commissioners voted unanimously to retain the body’s top two officers, Chairman Raymond Wiggins and Vice Chairman Scottie Stewart, for 2022.
District 4’s Brandon Smith made the motion to keep Wiggins in the presiding role, and Stewart as second chair. The vote for each was 5-0.
In other business, the commission:
*Tabled a request by residents of Ewing Lane that the half-mile long dirt road be paved.
*Appointed County Administrator Tony Sanks to the Escambia County Healthcare Authority. Sanks will replace Don Ward.
*Designated numerous pieces of road department equipment and vehicles as surplus and announced plans to sell the items on govdeals.com.
*Approved an amendment to the county’s contract with Pictometry, which is to be paid $160,000 for aerial photographs of the entire county. The fee will be paid in three installments over the next three years.