Jared Moore says politics behind delay in appointing Escambia District 4 commissioner

Pensacola City Councilman Jared Moore said the appointment to fill the vacant Escambia County Commission District 4 seat is being delayed for political reasons.

The commission seat was left vacant in January when Robert Bender was appointed to be the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.

Moore, who is one of the people who have applied to fill the vacant seat, said Friday will mark 11 weeks since the seat was vacated.

"The things that we do in these positions that is either important or it's not important," Moore said. "There's either a job to do or there's not a job to do. That's 20% of the year that 20% of our elected county government sits vacant. And it troubles me because I believe it's held up in the political process, and when politics begins to take precedence over people, I think that's a problem."

Moore said that while some may think it's self-serving for him to bring up the issue, they should ask themselves if what he's saying is true.

"Is it true, and would making this statement publicly, does it really come across as politically strategic for an appointment process?" Moore said. "Anyway, it just troubles me that we're held up to this point, and in the district of the county that really covers about half of this city, we have no representation. I think that's troubling, and deserves our attention."

Time is also running out to be appointed to the position because if they want to keep the job past November, they will have to run for re-election in a reliably Republican district. The deadline to qualify for the Aug. 20 Republican primary is June 11.

Moore is one of at least four people who applied to the position as the News Journal reported on Jan. 30. The others are The District co-owner Charles "Buck" Mitchell, attorney Jim Reeves, and Downtown Improvement Board Executive Director Walker Wilson.

Mitchell, Wilson and Ashlee Hofberger, co-owner of The Wash Room, have already filed to run for the District 4 seat as Republicans. Former Pensacola City Council candidate Ron Helms has filed to run as a Democrat.

After Moore made his comments Thursday, council members Jennifer Brahier and Charles Bare, who also represent areas of District 4 in the city, said they agreed with Moore.

"There's a great deal of us sitting up here (on the council) that for our constituents (District 4) is their county representative as well," Brahier said.

Bare agreed and said the delay in making an appointment is "getting ridiculous."

"It's been so long, and just having to address issues within my district that I could use some help from a county commissioner that was in that district would really (help)," Bare said. "It's getting difficult. So, I'm hopeful something happens, but I have this bad feeling it's going to be until the election. That's kind of the rumor I've heard, and that is very unfortunate to go with four county commissioners and not have one for our district."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia District 4 commissioner appointment delayed, Jared Moore says