Before last night’s meeting of the Escambia County Commission, the Escambia Children’s Trust had five votes to approve an exemption request and interlocal agreement that will direct Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds to the Escambia Children’s Trust for the county’s youth programs.
- After the Trust had a series of providers, a volunteer and a parent spend 35 minutes touting the impact of programs funded by the organization, the commissioners voted 5-0 to resolve a contentious funding dispute that had lingered for over a year.
However, the personal attacks behind the scenes on the commissioners, particularly on Commission Chair Mike Kohler, and the Trust board’s preferential treatment of the City of Pensacola, which is asking for twice as much money, plus interest and late fees, nearly scuttled any reconciliation with the Board of County Commissioners.
Understanding the TIF Exemption Issue
At the core was how to allocate TIF funds generated within CRA districts that the Trust had received. Traditionally, these funds support infrastructure improvements, and before June, the Children’s Trust disputed whether it had a legal obligation to return those funds to the county.
However, to avoid going to court, the Trust board sought an exemption and an interlocal agreement to redirect the money toward the county’s youth services. The dispute involved tax years 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.
Attorney Meredith Bush, representing the Children’s Trust, explained the request: “The Trust is asking the county to grant the exemption allowed by the statute to allow the TIF funds to be paid to the county for use for children’s services rather than to go to the CRAs or infrastructure.”…