Pensacola Chamber Calls on Escambia Commission to Honor Children's Trust Commitment

Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce is adding its voice to the growing chorus of opposition to ending the Escambia Children's Trust early — with the Chamber board voting at its May meeting to formally call on county commissioners to respect the 10-year commitment voters approved in 2020.

Chamber President and CEO Todd Thompson says the vote is clear — residents chose to voluntarily tax themselves to fund children's services for a decade and commissioners should honor that mandate before putting the issue back on the ballot.

Thompson says the Children's Trust funds a range of critical services including remediation, childcare, and educational support that directly improve outcomes for children across Escambia County. He says pulling that funding before the 10-year run is complete would be disruptive to the program and harmful to the children who depend on it.

The Chamber's statement comes ahead of a Thursday Escambia County Commission meeting where commissioners are scheduled to discuss whether to place the Children's Trust renewal on the November ballot for an early public vote. Commission Chairman Ashlee Hofberger has also called the move premature — saying voters approved the program overwhelmingly with 62 to 64 percent of the vote and deserves its full 10-year run.