Studer Community Institute

Claimbake: Grover Robinson edition

October 28, 2014
/ Joe Vinson
/ government

Claimbake is a recurring feature on Pensacola Today where we will look at claims made by politicians and public officials, parse the meaning behind the words and separate the spin from the truth. Only specific, falsifiable claims will be evaluated. Claims will be judged on a scale from “Fresh” to “Deep Fried.” [sidebar] Claimbake Scale:

Fresh: The claim is accurate and presented with appropriate context.
Mostly Fresh: The claim is mostly accurate, but some relevant details are omitted or obfuscated.
Breaded: The claim is technically true, but omits important context or key details.
Fried: The claim misrepresents facts to give an impression that is largely false.
Deep Fried: The claim is completely false and presented in bad faith.

[/sidebar] Republican Grover Robinson IV was first elected to the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners in 2006, representing District 4. He is seeking his third term in office against Democratic challenger Mike Lowery. Robinson’s campaign claims largely revolve around reductions in county taxes, spending and debt that have taken place since he took office (2007 to 2013). Generally speaking, these are reasonable claims to make; he's not taking credit for improvements outside his purview as commissioner. The reduction percentages have no citations explaining how they were calculated. Reached for clarification, Robinson said he used data from the fiscal year 2012-2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. This audited report has revenue and spending figures that differ slightly from those in the adopted county budget. Robinson said the budget counts things such as grants and interdepartmental transfers as expenditures, so he thinks the annual financial report gives a more accurate depiction of how much money was spent.

Claim: “Property taxes collected down 24.0%”

Total property taxes collected from fiscal year 2007 are $125 million. Collections from fiscal year 2013 are $95 million. That’s a 24.0 percent decline. Claim status: Fresh

Claim: “Total County spending down 28.9%”

Total expenditures from fiscal year 2007 were $357 million. Total expenditures from fiscal year 2013 were $254 million, a 28.9 percent decline. Claim status: Fresh

Claim: “Escambia County debt down 23.5%”

In fiscal year 2007, the county’s total outstanding debt was $132 million. The most recent reckoning is $101 million, a 23.5 percent decline. Claim status: Fresh

Claim: “Millage rate reduced 20.3%”

In 2007, Robinson’s first year in office, Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Legislature mandated property tax cuts that brought the Escambia County millage rate down from 8.756 to 8.017 mils. The millage rate was reduced again in 2008 — this time voluntarily — from 8.017 to 6.9755 mils. Robinson voted in support of the millage reduction. That’s a total reduction of 20.3 percent during his tenure, as claimed. One note: The millage rate chart on one of Robinson’s mailers is not to scale. The y-axis goes from 0 to 9 with 7 in the middle, making it look at a glance like the millage rate has been cut in half. Claim status: Mostly Fresh

Claim: “Taxes collected down 21.7%”

In fiscal year 2007, the county had $337 million in revenue. In fiscal year 2013, that number was $264 million, a 21.7 percent decline. However, that’s total revenue, which includes taxes, fees, charges for services, intergovernmental revenue, and other sources. If we compare only the taxes collected, as per the claim, it’s $179 million down to $149 million, which is a slightly more modest 16.8 percent decline. Claim status: Mostly Fresh

Claim: “[W]e have seen more than a 50% increase in tourism and closed two of the biggest economic development deals in Florida with Navy Federal and ST Aerospace.”

The extent to which a county commissioner can impact broad fields such as tourism and employment is debatable, but these are limited and reasonable claims. Robinson has served on the Escambia Tourist Development Council and as chairman of the Florida's Gulf Consortium, which will help determine how RESTORE Act funds are apportioned to Escambia County. The two economic development deals he cited were made possible by EDATE tax credits and other financial pledges by the county. Revenues from the tourist development tax, the most common indicator of tourism, were $7.8 million in fiscal year 2013 compared to $5.3 million in fiscal year 2007. That’s a 48 percent increase — not quite what the claim says, but close. Are the Navy Federal and ST Aerospace economic development deals “two of the biggest in Florida”? The Navy Federal expansion project, which will add more than 2,000 jobs and $200 million of investment at the company's Beulah campus, certainly qualifies. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity named the expansion one of its 2013 “success stories.” The ST Aerospace deal pledges at least 300 jobs with nearly $40 million in investment, but much of that is subsidized by public dollars. Time will tell the full impact of the deal, but we'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Claim: Mostly Fresh Have you received a political mailer you'd like us to evaluate? Scan or photograph it and email to [email text="Joe Vinson"][email protected][/email].

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