Escambia County TDC subcommittee pauses after member cites conflict of interest and plans to resign

An Escambia County Tourism Development Subcommittee meeting was paused and adjourned Monday after a member announced plans to resign, citing a potential conflict of interest that could affect the committee's authority to recommend funding rules.

The committee's chair called the session to order and, shortly thereafter, an unidentified participant announced, "Mister Banks has said after this meeting, he is going to resign." Another member clarified the reason: "I have a conflict of interest," saying they had been told receiving TDC funds creates a conflict for someone serving on a subcommittee that recommends how those dollars are distributed.

Members discussed whether to proceed without legal guidance. Unidentified Speaker 4 urged the group to consult the county attorney, saying the issue was statutory compliance rather than a personal dispute. "I'm a ask for an appointment with the county attorney before I proceed on a motion to mandamus to compel the TDC to follow the law," the speaker said. Several participants agreed that the county attorney, Allison Rogers, should review whether the subcommittee is authorized under Florida law and Escambia County's code and whether recipients of TDC funds are barred from serving or must disclose tax returns.

Committee members emphasized the subcommittee's narrow charge: to develop a scoring matrix and parameters for direct TDC funding recommendations. Several speakers noted broader concerns about TDC policy and unified budgeting — such as fairness for long-standing event organizers like Pensacon and whether different groups face uneven application of requirements — but stressed those are TDC- or commission-level policy questions, not matters for the advisory subcommittee.

Without a county attorney present to advise the group, members agreed to pause the subcommittee's work and ask staff to record specific legal questions for Allison Rogers. The questions identified for counsel included whether (1) community partners who receive TDC funds may sit on the subcommittee without jeopardizing future funding applications, (2) the subcommittee is authorized under the relevant Florida statute and Escambia County Code (Article 2, Sec. 90), and (3) applicants must submit tax returns as part of funding applications, which could make private tax information public.

No formal motions or votes on policy changes or membership replacements were taken. The chair said staff will present the questions to the county attorney and report back to the Tourism Development Council at its Feb. 17 meeting; the subcommittee will reconvene or the TDC will consider replacements depending on counsel's guidance. The meeting was then adjourned.

Speakers quoted in this report are those who spoke on the record during the session; Allison Rogers was mentioned as the county attorney but did not address the committee at this meeting.