Guest AuthorIn Northwest Florida, politics is a blood sport. There is one brewing now that deserves statewide attention.
On one side is Mayor Ashton Hayward, who was elected three years ago as Pensacola’s first strong mayor. He’s a handsome, likeable person with a big bright smile and who likes to speak of big ideas.
Hayward has aspirations for higher office — governor and congressman have been rumored. He stood on stage with Mitt Romney during his visits to Pensacola during the 2012 presidential race. He reportedly speaks weekly with Gov. Rick Scott.
He sees his job as helping Pensacola get over its inferiority complex and moving it into the “big leagues.”
On the other side is Collier Merrill, real estate developer, restaurant owner and GOP fundraiser. He has chaired the boards of the University of West Florida, Arts Council of Northwest Florida and the Downtown Improvement Board.
He has the numbers of former Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, Scott and dozens of GOP leaders on speed dial. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough is one of his closest friends.
The point of contention between the two is Merrill’s restaurant, The Fish House, which is a Pensacola landmark that has hosted political rallies for every Republican governor and presidential candidate since 2000.
Hayward is demanding the restaurant fork over to the city 5 percent of the restaurant’s gross sales retroactively to April 2000, which is well over $5 million. Merrill has told him to take a hike and that the demand is baseless.
The details of the issue will be put you asleep. Real estate disputes happen all the time and more than likely this will be settled in court one day.
What is interesting is that Hayward chose to send a notification of default rather than sit down with Merrill and discuss the issues. Within 24 hours of Merrill’s receipt of the notice, someone in the mayor’s office or one of Hayward’s supporters leaked it to the daily newspaper, creating front-page headlines two days before Thanksgiving.
The story pushed Hayward’s belief that The Fish House owes the city millions and had to pay up in 90 days or it would be evicted from the property.
The damage to the restaurant was immediate. Employees began looking for other jobs. Requests for Christmas parties stopped. Brides began looking other places to hold their bridesmaid luncheons next summer.
Since then, Merrill has been successful in getting out his side of the story. The newspaper has written an editorial in his favor, and the mayor has rescinded his default notice.
However, the battle is not ever. Hayward doesn’t know how to apologize or back down. Merrill is fighting for his reputation. This combination is combustible.
