Should Jeff Bergosh Be Reelected?

The Truth Behind Jeff Bergosh's Record and Actions

What has Jeff Bergosh done for Escambia County?

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OFFICIAL FACT CHECK

FACT #1 - Increased Local Property Taxes SEVEN TIMES

Although he claims to be a fiscal conservative, Jeff Bergosh voted seven years in a row to increase county budget spending by over 65% to $719 million. In that same time frame, he voted seven times to increase property taxes on citizens and local businesses.

Supporting Evidence

Tax Increase Cover-Ups — When pressed on the issue, Jeff Bergosh frequently responds that he "never voted to increase the property tax rate." However, the tax rate alone does not create tax increases. The truth is that Jeff Bergosh has never used the roll-back rate and, therefore, increased property taxes year after year.

When Citizens Were Hurting Most — Many of these property tax increases came at a time when residents were recovering from Hurricane Sally, COVID-19, and other financial hardships.

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FACT #2 - Illegal Benefits

Jeff Bergosh voted to give himself the option for an additional $57,000 a year in retirement benefits, ON TOP on top of his nearly $100,000 annual salary for the part-time elected official position. A Circuit Court ruled that THIS WAS ILLEGAL.

Supporting Evidence

Was Advised it was Illegal — Jeff Bergosh had been advised that the plan was illegal, and elected County Commissioners did not have the authority to grant themselves the benefit. He refused to heed the warning and voted to approve the plan.

Circuit Court Ruled it was Illegal — The county Comptroller and Clerk of Courts refused to approve payment for the illegal plan so Jeff Bergosh voted to sue her. A Circuit Court Judge ruled that the plan was indeed illegal, confirming what Jeff Bergosh and other commissioners had been warned of.

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FACT #3 - Millions in Lawsuits

Jeff Bergosh voted to approve suing employees, elected officials, and even citizens who oppose his voting record.

Supporting Evidence

Other Commissioners and Employees — Jeff Bergosh voted to sue other Commissioners and multiple county employees. So far the county has paid over $9,000,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle these cases, plus millions more in legal fees.

Clerk of Courts — Jeff Bergosh voted to approve suing the county Comptroller and Clerk of Courts who refused to cooperate with an illegal retirement scheme. The Commissioners lost and were ordered to repay illegal compensation. This cost the taxpayers $400,000 just for the Clerk's representation, per the Clerk's Office.

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FACT #4 - Public Resources Used Solely for Personal Benefit

Jeff Bergosh used the official Escambia County resources at his disposal to pursue a lawsuit, where only he would personally benefit.

Supporting Evidence

Confirmed by his Own Testimony — When questioned as a witness in a lawsuit brought by the county, he acknowledged he was using county legal resources to pursue legal action in a way that personally benefited him, not the citizens.​

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FACT #5 - No Transparency

Jeff Bergosh repeatedly limits citizen comments to two minutes at public meetings and regularly cancels them, so there is no opportunity for public input. During his two terms, Jeff Bergosh held 62 “shade” meetings, not open to the public. Neighboring Santa Rosa County has not held such a meeting since 1986.

Supporting Evidence

Negotiates in Private with NDAs — Recent negotiations for industrial warehouses at Beulah OLF-8 have been held in secret, behind closed doors and the secrecy of Non-Disclosure Agreements. Valuable citizen input will not be welcomed until the project is finalized.​

Canceled Public Budget Planning Meetings — In July 2024, he agreed to cancel all public budget planning sessions, except for a brief meeting at which citizens were not allowed to comment. Citizens will have no visibility or input on how their tax dollars are spent until the final two budget meetings when everything has already been decided.​

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FACT #6 - Abandoned Million-Dollar Master Plans

Escambia County has completed multiple master development plans with true citizen input and feedback. However, Jeff Bergosh shelved those plans, instead pursuing under-the-table negotiations with his favored developers.

Supporting Evidence

Beulah OLF-8 Master Plan—Escambia County spent over $1,000,000 and years developing the OLF-8 master plan with true citizen input. Since then, Jeff Bergosh has continued entertaining offers contrary to the plan. Most recently, he has been working on what he calls "Project Dynamo," a secret project to build industrial warehouses in OLF-8.

Perdido Key Master Plan — In 2016, around the time Jeff Bergosh took office, the Perdido Key Master Plan was completed and adopted. Since that time very little progress has been made to encourage development under the plan.

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FACT #7 - Against Truth in Taxation

In conversations with another elected leader, Jeff Bergosh stated that he wants to eliminate requirements to publish notices in local newspapers. State law requires local governments to notify citizens of planned property tax increases. Jeff Bergosh called this law a “scam.”

Supporting Evidence

Called Transparency Law "A Scam" — During the second and final official 2023 Escambia County Public Budget Hearing, Jeff Bergosh stated on record that the Truth In Taxation Law is "a scam." (Watch the video here.) As County Commissioner, his sworn oath is to uphold and follow the laws of the State of Florida, not flaunt them.

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FACT #8 - Helped Developers Circumvent Land Development Code

Jeff Bergosh helped real estate developers circumvent the County’s planning process to develop local farmers’ lands into big real estate projects.

Supporting Evidence

Beulah Lost All Agricultural Lands — When Jeff Bergosh took office in 2016, Beulah had sizable areas of agricultural land. During his term, Jeff Bergosh voted to approve a new ordinance developed secretly by outside legal counsel, allowing developers to permanently convert protected land for other uses without public input.​

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FACT #9 - Personal Vendetta

In leaked text messages made public, Jeff Bergosh stated his reason for redistricting was a personal vendetta against other local elected officials who would be affected. He redrew district lines to take the wealthiest part of the county away from a fellow commissioner and place it in his own district.

Supporting Evidence

Citizens Had No Say — Residents within a large area of District 2 had elected their county commissioner. Two years later, they became part of District 1 under a new commissioner they had never voted for. And now with this year's closed primary, half of this area's population will go at least six years before being able to vote for their elected leader.

Grand Jury Investigation — This action and leaked text messages triggered a lengthy and expensive grand jury investigation. Jeff Bergosh went on to use county legal resources to sue the newspaper that printed the original story, private citizens, and former county employees, solely for his personal benefit.

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FACT #10 - Ethics Complaints

Over the past 8 years, Jeff Bergosh was involved with multiple investigations, including ethics investigations and complaints.

Supporting Evidence

Troubling Disregard for Ethics — Elected leaders should be held to the highest ethical standards, as they are responsible for acting in the best interests of their constituents and the community. Jeff Bergosh's involvement in multiple investigations raises serious concerns about his integrity and suitability for public office. The fact that he was involved in investigations reflects a troubling disregard for the ethical principles that should guide his actions as a public servant.

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What Jeff Bergosh's Opponents Have to Say

"It's time for a change in District 1 because our citizens deserve better."
Steve Stroberger
"I am not a part of the problem."
Jesse Casey
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