Save Our City

Save Our City was a grassroots political action committee (PAC) created to overturn the Pensacola City Council's decision to build the Community Maritime Park (CMP). Its leading members were Charles Fairchild (who was also active in the group Citizens Against Trillium, which succeeded in stopping the earlier Festival Park project) and dissenting City Councilman Marty Donovan. Other prominent members and allies included Luke McCoy, Melanie Nichols, C. C. Elebash, P. A. Ucci, and Tommy White.

On May 25, 2006, the group submitted enough petition signatures to force a referendum on the project. Initially, the language of the ballot would have required voters to vote "yes" to overturn the CMP project or "no" to preserve the decision of the City Council. This was later changed to avoid confusion.

Opposition

A counterpart PAC, Friends of the Waterfront Park, was formed to advance the pro-Park agenda. Funded primarily by Quint Studer, some of the Friends of the Waterfront Park ads invoked a parody of Save Our City called "Stop Our City," which was headed by two cartoon characters, Chuckie & Donno (references to Fairchild and Donovan). Rick Outzen posted the ads on his blog and later, with the Independent News staff, created a second parody of the group called "Better Save Our City."

Save Our City's efforts were defeated in the September 5, 2006 referendum.