Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis released the following statement after unsuccessful attempts to receive clarity regarding the status of repairs to over 600 Balfour Beatty Communities base houses damaged by Hurricane Michael:
“It is absolutely unacceptable that Balfour Beatty Communities has essentially forfeited their commitment to provide safe and quality housing at Tyndall Air Force Base in the wake of Hurricane Michael. As our brave military members piece together their lives while serving our nation, I expect Balfour Beatty to begin repairs immediately on their properties or be held in breach of contract.
“I have reached out to company executives and they have refused to provide any written explanation as to why they have catastrophically failed this community. Military members should not be paying the consequences for bad business decisions. Considering that this company does extensive business with the state, at the very least they have a responsibility to be responsive to all taxpayers, including our selfless servicemembers.”
State Senator George Gainer said, “The families and military members at Tyndall deserve access to housing now. I applaud CFO Patronis for taking action and working towards solutions which will restore the quality of life at our local military base.”
State Representative Jay Trumbull said, “It is appalling that Balfour Beatty is not stepping up to the plate when it comes to Hurricane Michael recovery at Tyndall Air Force Base. Florida’s servicemembers should not have to wait indefinitely for repairs to their housing.”
Balfour Beatty Communities provides housing at Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. For more context on the issue, please see these articles:
Rubio: Housing situation at Tyndall is ‘catastrophic’ – could threaten future operations
