Will renaming of Wahnish to Althea Gibson Way happen? John Dailey blames Bill Proctor

The renaming of Wahnish Way to Althea Gibson Way may not be dead after all.

Tallahassee city commissioners this week voted to move forward with the renaming despite it being shot down at the county level. The idea is supported by Florida A&M University; its campus abuts the road.

At the March 27 commission meeting, the motion made by Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox received unanimous support but not before Mayor John Dailey pointed a finger at one specific Leon County commissioner: Bill Proctor, who was at the meeting.

"I agree I think we're at an interesting point right now when you have a unanimous decision not only by the Board of Directors of FAMU but from the City of Tallahassee, and you have an individual who can blow things up for political reasons at the county," Dailey said. "I think it's time for us to reevaluate that situation and that we move forward in conjunction with FAMU and that we rename the road."

Proctor later told the Tallahassee Democrat: "Dailey, generally, is known to have a low threshold for those who are just not on his most popular list. There's anger management classes for Mr. Dailey. I imagine his insurance will allow him to secure that."

He added: "He ain't my daddy and I just frankly don't give a damn what he feels."

The process of road renaming

Born and raised in New York, Gibson was an 11-time Grand Slam champion who won the U.S. Nationals, as well as Wimbledon and the French Open.

The idea came from former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, who had suggested just renaming a segment, from FAMU Way to Orange Avenue. Despite Wahnish being a city street, the renaming must go through the county because of the county's Land Development Code.

The proposed renaming appeared on the agenda for the Leon County Commission's March 19 meeting, which is where the problems begin.

Even though the renaming was first proposed to be the segment next to FAMU, the new name was set to span the entirety of the road from FAMU Way to Bragg Drive, or all 1.88 miles. Proctor moved to rename the original segment of FAMU Way to Orange Avenue.

Barry Wilcox, director of development support and environmental management, explained that county law requires renaming "the entirety" of a street, in part to ensure timely 911 responses, for instance.

Proctor chided staff, supposedly for going against the wishes of commissioners. In they end, the county commission unanimously voted for the honorary designation.

Now, city commissioners want to find a way to get the renaming to happen. Mayor Dailey even issued a letter to FAMU's President Larry Robinson, assuring him that the road will come soon.

Tensions growing between Proctor, Dailey

The road renaming is just one example of the ongoing tension between the two commissioners, who once were colleagues when Dailey was a three-term county commissioner in 2006-18.

Just a few weeks ago, Proctor got involved into the negotiations between the city and Tallahassee firefighters by offering to be a mediator between the two groups. Dailey shot back that the county should look into creating a fire department of their own and that Proctor should butt out.

Proctor hasn't backed down, continuing to show his support for the firefighters and hosting a townhall at the Bruce J. Host Northeast Branch Library with Joey Davis, president of the Tallahassee Professional Fire Fighters union.

The discord marks a shift from just two years ago, when the two stood together at a press conference as Proctor endorsed Dailey in his reelection bid. That came after another well-publicized announcement and photo op involving a city-funded project to extend sewer service to the south side, a longtime priority for Proctor.

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at [email protected] or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee: Wahnish Way may still be renamed to Althea Gibson Way