A.G. Gancarski
One of the more surprisingly compelling political stories in Jacksonville in the second half of 2015: the chaos at the local utility, JEA.
You saw the mayor, Lenny Curry, sending emails to top staff members asking “what the hell is going on” with the board of directors.
You saw board members blasting media for covering its issues difficulties.
There was a series of tense meetings regarding getting certain appointees from the previous administration off the board.
And then there was the JEA liaison from Council wondering, during an October meeting regarding the JEA Agreement, whether the utility and the city were at “cross purposes and cross goals.”
All of that seems to be in the rear view mirror now. Their relations seem to have started improving about the time Mike Hightower became top lobbyist for JEA.
All indications are that a JEA agreement will be reached soon between the city and the utility, perhaps by next Tuesday at the JEA agreement meeting.
That’s not an accident. Hard work went into the negotiation of that agreement, in shade meetings and otherwise, with smart, tough negotiators for both the city and the utility.
A conclusion reached: All parties are on the same side.
Part of that lies in the difference between the Alvin Brown and Lenny Curry administrations, informed parties contend.
A worry was that the former mayor desired to use JEA to help with the city’s unfunded liability issues related to public pensions.
That worry was abated by the Curry before the bond rating trip to New York in December, a relief to those agencies, which like everyone else saw the headlines.
Although it will still be a month or two before the final result is known, hopes and expectations are that JEA will maintain its credit rating as it continues to work toward reducing its debt burden, and attempts to avoid new debt.
The new board, also, has that establishment imprimatur. Chairman Tom Petway and Vice Chairman Ed Burr have a strong working relationship with City Hall.
One point of contention remains as far as the JEA Agreement goes: the responsibility for collective bargaining, which has become an issue in the wake of the General Counsel ruling that City Council, as the “appropriative body,” has the responsibility for salary negotiations.
That’s something that would be yet another burden on City Council, and there are some on the JEA Agreement committee who would prefer the ability to delegate that burden.
There are actually arguments in favor of that; one being that there is a gap, in terms of experience and aptitude, on City Council.
Jacksonville faces a lot of issues: a wave of killings, a push toward a pension tax referendum, and the HRO battle. But JEA, compared with a few months ago, is on better footing.
