A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis filed a bill this week that is his latest shot across the bow of Mayor Lenny Curry.
The bill, while not likely to pass, will be an interesting litmus test of how much political capital Dennis has with Council in the wake of some difficult news cycles for the Curry administration.
Per media release Wednesday, the bill would amend the JEA Charter to give the City Council four of seven of the JEA board appointments, and would give the council confirmation approval of Curry’s three appointees.
While Curry could remove his appointees to what is currently a shorthanded board with two vacancies, with council approval, the Mayor would have no power to remove appointees.
New JEA Board picks would have to be Duval residents for three years.
The JEA Board, which Curry purged soon after taking the Mayor’s Office in 2015, made news Tuesday by choosing Aaron Zahn, a utility neophyte who was on the JEA Board for a month, to be an interim CEO.
Many have pointed out that Zahn and Curry are political allies, with a gaggle Wednesday seeing Curry answer a question about attending the same church as Zahn.
Zahn wants a pause on the privatization conversation that has roiled City Hall in recent months, though he is indeterminate about how long that pause should take.
Dennis, meanwhile, has already lost one recent board-related battle with Curry; Curry’s favored candidate for Kids Hope Alliance CEO, Joe Peppers, resigned from that board soon after being appointed to successfully pursue the paid position.
2 comments
Frankie M.
April 18, 2018 at 5:49 pm
How long is the pause? About 2 months when AB steps down and the yes man comes on board. Sounds to me like AG has been co-opted by Curry. Might as well be running the JEA privatization push. Zahn is Curry’s Trojan horse. We’ve already seen this movie before with Peppers and the KHA. And if there’s anything we know it’s that sequels suck.
David thomy
April 18, 2018 at 8:44 pm
Read Jacksonville Charter it describes what JEA Board has legal authority to do. Selling I do not think is legally authorized.
Do not go by an interpretation of City Attorney as mayor will be attorney’s client & you will get mayors the clients interpretation.
When the city gov attorney gives an option.
Always ask attorney who is their client. You will know how to translate.
When asking any attorney an important question it is crucial that you are the client If you have to ask you are not the client. Do not assume. If another passes info along to you & does not understand do not treat it as gospel. Info passed along is suspect anyway.
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