Melissa Stone’s Cavalry Strategies to offer support in JEA messaging war
Before a JEA sale, Council members must have a say.

image017
Tallahassee talent will help JEA tell its story.

These are watershed times for Jacksonville’s public utility, and messaging help is coming in from Tallahassee in a major way.

Former Rick Scott Chief of Staff Melissa Stone is coming on board via Cavalry Strategies.

Cavalry is a subcontractor for Jacksonville ad agency St. Johns and Partners, which is charged with what Stone calls a “customer and public education campaign for JEA.”

“Specifically,” Stone said, “we will help amplify strategic messaging opportunities for JEA to get facts and information to the public, so their customers and the community are well-informed about JEA’s operations. We will also aid in developing web content and digital media.”

The Cavalry contract comes at a time when JEA faces narrative challenges.

The public utility, which is exploring privatization as part of a suite of recapitalization options, has attempted to offer its side of the story in several ways.

Bill inserts, which attempt to detail the pressures JEA and the utility business face, have been tried — as have television ads and a Twitter account.

All of these modes of communication have been subject to criticism (some of it quite spirited) in some quarters.

The Jacksonville City Council, where privatization skeptics abound, moved to zero-out JEA’s ad budget as early as September.

Council Vice-President Tommy Hazouri, a Democrat, floated an amendment to the budget passed in September to move JEA’s $4.76 million ad budget below the line.

The utility, which is purportedly in a “death spiral,” has aggressively advertised, even as it solicits bids from larger private companies and has seen rates go up 71 percent since 2006.

Over $4.5 million of that money goes to promotion of the electrical side of the utility.

Hazouri wondered if the marketing was for local customers or prospective buyers.

Ultimately, Hazouri dropped the amendment, but his concerns have remained.

JEA also got negative publicity this week, in light of Florida Times-Union reporting on an executive compensation scheme that could have moved up to $600 million of sale proceeds to members of the current c-suite. These proceeds would be on top of up to three to 12 months of post-employment consulting fees for those executives.

In that context, Cavalry will begin its work, one of many consultants with statewide profiles helping locals make a case for recapitalization.

Earlier this week, the high-powered Southern Group was enlisted to help with intergovernmental messaging.

Expectations are that The Southern Group will “represent JEA before the county governments in Nassau and St. Johns, and in Duval it would “be a force multiplier for JEA and others inside (and outside) City Hall who believe the current ITN process is a healthy exercise that should have a chance to play out regardless of final outcome.”

The JEA bid process is outside of the City Council’s purview, and it has engaged outside counsel in an attempt to get clarity. Meanwhile, the legislators will participate in a series of informational meetings in the next few months, so that they can get a better handle on the utility’s exact position.

Sixteen bids, some from international players, were received by the utility earlier this month.

Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Emera and others are making bids for the electricity service, while French water company Veolia is among those seeking the water side of the utility.

Local policymakers have warned for the last couple of years that the current structure of the public utility is unsustainable. However, groups such as the Jacksonville Civic Council question the probity of the analysis.

Polling from the University of North Florida shows that 59 percent of those polled (and 63 percent of Republicans) don’t want to sell the utility, either in full or as component parts (water, sewer, et al.).

Respondents aren’t sold on JEA CEO Aaron Zahn, either. He’s underwater, with 47 percent disapproval against 33 percent approval.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


5 comments

  • RVR

    November 22, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    Fact Check: Rates have gone up 71%

    False…

  • Jennifer O'Donnell

    November 23, 2019 at 8:03 am

    Thank you for keeping us informed. You, David Bauerlein and Nate Monroe have been doing a fantastic job! Thank you all!

  • Mike

    November 23, 2019 at 11:31 am

    Rates have not gone up 71% since 2006. They have gone DOWN. That, along with the false claim of having 400 fewer employees today (fact: they have MORE), are both clear and blatant lies. JEA’s financials are strong—very solid. And it’s future is bright. Just ask the host of bidders lined up to buy it!

  • Sonja Emily Fitch

    November 24, 2019 at 7:06 am

    THIS IS JUST ANOTHER OF THE LOOTING LENNY SCAMS TO TAKE AS MUCH OF THE COMMON GOOD TAX DOLLARS FOR HIS POCKET AND HIS FRIENDS POCKETS. JEA IS FINE. THE SCHOOL BOARD IS FINE. THE COMMON GOOD FOR TAX DOLLARS HAS TO PREVAIL. WE ARE A CITY COUNTY STATE AND NATION BUILT ON THE COMMON GOOD. THE COPRPORATE SCUM NEEDS TO BACK OFF AND LOOTING LENNY CROWD NEEDS TO BACK OFF. HERE IS TO THE COMMON GOOD FOR ALL….

  • Pierre Delecto

    November 27, 2019 at 8:23 am

    The 71% figure is highly misleading. It is true that the energy rate was 4.145 cents/kWh in 2006 and is currently 6.988 cents, which is about 70% higher. What no one is telling you is that the 4.145 cent rate was originally set in 1994. So, the correct sentence is: “JEA has raised rates 71% since 1994”, which is not very dramatic at all. If you took 4.145 cents and adjusted for 2.2% annual inflation since 1994, you would end up at about 7 cents per kWh – essentially, the JEA rate has kept up with inflation. You can do the math for yourself. The old rates are available in the JEA tariff docs in the wayback machine, or you could reach out to JEA for a public records request and get them that way.

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories