Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiApril 24, 2018

In a memo to JEA employees Monday, interim CEO Aaron Zahn hailed “a new dawn” for the Jacksonville utility. The point of the memo was clear. It framed Zahn, a board member for one month who leveled-up into the CEO chair, as an agent of stability for the utility, which has been rocked for months by […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 21, 2018

On Friday, WJCT broke the news that “Data Targeting, Inc., a Gainesville firm that worked to elect Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, conducted a focus group study in late February asking participants whether they support selling municipal utility JEA.” The claim was that “a private group of investors” who are “nonpartisan” were paying for the focus group, which saw participants […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 20, 2018

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said last month that he wanted the city to have a “mature conversation” about JEA valuation and whether privatization was the way forward. However, after yet another series of bad news cycles in which Curry, a popular mayor for most of his term, has seen that conversation and his mayoralty pilloried in […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 19, 2018

On Tuesday, the board of Jacksonville’s public utility JEA picked former board member Aaron Zahn as its new interim CEO to serve for the next year. Meanwhile, CFO Melissa Dykes, passed over the CEO opening, will receive some sort of role change. Zahn and Dykes appeared at Thursday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council special committee on the […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 18, 2018

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 […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 17, 2018

Jacksonville’s public utility on Tuesday picked a new interim CEO, Aaron Zahn, who said — along with JEA Board chair Alan Howard — that there needed to be a “pause” in the privatization discussion. For months, City Hall has been roiled with discussions of a potential sale of JEA. Now, there fmay be a break in the action. […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 17, 2018

On Tuesday, the board of Jacksonville’s public utility JEA picked former board member Aaron Zahn as its new interim CEO to serve for the next year. Meanwhile, CFO Melissa Dykes was elevated to a role beyond CFO, in a role that the org chart has yet to define. Also undefined: compensation and how the two […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 16, 2018

JEA board member Aaron Zahn has resigned his position to pursue the interim CEO position. The news, first reported by the Florida Times-Union, was confirmed via a letter sent to board chair Alan Howard and Jacksonville’s Office of General Counsel and obtained by Florida Politics. The letter confirmed Zahn’s “intent to pursue the position of Interim Chief Executive Officer […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 10, 2018

Two bills of note passed by the Jacksonville City Council Tuesday evening. ____ Straw ballot for JEA sale: 2018-141 will prime a straw ballot referendum for November to test the voters’ mood on a JEA sale. The measure, sponsored by Garrett Dennis and John Crescimbeni (two skeptics of the need to sell), would, in theory, […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 9, 2018

“Tell Lenny JEA is not for sale”: the latest digital ad from Florida Committee for Infrastructure Investment. The spot, which will have a $5,000+ ad buy, began airing Monday on digital channels and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, per the press release. The spot weaves together a narrative from local media accounts, charging Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry […]

Tag: JEA

‘New dawn for JEA’, asserts Jacksonville utility interim CEO

JEA privatization focus group not funded by Lenny Curry’s political operation

Is Jacksonville’s ‘mature conversation’ about JEA privatization over?

JEA CEO: Board was ‘wholly unprepared’ for Jacksonville utility privatization debate

Jacksonville City Councilman challenges Lenny Curry, seeks JEA board reform

Is the JEA privatization push on ‘pause’ … or dead?

JEA picks Aaron Zahn as interim CEO

JEA board member resigns to pursue interim CEO position

JEA straw poll, board reform bills clear Jacksonville City Council

Digital ad targets Lenny Curry over JEA sale exploration