Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 14, 2018

In what has been one of the roughest weeks in the tenure of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, his administration presented to a skeptical City Council — and a more skeptical overflow crowd — a controversial report outlining the benefits of the sale of the local public utility. Profits could be up to $6 billion, the report […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 13, 2018

Save JEA now. That’s the rallying cry of a political committee (Florida Committee for Infrastructure Investment) designed to stop the exploration of selling Jacksonville’s utility in its tracks. The charge: “Mayor Curry and his buddies are trying to sell JEA behind your back. He has already been caught giving misleading statement to the media about the […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 12, 2018

A power struggle between Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and City Council President Anna Brosche continued Monday. The latest field of battle for the two Republican CPAs: the JEA valuation study that will be finalized Wednesday. Brosche rebuffed JEA Board Chair Alan Howard‘s call for a special Council meeting that day to discuss the study, which will suggest exploring the true […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 12, 2018

On Friday, Jacksonville public utility JEA requested a meeting of the Jacksonville City Council for Wednesday, Feb. 14. On Monday, Council President Anna Brosche said she was “declining the opportunity” to meet. The topic: a draft of the valuation report released last week laying out the benefits of a sale of some or all of the utility’s assets, […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2018

Good news and bad news for those watching the trials and travails of Jacksonville’s Police and Fire Pension Fund. The good news first: Per a recent actuarial report from the fund, 2017’s funded ratio is 47.60% compared to 43.02% last year (after reflecting all Actuarial Impact Statements). This is the highest ratio since 2010. The […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 8, 2018

As Jacksonville considers the increasingly less hypothetical question of whether or not to sell its public utility, JEA, a bill (2018-101) filed this week would earmark any proceeds. The bill, filed by Republican City Councilman Matt Schellenberg, would set up a restricted reserve account, which would require a two-thirds vote to access funds therein. In a conversation Thursday […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 7, 2018

Public Financial Management is developing a valuation report for JEA, and a draft released to media makes the case that Jacksonville’s utility may have a “new answer to the old question of whether the city should sell JEA.” The most telling paragraph in the 25-page draft of the potential sale comes at its close. “In […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 6, 2018

On Tuesday, Jacksonville City Councilmembers struggled, in a meeting in a packed Council chambers, with the idea of a sale of the JEA to a private company. This was the second straight day on which Council members did a deep dive into JEA operations, with Monday offering Council calling for underground power lines. The office […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 5, 2018

Jacksonville’s relationship with its municipal utility, JEA, is on shaky ground. The office of Mayor Lenny Curry is, depending on who is telling the story, at least open to the possibility of selling off JEA to a private owner. Jacksonville City Council members have their concerns, which will be discussed in a public meeting on Tuesday […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 1, 2018

Last year, outgoing JEA board member Tom Petway floated an audacious proposal: privatize Jacksonville’s public utility. Explorations of that concept apparently have proceeded to the point where Action News Jax reports there are worries of a “mass exodus” from the company. Moreover, an internal letter template suggests pending offers of “continued employment” during possible “acquisition or change of control,” […]

Tag: JEA
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Jacksonville City Council pushes back hard against JEA sales pitch

Committee messages against JEA privatization

Bad blood: Lenny Curry, Anna Brosche clash over potential JEA sale ahead of Wednesday meeting

Jacksonville City Council President spikes special meeting to talk JEA sale

Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund sees bounce in funding level, but extra contributions urged

Jacksonville to mull ‘lockbox’ for JEA sale proceeds

JEA draft valuation report lays out benefits of sale

Jacksonville City Councilmembers want answers before selling JEA to private investor

Jacksonville Councilors want underground power lines in older neighborhoods

Jacksonville City Council, Lenny Curry’s office to clash over JEA privatization?