JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – What started as a dispute over a JEA board appointment and text messages referencing a “big favor” has now widened into a broader fight over leadership at Jacksonville’s publicly owned utility and who is trying to influence it.
The latest twist came Friday, when Mayor Donna Deegan, JEA Board Chair Joe DiSalvo, and JEA CEO Vickie Cavey appeared together at a press conference to push back on allegations and what they described as outside pressure targeting Cavey and JEA’s leadership.
News4JAX political analyst Rick Mullaney said it’s important to separate the different threads of the story.
“I think there’s really three separate issues here and we should keep them distinct,” Mullaney said.
Below is a timeline of key developments and the context behind why JEA board appointments and utility leadership have become such a sensitive topic in Jacksonville.
Why JEA board appointments are under a microscope
After fallout from the attempted sale of JEA — a scandal that ultimately led to federal prosecutions, including former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn — Jacksonville changed how the utility’s governing board is appointed.
Instead of the mayor appointing all members, the mayor and the City Council president now split appointments, with confirmation by the full City Council.
That structure was intended to strengthen oversight and make corruption harder — and it’s why the current controversy is drawing intense attention.
Timeline: How we got here
Feb. 5: Texts about a “big favor”
The controversy began with text messages between City Council President Kevin Carrico and JEA board member Arthur Adams.
In the exchange, Carrico told Adams he planned to replace him and wrote that he “owed a big favor.” And had to do it for “my guy.”
Adams replied: “My plan was to stay…”
After an apparent phone call, Adams later texted that he was disappointed, but added, “I respect your decision.”
Feb. 10: Legislation introduced to replace Adams
A resolution was introduced to confirm Carrico’s appointment of Paul Martinez to the JEA governing body, replacing Adams.
Martinez is the President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida. That’s where Carrico also serves as the VP of strategic initiatives.
Feb. 18: Carrico defends his choice; mayor’s office declines comment
As questions mounted about the text messages and the appointment process, Carrico defended the pick in a statement.
Carrico said, “The decision speaks for itself,” and said Martinez was appointed based on qualifications and a longstanding commitment to Jacksonville, citing Martinez’s role leading the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida.
The mayor’s office declined to comment at the time.
Feb. 18: Martinez withdraws
Later that same day, Martinez withdrew from consideration.
“I respect Paul Martinez’s decision and thank him for his decades of service to Jacksonville,” Carrico wrote in a statement. His leadership of one of the top-performing Boys & Girls Clubs organizations in the nation, serving 18,000 local children annually across 59 locations, speaks for itself. It’s unfortunate that political noise and unfair attacks sought to distract from a lifetime of service, but our community continues to benefit from his leadership and commitment.”
Feb. 19: Carrico raises leadership allegations; chief of staff let go
Carrico then shifted focus to leadership inside JEA.
News4JAX contacted Carrico on to ask more questions about the “big favor” he was referencing in the text message. The councilman didn’t address that question directly, but instead sent a statement that made serious allegations and questioned the leadership of JEA CEO Vickie Cavey.
In a statement, Carrico said he had received calls and met with JEA employees raising allegations including racism and a toxic corporate culture tied to the CEO. He said he expected to announce another name for the open board seat “in the coming days.”
That same night, JEA employees were informed Chief of Staff Kurt Wilson was let go, according to information shared with News4Jax.
Wilson has a connection to former mayor Lenny Curry.
In 2015, Curry appointed Wilson as Director and Fire Chief.
Carrico addressed Wilson’s departure, and a report from the Florida Times-Union that said JEA Vice Chair Rick Morales asked Cavey this week to step down from her post.
Feb. 20: Mayor, JEA board chair and CEO respond publicly
On Friday, Mayor Donna Deegan appeared alongside JEA board chair Joe DiSalvo and Cavey in a joint press conference.
“There is now a calculated initiative to intimidate our CEO and myself into resigning,” DiSalvo said.
Deegan called the situation a “vile smear campaign,” and said it escalated after Cavey resisted pressure to renew a lobbying contract with politically connected people.
Deegan and Cavey did not name the lobbying firm, and Cavey denied the existence of a “pressure campaign,” but Cavey did say that JEA ended its contract with the firm on Jan. 31 because JEA was not using its services.
State lobbying records show that lobbyists with Ballard Partners were registered to lobby for JEA, but in the fourth quarter of 2025, Ballard Partners was not compensated by JEA for any state lobbying activities.
According to Ballard Partners’ website, two partners are assigned to the Jacksonville office: Former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Jordan Elsbury, Curry’s former Chief of Staff.
“This vile smear campaign magically appeared after [Cavey] resisted pressure to renew a lobbying contract with people who are politically connected to a handful of council members, including our council president,” Deegan said.
Deegan also tied the issue back to Jacksonville’s last JEA scandal.
“The JEA scheme was the biggest corruption scandal in Jacksonville’s history,” Deegan said.
Cavey addressed leadership and workplace culture concerns, saying she would not comment on personnel issues publicly and adding:
“Racism has no place anywhere.”
Mullaney said the press conference was a forceful defense of Cavey, but noted that key questions remain.
“As we stand here today I don’t think we have a clear picture or a full picture of exactly what has happened and why,” Mullaney said.
Following the news conference, Carrico sent a statement to News4JAX and said the “frantic press conference” showed there is a “growing crisis of confidence at JEA.”
“What is most troubling is Mayor Deegan’s direct involvement in what is supposed to be an independent authority,” Carrico wrote. “JEA was deliberately structured to operate free from political pressure, yet we are now seeing an unmistakable attempt to inject mayoral influence into decisions that belong to its independent leadership and board. When the independence of our public utility is compromised, every ratepayer should be alarmed - especially given the painful lessons from the attempted sale of JEA.”
Carrico called for all communications between the Mayor’s Office, Cavey, their staff, and JEA leadership over the past 60 days to be immediately preserved and made public.
What happens next
Mullaney said the next phase could include more scrutiny — and possibly an investigation — depending on the seriousness of the allegations.
“There’s going to have to be a little bit of a further investigation,” Mullaney said, adding that it “may involve the inspector general for the city of Jacksonville...potentially even the state attorney’s office in the grand jury investigation because one of the things is for sure. When you get that subpoena before the grand jury it has and shine a spotlight on something it can affect behavior and that also can lead to accountability.””
He also noted that JEA board appointments — typically low-profile — are now drawing public attention.
“Typically, those board appointments are relatively invisible, but what’s happened this week has made them very visible,” Mullaney said.
Carrico still needs to name a new nominee for the open JEA board seat, and Adams’ term ends Feb. 28.
He said he plans to do that in the coming days.