JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JEA CEO Vickie Cavey faced intense questioning Wednesday as a special investigative committee of the Jacksonville City Council probed allegations of a toxic workplace, claims of racism and millions of dollars in disputed capacity fees.
Cavey was questioned for more than two hours during a sometimes-contentious session that included heated exchanges among council members. The committee pressed Cavey about how she was appointed, her leadership style and whether she had ever used the phrase “Make JEA Great Again” — a remark Cavey said she did not recall.
“I don’t recall a meeting saying that,” Cavey said. “I may have, but I don’t recall it at all.”
She also testified that she first learned about the workplace culture allegations from a news report.
The committee’s questioning ran into legal limits when members sought to discuss a contract involving the Ballard lobbying firm. Michael Fackler, general counsel for the City of Jacksonville, warned that the contract is the subject of a criminal investigation by the statewide prosecutor and the state attorney and that the topic was off limits.
“This particular contract is the subject of a criminal investigation by the statewide prosecutor and the state attorney,” Fackler said. “The agency does not know if it is the subject, we do not know who is the subject of this, so this is an extremely sensitive area.”
Tensions rose on the dais. Councilman Matt Carlucci and Councilman Rory Diamond clashed during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly called for decorum. Carlucci later apologized for an earlier outburst and criticized the committee’s tone, saying he believed some members were using the probe as a political weapon.
“My frustrations got the best of me,” Carlucci said. He later called the City Council’s work culture “toxic,” saying some members were using the investigation for political purposes.
Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman said Cavey’s repeated “I don’t recall” answers — she said Cavey responded that way to more than a dozen questions — left her frustrated and reluctant to press further.
“And for you to ask some of these questions, I felt like I didn’t want to ask anymore from what I heard today,” Pittman said.
JEA’s assistant general counsel told the committee the utility has opened two internal investigations into employee complaints.
The hearing also addressed disputed capacity fees — one-time charges paid to JEA based on expected usage. JEA says it has identified about $25 million in owed capacity fees dating to 2003.
Incoming Council President Nick Howland said he will make an announcement Friday about the future of the special investigative committee.
Most recently, the committee heard from Chief Administrative Officer Jody Brooks and Regina Ross, the utility’s former legal counsel.
Council President Kevin Carrico formed the special investigative committee to look into culture complaints and capacity fee concerns.
Capacity fees are one-time charges billed to new customers based on projected water and electric usage; some accounts may not have been adjusted after businesses expanded beyond initial projections.
The City Council committee even opted to do its own employee survey, saying the internal survey conducted by JEA might not provide enough detail to address the toxic workplace allegations.
The committee said its employee survey for JEA will more directly assess concerns about workplace culture and allegations involving senior leadership.
The results of JEA’s survey were released last week, with JEA saying 59% of employees participated — 1,362 out of 2,314 employees.
JEA says respondents also submitted 4,124 written comments. The utility says its overall results are benchmarked against “comparable electric and water utility companies.”
News4JAX combed through the comments to see what employees said about the utility company.
Three results that stand out
- 47% of employees surveyed said they feel well-informed about important decisions at JEA.
- 18% below comparable utilities.
- 49% said they have confidence in JEA’s chiefs.
- 23% below comparable utilities.
- 46% said directors, VPs and chiefs understand what is really happening at JEA.
- 19% below comparable utilities.
View the survey below:
What employees wrote
The newly released comments show a wide range of experiences across the utility.
Some employees described pride in the work and serving the community, including one comment that said they love “helping the people of our community in times of bad storms by getting their power back on in a quick, safe, and timely manner.”
Others emphasized teamwork and stability, with one employee writing that they feel supported by coworkers and that the job’s purpose is part of why they stay.
But other comments were sharply critical of leadership and workplace culture — including direct mentions of Cavey and City Hall.
One employee wrote:
“I don’t trust the Board or Vickie, or at this point anyone at City Hall. JEA isn’t a political tool. It is a community service.”
In another comment, an employee described the culture as “unsettled,” while others pointed to what they called constant change at the top and stress tied to outside scrutiny.
Three other results
The survey also included several higher-scoring measures related to employees’ direct supervisors and overall satisfaction (each nearly on par with similar utilities):
- 83% said their manager cares about their concerns.
- 80% said they are very satisfied with their job.
- 77% said they would recommend working at JEA.
What JEA says happens next
In a statement released with the results, JEA said it is analyzing the survey and that senior leadership is developing action plans to address key employee concerns.
JEA also noted it has received three USA TODAY Culture Excellence Awards in the categories of Work-Life Flexibility, Professional Development, and Compensation and Benefits.