JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors voted Wednesday to accept millions of dollars in local taxpayer funding as the agency works to stabilize its finances and address a $39 million budget shortfall.
Under an agreement with the city of Jacksonville, JTA will receive $30 million in local gas-tax revenue over the next 10 years. The funding will help the agency meet its debt obligations.
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The agreement comes days after JTA abruptly laid off more than 150 employees, drawing criticism from residents and former employees.
“I’m going to be very vocal about not letting any of my money come to JTA,” one Jacksonville resident told the board.
Former JTA employees also attended Wednesday’s meeting and urged the agency to avoid additional layoffs by moving some workers to part-time positions.
“They all have issues to solve. They have bills to pay,” a former employee said. “Nobody is happy about losing their homes or cars because they lost their jobs, so I would beg them to stay part time.”
Interim CEO Cleveland Ferguson said the restructuring process is ongoing and is expected to continue through Nov. 1.
“This process is not finished,” Ferguson said. “It will continue through Nov. 1, and we will bring service within available resources.”
Ferguson told board members that safety, reliability, debt reduction and financial discipline are the agency’s top priorities.
“These decisions carry a real human cost,” Ferguson said. “I recognize the weight of them, and I take responsibility for carrying them out in a way that is disciplined, fair and respectful of the people affected.”
Some board members questioned whether JTA can repay its utility debt without first understanding how the agency reached its current financial position.
“We have to first know several things: What happened? Why did it happen? And are those problems solved?” one board member said. “Where did the holes in the bucket come from?”
The Clay County Board of County Commissioners also voted Wednesday to terminate a funding agreement with JTA. The decision could affect Clay County’s community transportation program, a public shuttle bus service.
