Jacksonville City Council Press Conference

Jacksonville City Council Press Conference — Mar 11, 2026

>> 2 members of the media, my colleagues and concerned Citizens. Thank you for coming out today. As we discussed the special investigatory committee that commissioning as council president has requested by the inspector general. We're going to discuss the charge of that committee introduced the committee members today. But first, we're talking about how we got here and rumblings of issues with leadership at J A since being installed as the council president and those rumors and rumblings turn into conversations with and past employees of the utility. I spoke to some of those employees about concerns of toxic leadership, concerns about racial discrimination practices and they're hiring and termination of employees. And these are real concerns to me. February 13th, a very trusted member of this community. Kurt Wilson, former fire chief, was fired from his position at J is the chief of staff after becoming fire chief. Whenever J started as government relations works, we have the vice president and became chief of staff, a very trusted source over there, someone that the council regularly goes to to solve problems and learn about what's going on the utility. And he was fired without really any explanation, other than eliminated the position. A multibillion dollar entity doesn't need a chief of staff. That's the only explanation we got after his termination. That was a board meeting the next week or another trusted community member Whitmer ounce, the vice chairman of the board and J a similar concerns to that board meeting. Similar concerns that he had talked to employees that employees were upset. Employees were fed up. That employees were scared. Now after learning that the chief of staff had been terminated, he brought these concerns to the board and asked for an investigation. A look at these things are going to find out what was going on and the board shut him now. Not only shut them down, ended up not ascending to the president aboard later discussed that he had asked the CEO to resign Vicki Katie and that she had agree that she would get with her financial planner and figure out a path forward and her resignation would be on its debts that has since been rescinded. So after the board shuts them down, says no, we're not going to look into this. Then they take a vote of confidence in the CEO without even discussing in these issues, which is troublesome to me. So after the board meeting myself and several of my colleagues started getting more phone calls, there's issues over here. We're afraid to come forward. We don't want to be fired by Karlsson, but we need someone to talk to at this point. I think that's when the inspector general of all he started getting similar calls. He started hearing from employees. He started hearing from whistleblowers, if you will, that only the toxic work environment to light a serious concern about the feast not being charts. These are fees and upwards of 10 to 100 million dollars. We're talking about fees that belong to the rate payers. Is that belong to the citizens who pay their JTA bill every day in us in a struggling economy that Jane Doe has to be paid. So to find out that great pair dollars just being swept under the rug is very concerning. And Jay-Z response that we're looking into it or where we're trying to develop a possible that's not good enough. Right now, they've known for a while that this issue existed and now it has come to light. They're looking at a policy. A policy is not going to do it with respect to general writing the memo to me and making it clear this is his words. I'm requesting assistance from the city council to provide the necessary resources to ascertain the veracity of these allegations. He's asking us for help. And that's what we're here to do. Launching this committee, the Special Investigative Committee on the following that for us determining whether the council auditor, the extent which capacity fees may not have been collecting the recent years and identifying that amount, if any, that may be to the city NJ looking into investigating and ensuring that J and the city are in compliance with bond commitments reporting requirements including but not limited to a division of services for free in violation of those commitments. We'll be looking into the recent allegations made to the JTA board regarding racism and toxic culture existing and JTA under the leadership of the current J a chief executive officer and conducting an independent review. A recent playoff geisha is regarding worst workplace culture, a J. We'll be evaluating Jays compliance with applicable whistleblower protection laws and policies and proposing legislation as a pro. It based on the committee's findings, introduce the members of the committee is our senior leaders of this council. People that have been here for a long time and seeing a lot. Our chairman will be the liaison to J a past. President council member Ron Salem also on the committee, one of the longest tenured members of this body, someone who is constantly fighting for people and fighting for the city to Kobe Pittman and are so attorney on this council who was also involved in the last investigative committee we had to do on Jay to save the people from the sale council member Rory Diamond. So go ahead and let the members of the body speak and then we'll come back and take some questions. So let me introduce the chairman of the Special Investigative Committee passed president are on sale. >> Thank you, Mr. President and the first of all, thank you for having the confidence in May to chair this. What I consider to be a very important committee. I care deeply about J a I spent the first year of my first term on this council dealing with JTA from the sale to the uncovering of the problems within JTA and then helping rewrite the charter Ajayi. So I think my my knowledge of JTA is high and I look forward to getting to the bottom of these problems. I will be setting up meetings in the near future with the appropriate players individually to understand all the issues and then we will bring the community together soon thereafter, bring in witnesses and move this process forward to get to the truth of what's going on at J. E thank you, Mr. President and committee member Councilwoman payment its president. >> First of all, I want to say thank you for giving me the confidence to be on this committee and an opportunity for the charge that you half of this community us. A few weeks ago, I received a call from one of the employees. I'm at he who wanted to remain anonymous. >> And she shared that there is some serious concerns regarding the internal staff working J. And so the allegations were basically very toxic. They felt like they worked in a hostile environment, a culture that must be addressed with transparency, accountability and a commitment to improve the employees want and outside. >> Is it turns out this is a a it's not especially with them. They feel like there are still unsafe. And if they speak out, they will be happy. And so they feel like they can't. I will say last it reached out to be I'm all about us. It stands for. I'm sure it will get for her teammates ensure that J and most of all power. Is it just me and to help them a spare councilwoman. >> Unable to be here today. It's got to work out county. We look forward to his participation is making his experience as a prosecutor and that led to it. It's like to this committee is about transparency, accountability. It's about bringing answers to the people. We pay the rates of JTA. This is a bipartisan committee and the Specter general requests of this committee is unable to get a team that is here for this very reason to look into waste, fraud and abuse and anything having to do with public money. So that the Celtics questions we asked media members out here still to chairman, he requested the auditors, his counsel, president authority to into that and to make sure that honors to participate in that there's a multitude of issues. We had conversations went on that agree that a special investigative committee would be the best way to get that get that resource. So we get a look at to independently this. It lets you know how and they can call witnesses for the Knesset. Tough questions. You want to go under oath. He resigned his body. So that is really the reason why we formed the committee is charged. And the reason that we need to get to the bottom of this as repairs are I will take Jason all over 80% of the stuff in both these issues are not something that just started a conversation with the former chief of staff, even working with the leadership there to try to bring some of these issues to light, to try to coach a guy that cla of actually run a large organization is here and the fire department before. So those issues are trying. We worked on that in there and not there anymore. And they terminated. It just creates a more hostile fear environment for those in place. With the with the fees were talking about the memo that that you saw that became public record from the former attorney that was over there. It's all the way back to the inception of the Mayo Clinic and the fee that they were charged to get started. If you feel the among their last meeting, your backyard here, TJ is going to charge you for that. But for the giant organization, a multi 100 million dollars is Asian. It's just get away with not having to expand. The best of it is he's a ratepayer fees that we owe the people. All these things just come to light another online just to do something about it and turnover of cars for sale firms to my next question. >> We don't want to make sure that our goal is to tell us that while Florida is being written and the U.S. cherished. >> You can talk to and we will find one. And then here in terms of this is that when it comes to us, we're here in 19 to go back and watch with what does the same time every day in this building. It led to resignations within days. So it is in fact that this community has for the last 30 years. It's the white thing. I will be setting up meetings with various people involved in this walk and get up to speed and then we will investigate. I was hoping at the past for being some of the things that I want to get. Yeah, and at the board level, but I wasn't recognize us what I'm going to put forth, that this is what I want to afford to do. We refuse to and instead gay is taking a vote. It's a positive for the board. We're going to get. >> Questions all before on the records request from the state attorney's office working fine in full with all the requests to make sure that we cooperate fully to make sure that it comes to light, that there was no wrongdoing on my behalf. And I'm confident that that will happen. It's part of the message to the public. This is your utility. And when the inspector general says there's something here, we need to look at it. I need your help. And that's my responsibility as president. So to the people we have your back, we're looking out beyond this and we're going to come to a resolution. 7 men all. >> With that. >> Yeah. Just missing any any thoughts are concerned that this is politically motivated? If you see behind me, this is a bipartisan committee expected general's office is not political at all stemming from fast and then report it. And we're going to look at those facts. We're going to see if it indeed there was any wrongdoing. And if we need to charge companies for their usage and that must be returned, that this is that's what we're gonna do. Another part of that. So many of these independent agencies, their CEOs and their board, the council are the only members that are elected, but says the people of Jackson elect a city council to represent them down here in city Hall and oversight of all these committees that all these, that he's the go-to our budget process and go to our governing body. So we do it. If there's something out there, there's smoke. There's fire and past presidents have done this before. So different when you have something to say, my line of work. But, you know, I know we know now that there are serious allegations on both the workplace issues and the Houston Street. So we're gonna look into our store accountability and trust the public. It would be real careful, not that deep in the weeds as a lobbyist to come forward and said there's hear their concerns on this council went through a similar issue, may be just the year that we had people coming forward to work, all kind of issues with leadership. Lot of them left. Well, we did an independent review, the Southern tier, a lot of issues. A lot lays out concerns. If you made a change in leadership in several those in place to combat, when you restore trust in, you restore common goals and objectives in the workplace, you get maximum productivity. You get a little workout experience that we should all strive for with your government and private sector. So for this crime and he's got his office and the Saudi works on the place of a lot, we're talking to him. We talked about Human Rights Commission, possibly getting all that. They would introduce some employees and keep the competition. We really want to be mindful whistleblower people losing their job to get started. So we're going to keep investigating that. The more we learn, the more we can share that we feel safe protecting the plays. We will sure there's a lot to speak to that question. It was President experience government, the police or great falls. >> We had that situation when I was president in Houston next stronghold company to survey the voice. I see us point here. We will look at us 40 or 50 call police to work in that building and they will get a survey to the property and they'll be able to respond to those whistles. The analyze back to us so we can understand wheelchair that is all way to protect state. And that's the important point. For however, some have gone up for work. They are so fed up with the situation there. They are getting for actions that should indicate to you. It concerns at all. I can't speak to that. That's the purpose of the surge. It to get those sorts of ways that we can analyze it. Is it to touch on a specific issue. The outside survey we step here, it was very effective. Helping us understand all of that. We have a 4th floor. I believe we can is Jay Ph and some holes be able to determine what triggers it was present and yet. >> Employees are acting as representatives for others. We heard up to 12 individuals that have concerns first Coast news. Yeah. Back to take one more where the speed and that question several times. I'm cooperating daily with the state attorney's office. The amount of time it takes to come in 3 years worth of emails, records first. And so we're continuing to buy them everything they need and working in full cooperation with that office to make sure all those records best. Our review. And yeah, a little bit sure. The. >> The figure that's been mentioned as far as the Mayo Clinic is 18.9 million dollars. That's that's not a drop in the bucket. That's 18.9 million dollars of taxpayer rape and dollars that have been collected and to just say we're working on it and we know about it. This is not good enough and no one's heard about it. I don't think that's been brought up to the board. I think there were there was some phrases in some of those memos that they were looking for way to waive those fees. I find that deplorable waiving 18.9 million dollars. And that's just male. We've heard this, you know, up to 9 or 10 other entities that are going through the same process and looking at that review. So we're gonna put the pressure on that. They need to come up with a solution for that. We're gonna make sure they do if there was wrongdoing at those try a means of covering that up or sitting on the road where to find that too. I said one moment Mr. Man has been patients. >> I'm going to defer that to the committee. Jerry West, more experience on the question. I don't know yet. We have a legislative council and that we did not announce a 5 years ago. I hope. >> All legislative council got this process. >> If needed. >> I'm sure we would go outside. We felt like it was just. >> For being here. Thank the members of the committee and to the council staff, Iyer forgiveness. Also really appreciate you coming in after a late night last night, available for questions in the future if needed look forward to doing the people's work. Thanks