JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax is digging more into a text from Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico, where he told a JEA board member he’s being replaced because “I owed a big favor to a friend.”
Action News Jax’s Ben Becker first told you about it on Monday. Carrico wants to replace Arthur Adams with his boss, Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida CEO Paul Martinez.
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We reached out to the 18 other City Councilmembers around 11 a.m. Tuesday to get their responses to the text message and to find out if they thought it undermines the integrity of the selection process.
So far, we have heard back from three City Councilmembers. Here is what they had to say.
City Councilmember Jimmy Peluso, District 7
“This is corruption at it’s finest. I have no doubt Paul is a great candidate, but this story only affirms what we already knew, the leadership in Council is more interested in doing favors as opposed to doing the work of the people.”
City Councilmember Michael Boylan, District 6
“True to my usual process, I’m holding off on a final decision until I can sit down with Mr. Martinez. I want to gauge firsthand what he offers the JEA Board, his availability, and his grasp of the utility’s daily challenges. However, the Council President’s stated reasoning for this nomination is deeply troubling—it creates a very awkward situation for both Mr. Martinez and the entire Council."
City Councilmember Matt Carlucci, At-Large, Group 4
“The circumstances as I understand them today, and given how this compromises the appointment process and the integrity of the JEA Board, I would be unable to support the nomination.
“Board appointments are not made to repay favors; they must be based on merit and performance. By all accounts, the current occupant of this position has proven himself to be highly qualified and to have performed very well in the role.
“This has nothing to do with Paul Martinez personally, and no offense is intended toward him. Unfortunately, he’s been placed in a very difficult position by the way this has unfolded.”
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While seeking responses from Council Members, we also received a copy of a letter that NAACP Jacksonville Branch President Isaiah Rumlin sent to Carrico.
Rumlin called Carrico’s words in the text exchange “deeply troubling and fundamentally incompatible with the ethical obligations of public office.”
He called on Carrico to take several actions, including to “reaffirm in writing that no present or future public board appointment under your presidency-will be used to ‘repay favors,’ and that any perceived conflicts will be fully disclosed and avoided.”
READ RUMLIN’S FULL LETTER TO CARRICO BELOW:
If we receive any additional responses from Jacksonville City Council members on this matter, we will add them to this story.
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