JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s been raining for days in Jacksonville, but Councilmember Jimmy Peluso (D-District 7) argued a different kind of storm is also hitting Jacksonville residents.
“It’s been pouring on a lot of Jacksonville ratepayers right now,” said Peluso.
After securing $5 million to help with affordable housing programs in the new city budget, Peluso wants to see more done to help residents struggling to pay their water and electric bills as well.
JEA rate changes took effect on October 1st, which included increased costs for water and sewer.
Utility assistance is available through the United Way’s 211 helpline, but Peluso argued the budget is limited and so are the windows of opportunity to apply for help.
He’s hoping to secure $2 million to bolster the program, along with a few hundred thousand on top to help with hiring extra staff to facilitate it.
“The city already has a relationship with them. I’m just trying to give them a couple extra bucks over the next two years to help make sure they can help people,” said Peluso.
Peluso is proposing to use the city’s reserves to provide the funding, which could be a tough sell for Republicans on city council.
In a statement, Council President Nick Howland acknowledged utility rates adding to the financial burden on residents and said leadership at JEA agrees the utility must “urgently focus on its core mission: delivering reliable, high-quality water, sewer, and electric services at the lowest possible rates.”
Howland did not directly weigh in on Peluso’s proposal.
Still, Peluso argued this is one area local government can have a direct impact on costs.
“People are struggling. And it’s really hard when we’re not getting any answers from DC or Tallahassee. So, at the local level we can try to do stuff, and this is something we can do,” said Peluso.
JEA does offer some utility assistance programs for customers, including payment extensions and arrangements.
The utility also offers assistance referrals, which helped customers to the tune of more than $14 million between October 2024 and 2025 alone.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
