JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — From senior leaders down to employee trainers, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority has a list of dozens of administrators who will see their positions cut.
Action News Jax was the first to report on the broad cuts coming to JTA, as the agency is laying off approximately 200 employees and reducing services to close a $39 million budget gap.
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With 46 management and administrative positions already identified for cuts, the single largest area impacted by the layoffs is the Skyway division.
Almost a third of the 46 administrative cuts fall within the Skyway division. The list includes two safety and emergency administrators alongside 32 job titles where a single position will be eliminated.
Senior leadership roles are among the positions slated for elimination. JTA Senior Vice President Greer Gillis, who advocated for the NAVI, is on the layoff list.
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Also listed for layoff is Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Bill Frazier who joined the agency just over a year ago. Frazier previously described his connection to the authority.
The cuts follow long-standing efforts to transform the system. The JTA board originally voted in December 2015 to move forward with the Ultimate Urban Circulator project to convert the Skyway route for autonomous vehicles.
JTA Interim CEO Cleveland Ferguson addressed the agency’s financial strategy and defended its overall operational track record.
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“Cutting is never a long-term solution,” Ferguson said. “ ... This is not a case of mismanagement at all. We have, in fact, over the last 14 years, put forward numerous capital projects that have benefited the region.”
Ferguson highlighted the authority’s 2016 takeover of the St. Johns River Ferry as an example of effective management. JTA documents indicate no job cuts are planned for ferry operations.
The Skyway is scheduled to end operations on Nov. 2 as JTA moves forward with its restructuring plans.
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