Jacksonville voters could get to decide if JEA is sold

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — STORY: Jacksonville councilman says mayor is behind a sale for JEA

The possible sale of JEA could appear on the November ballot.

At a special City Council committee meeting on Thursday, Councilman John Crescimbeni put two ordinances on the table for the full council to consider.

STORY: JEA employee says 'there's a sense of panic right now'

Council President Anna Brosche approved those steps, which would allow voters to decide if they want to have a say in the privatization of JEA.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry once again found himself fighting accusations that he's behind the push to sell.

“It's erroneous, and whoever planted that this was about the JEA was a political hit job,” Curry said.

Mayor Curry is talking about comments made by the city auditor, Kyle Billy, linking a Request for Proposals (RFP) for financial advisers to the possible sale of JEA.

Billy called the RFP "unusual" and brought up concerns over if it followed the proper procurement process.

The RFP was handled by Public Financial Management (PFM), the same Orlando firm hired to perform the JEA valuation.

Business expert: All signs point to sale of JEA A local business expert tells Action News Jax all signs point to the sale of JEA.

Curry said the request would have nothing to do with a sale of JEA.

Action News Jax asked Curry why the city needed financial advisers and what project they could be overseeeing. .

“If you talk to any administrations, former mayoral administrations, you can talk to City Council members," Curry said. "Bill Gulliford has brought people to the city to say, 'To look at certain assets, what are the value of those assets? Are those assets being put to their highest and best use?''

In an email to Kyle Billy, Gulliford said he's ‘sorely disappointed’ in him, saying Billy had been 'manipulated' to benefit someone's 'personal agenda.'

At the Thursday council meeting, Councilman Garrett Dennis -- who Action News Jax has told you has become a political adversary of the mayor in recent weeks -- defended Kyle Billy.

“It was appalling,” Dennis said. “[Kyle Billy] was doing what he felt was right, his duty to the council, to look in to investigate, and that's what he did."

Gulliford declined to comment for this story.

Tensions rising over possible JEA sale Tension inside city council chambers tonight over the possible sale of JEA.

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