JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — After 13 years with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, CEO Nat Ford is stepping down.
In a news release put out late in the afternoon just before the start of the holiday weekend, Ford announced he’d be resigning from his position effective January 8th, 2027.
His contact with the agency wasn’t set to expire until December 2028.
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“The JTA is operationally strong and well-positioned for the future. I have full confidence in the leadership team’s ability to continue advancing our mission,” Ford wrote in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Action News Jax has reported on controversies surrounding Ford’s leadership for the past three years in our Taken for a Ride series, starting with his base salary.
Action News Jax found Ford’s salary was significantly higher than transportation leaders in much larger cities like New York City and Chicago, and was even higher than the salary of the President of the United States.
When his additional benefits are added, it pushes his total compensation above half a million dollars a year.
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Our investigations also found Ford amassed major travel bills on the taxpayers’ dime, racking up a nearly $190,000 tab between 2016 and 2023 alone.
Ford also faced significant criticism from Jacksonville’s City Council over the U2C program, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Those critiques have largely focused on the NAVI autonomous shuttles, which have already cost the city tens of millions of dollars, still operate with a human in the driver’s seat and have struggled to general substantial ridership.
Most recently, JTA went from a budget surplus to facing a $19 million shortfall, which resulted in 88 senior leaders being furloughed and a 15 percent reduction in Ford’s own salary.
Despite the hardships, JTA’s release announcing Ford’s departure highlighted his successes, like securing $400 million in federal funds and his support of extending the local option gas tax to support regional infrastructure.
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Mayor Donna Deegan also offered a statement of support.
“Great leaders do more than manage organizations; they create opportunities. Under Mr. Ford’s leadership, our transportation authority became not only a model for innovation, but a catalyst for economic growth, attracting new businesses and creating quality jobs that strengthened Jacksonville’s future,” Mayor Deegan said in a statement.
The JTA Board will discuss next steps forward to fill the soon-to-be-vacant CEO position during its next board meeting on July 29th.
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