JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax’s Ben Becker has learned that the man Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico wanted on JEA’s board as a “favor” will no longer pursue the opportunity.
We were the first to break the news Monday that Carrico sent a text message to JEA board member Arthur Adams, saying he was being replaced because Carrico “owed a big favor to a friend.”
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That friend was Paul Martinez, Carrico’s boss at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida.
Martinez released the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:
“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided not to pursue appointment to the JEA Board, as my priority remains the strength and stability of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida. While I am disappointed that I will not be able to serve the City of Jacksonville in this additional capacity, I remain fully committed to leading this organization with integrity and focus. In light of recent public discussion, I also want to clarify that executive compensation is set by our independent Board of Directors and aligned with national nonprofit benchmarks and organizational performance. Today, our organization serves nearly 18,000 young people annually across 59 locations and ranks among the top five Boys & Girls Clubs organizations out of more than 1,100 nationwide, a responsibility I am honored to lead in service to our community.”
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Carrico released the following statement in reaction to Martinez’s withdrawing from consideration:
“I respect Paul Martinez’s decision and thank him for his decades of service to Jacksonville. His leadership of one of the top-performing Boys & Girls Clubs organizations in the nation, serving 18,000 local children annually across 59 locations, speaks for itself. It’s unfortunate that political noise and unfair attacks sought to distract from a lifetime of service, but our community continues to benefit from his leadership and commitment.”
RELATED: ‘Corruption’: Jacksonville City Council members, NAACP react to Carrico’s ‘big favor’ JEA board text
We obtained internal emails leading up to Carrico’s decision to nominate Martinez to the JEA board and he asked if there could be an ethics complaint coming.
Jacksonville City Councilmember Jimmy Peluso wants answers.
“When I say Kevin Carrico and JEA, you say what?” Becker asked.
“I say corruption,” Peluso answered.
Emails show the timeline of the decision to nominate Martinez and that the wheels were in motion to replace Adams before he was told.
February 4: An email from Boys & Girls Clubs VP of marketing to the City’s Chief of Research. It contains Martinez’s JEA board application.
February 5: Carrico sent the text message to Adams, informing him his term was not being renewed because Carrico “owed a big favor to a friend.”
“I’m certain the decision was made even before that, this City Council and some of the lobbyists and consultants hanging around at City Hall and upstairs with city council they make these decisions long in advance,” Peluso said.
February 6: Another email from the city back to the Boys & Girls Clubs saying “The legislation for Mr. Martinez’s appointment to the JEA Board was filed today.”
February 10: The bill was introduced to the City Council.
City Council picks four members of the JEA board while the Mayor’s Office gets three choices.
It’s designed to add checks and balances to the selection of board members following a voter-approved charter amendment in 2020 after the failed sale of the utility that landed former CEO Aaron Zahn in federal prison.
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“Would you consider filing an ethics complaint?” Becker asked Peluso.
“I would consider that. I’ll see what that looks like, but especially when it comes to JEA with the history of JEA in recent years, if there is one independent agency that we need to be running as squeaky clean as possible its JEA,” Peluso said.
The Ethics Office said no complaints have been filed at this time. Becker asked if it would initiate an investigation, but he did not receive a response.
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