JEA Board Chairman Alan Howard took a moment at the end of Tuesday’s board meeting to reiterate his request that the city-owned utility examine the issue of privatization with all due haste.
Howard has asked for the review of JEA’s assets to be completed in two to three months so that the discussion on whether to sell Jacksonville’s electric, water and sewer authority can start in earnest.
Otherwise, he said, the issue could potentially gum up the works. “I don’t want this to become a distraction to our employees or our organization,” Howard said.
Related: JEA Privatization Uniquely More Complicated Than Other Efforts Around The State
“I think we owe the community a duty to carefully examine this opportunity and report back to them so that an informed decision can be made,” the chairman added.
Privatization was raised last month by departing JEA board member Tom Petway and immediately embraced by Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.
It’s not a new idea, however. It was suggested, studied, discussed and ultimately discarded in 2007 and again in 2012.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
