For years he’s been one of few voices in city leadership advocating the sale of JEA.
Jacksonville City Councilman Matt Schellenberg has promoted the possible sale of the public utility since before he was first elected in 2011.
During a Wednesday appearance on First Coast Connect, Schellenberg stood by that position.
“I don't believe in selling it, just to sell it,” he said. “Let's find the value of JEA. What would be a worthwhile figure to make the sale? ‘$4-5 billion- net!’” Schellenberg said.
“To say that JEA is going to be the way it is in five or 10 or 15 years, the disruptive nature of our society right now, would mean that they might not be able to keep up financially going forward,” he added.
Schellenberg recently filed a bill that would put the sales proceeds from a JEA sale into a restricted reserve account. Any expenditure from that account would require a two-thirds majority of council members to vote in favor.
“I cannot help the perception that people have that everybody around the mayor is going to make money [off a JEA sale],” he said. “I don't actually know that. All I want to know is what the value of JEA is.”
