Office of Inspector General assesses if JEA investigation is warranted

City Council President Kevin Carrico said JEA faces a “crisis of confidence,” and he supports the Office of Inspector General looking into the city-owned utility.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The city’s Office of Inspector General has opened a preliminary review of JEA but has not yet moved into a formal investigation on any matters that would fall under the inspector general’s jurisdiction.

City Council President Kevin Carrico said JEA faces a “crisis of confidence” and he supports the Office of Inspector General looking into the city-owned utility.

“The people of Jacksonville deserve transparency, accountability and clear answers, and the council will be carefully reviewing the inspector general’s findings,” he said Feb. 6.

The Office of Inspector General investigates information it receives about waste, fraud and abuse. The office can conduct investigations, audits and contract reviews.

Inspector General Matthew Lascell said in regard to JEA, his office is “assessing information to determine whether or not a formal investigation is required.”

JEA has faced a rough patch in its leadership after board member Rick Morales privately asked CEO Vickie Cavey to resign. After Cavey decided to continue as CEO, Morales asked the board to authorize an outside investigation of concerns he said he heard from employees about a toxic work culture at the top of JEA.

No other board members supported Morales. They instead expressed confidence in Cavey, who has been CEO for almost two years. Board members said employees can make their concerns heard through channels inside the utility. Morales said that’s not a realistic option for employees worried about retaliation.

Some City Council members said council might do its own outside review through a special investigative committee. Carrico has said that’s an option he would consider.

The Office of Inspector General also could provide an outside review but that office is set up to focus on financial matters. It wouldn’t investigate allegations about workplace culture.

If the Office of Inspector General decides to do an investigation of financial-related matters at JEA, it could seek assistance from City Council if the investigation requires a large external audit of the utility.

Editor’s note: This story was first published by our news partners, The Florida Times-Union.