JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than a week after JEA CEO Vickie Cavey announced her retirement, the chair of the utility’s board is defending her record and questioning the political pressure surrounding her departure.
JEA Board Chair M.G. Orender said Cavey was unfairly targeted during her two-year tenure, including through several text-message smear campaigns and a City Council investigation into allegations of a racist and toxic workplace.
“JEA is better because of Vickie Cavey,” Orender said.
Orender credited Cavey with helping identify roughly $80 million in budget savings, which reduced the size of a rate increase. He also pointed to the utility’s overall stability and improved bond ratings.
“Here’s a woman who had worked 30-plus years at JEA, retired, was asked to come back by the prior board, and they brought a really good person in,” Orender said.
Orender said the City Council investigation did not substantiate the allegations after months of reviews.
The allegations were first raised by former City Council President Kevin Carrico, shortly after he learned he was under investigation for allegedly trying to help his boss secure an appointment to the JEA board.
“I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I don’t believe in coincidences,” Orender said. “I think that there were some different ties to JEA, and that was a reaction from Councilman Carrico.”
Orender said the political controversy surrounding JEA could affect customers by creating confusion about the utility’s finances and operations.
“People hear these things — what’s wrong over there? Why are they going up on my bill? — and they don’t get a chance to hear the truth,” Orender said.
He said JEA’s bond ratings with Moody’s and Fitch improved twice during Cavey’s tenure.
Orender said he has not seen any discussion about reviving efforts to sell JEA following Cavey’s departure. However, he said he is watching several investigations involving political pressure, lobbyists, attempts to influence board appointments and the Florida attorney general’s investigation into contracts involving Ballard Partners.
“After a thorough investigation, if something’s wrong, I hope they take action,” Orender said. “If there’s nothing wrong, I hope they proclaim it from the mountaintops, because I don’t want anyone with aspersions cast on them — their character, their activity.”
Orender said the community should pay attention to the results of those investigations.
“The whole community should be watching to see what happens next,” he said. “If something out of left field comes up, you might want to go, ‘Hmm, maybe that’s behind it.’”
Jody Brooks is serving as JEA’s interim CEO while the board searches for Cavey’s replacement. Orender said the board will conduct both an internal and external search.
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