JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 City Council President Kevin Carrico is facing backlash after text messages seemed to reveal that at least part of his motivation to nominate his boss for a position on JEA\u2019s board happened because he owed him a \u201cbig favor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carrico introduced a resolution on Feb. 10<\/a> to nominate Paul Martinez as a member of the JEA board to replace current board member Arthur Adams Jr., who was appointed to the board in January 2025<\/a> and whose term, according to Carrico, is close to expiring.<\/p>\n Martinez is the current president and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida<\/a>, where Carrico works as the vice president of strategic initiatives.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat up bro…hey I owed a big favor to a friend and opted to put him on the JEA Board as your term is expiring,\u201d Carrico wrote to Adams on Feb. 5 in text messages provided by JEA. \u201cNot sure if you wanted to stay but I needed to do this for my guy. Tab is on me when we link up next.\ud83d\udc4a\u201d<\/p>\n In the text thread, Adams responded that his \u201cplan was to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n Text message exchange between Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico and JEA board member Arthur L. Adams, Jr. (Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n Carrico then said he would call him. <\/p>\n \u201cThanks for taking my call,\u201d Adams responded in another text. \u201cI\u2019m disappointed-I wanted to serve a full term and felt I was adding real value. I\u2019ve appreciated the experience and the feedback I\u2019ve received on labor\/union, operations, and heavy industrial expertise, along with public-company leadership perspective. I respect your decision. Wishing you will, and I\u2019m available if you ever need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, man, thanks for understanding,\u201d Carrico responded. \u201cI know you served your city well. Thanks and I look forward to having a drink with you man\u201d<\/p>\n After the texts became public, critics questioned the move. <\/p>\n News4JAX asked Carrico for a comment on the text messages and the criticism that followed, and he sent News4JAX this statement: \u201cThe decision speaks for itself. Paul Martinez was appointed based on his qualifications and longstanding commitment to Jacksonville. He is a respected civic leader, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida serving 18,000 children annually across 59 locations, and a public servant who has worked effectively under both Republican and Democrat administrations. I\u2019m proud of the decision to make this change at the JEA Board and confident Paul will serve with integrity and sound judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement to News4JAX, Jacksonville NAACP President Isaiah Rumlin called the move a \u201cbreach of public trust\u201d and later added it was an example of the \u201cGood Ole\u2019 Boy network\u201d being caught red-handed.<\/p>\n \u201cStating openly that a JEA board seat is being used to repay a personal favor undermines confidence in City Council\u2019s commitment to fair, independent governance. It suggests the process is susceptible to cronyism, not guided by qualifications and community needs,\u201d Rumlin wrote.<\/p>\n The JEA board is made up of seven members<\/a>. Four members are nominated by the Jacksonville City Council president and confirmed by the council; three members are appointed by the mayor of Jacksonville and confirmed by the council. The board of directors then appoints a managing director and CEO, who selects a top tier of management, the leadership team.<\/p>\n Changes to how the JEA board is selected were made in 2020<\/a>, following a scandal revolving around the proposed sale of JEA that ended with the conviction of former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud<\/a>.<\/p>\n Previously, it was the mayor\u2019s responsibility to appoint every member of the board, and those selections were approved by the City Council.<\/p>\n \u201cThe post-2020 safeguards for JEA\u2019s governance were explicitly designed to prevent backroom dealing and restore public trust after a period of scandal and instability,\u201d Rumlin wrote. \u201c[Carrico\u2019s] text message suggests those safeguards are being treated as a technicality rather than a binding mandate for transparent, merit-based appointments in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Rumlin called for the withdrawal of \u201cany attempt to replace JEA board members for reasons unrelated to objective qualifications, performance, and the public interest,\u201d citing a conflict of interest in appointing Martinez. <\/p>\n City Councilman Matt Carlucci says he can\u2019t support Martinez\u2019s nomination, even if Martinez is qualified for the job.<\/p>\n \u201cI have concerns with the way it\u2019s unfolded, with the ways it\u2019s been done,\u201d Carlucci said. \u201cNo offense to Mr. Martinez, but I think the gentleman serving in that capacity right now deserves to serve a full four years, and because he\u2019s doing a very good job. And I just don\u2019t think you return favors and move somebody out who\u2019s highly qualified just because maybe you\u2019re not the favored one.\u201d<\/p>\n Councilman Jimm Peluso called the text an example of \u201ccorruption at its finest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no doubt Paul is a great candidate, but this story only affirms what we already knew, the leadership in Council is more interested in doing favors as opposed to doing the work of the people,\u201d Peluso said in a statement. <\/p>\n According to Martinez\u2019s resume attached to the ordinance, he was the city\u2019s director of intragovernmental services from 2013 to 2015. He was CEO of Martinez and Advertising Group from 1995 to 2013, and was founder and CEO of the Car Channel from 1991 to 1994.<\/p>\n Martinez also serves as a board member on the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and as a board member on the Mayor\u2019s Hispanic Advisory Board, among other roles.<\/p>\n Adams was a Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at CSX until August of 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile<\/a>. He was appointed to the board in January of last year. Adams replaced A. Zachary Faison Jr., who resigned in 2024 <\/a>after he faced the possibility of removal. He was supposed to serve until 2026. <\/p>\n