Jacksonville leaders are raising questions about oversight after the Jacksonville Housing Authority fired CEO Cheron Corbett Waller, marking the third leadership shakeup at a major public service agency in four months.<\/p>\n
In July, Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nat Ford announced his resignation. It was followed by a $39 million budget shortfall.<\/p>\n
In September, Jacksonville Electric Authority CEO Vicky Cavey announced her resignation amid scrutiny over workplace culture allegations.<\/p>\n
Now, Waller has been fired without cause. Action News Jax reported last week that she asked for a 12% cut of any development fees JHA would receive.<\/p>\n
Jacksonville City Council President Nick Howland said oversight should begin with the boards responsible for the independent authorities.<\/p>\n
“Independent authority board members are appointed to look after the interests of their customers and the public, not the CEO and their leadership teams,” Howland said.<\/p>\n
Following JTA’s financial issues, Howland launched a new charge for a committee to examine the agency.<\/p>\n
“They’re looking deeply at how we got where we are starting financially and operationally. They’ll start looking at governance, and then they’re going to figure out how we fix it moving forward,” Howland said.<\/p>\n
JHA board members raised financial concerns before firing Waller. When asked whether a similar committee could examine JHA, Howland said it could be a possibility.<\/p>\n
“Once they submit their final report, they’ll stand down, and I could stand them up again to look at a new topic. And very well, that topic might be the Jacksonville Housing Authority,” Howland said.<\/p>\n
Jacksonville City Councilman Ron Salem said the loss of three CEOs and the controversies surrounding the agencies are concerning and something council members should monitor.<\/p>\n
“I think our liaisons to those various boards need to be engaged to make sure they’re they’re comfortable with the selections as well,” Salem said.<\/p>\n
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also released a statement following Waller’s firing:<\/p>\n
“The JHA board acted decisively to deliver thoughtful accountability, addressing conduct that was unsuitable for a public agency. This is an example of what we should expect from all our city boards: asking questions, demanding answers, and making decisions that preserve the public’s trust.”<\/p>\n
Action News Jax asked the mayor’s office whether the hiring process needs to change or whether there should be more oversight. The office had not responded.<\/p>\n
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