{"id":69000,"date":"2025-12-03T02:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T02:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/69000\/"},"modified":"2025-12-03T02:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T02:46:08","slug":"eastside-community-group-requests-cba-chair-to-step-down-after-allegations-of-financial-irregularities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/69000\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastside community group requests CBA chair to step down after allegations of \u2018financial irregularities\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The Together Eastside Coalition, Inc. requested that Councilman Raul Arias step down as the Chair of the Eastside Community Benefits Agreement<\/a> (CBA) Committee after allegations of financial irregularities. <\/p>\n

In a release, the organization said the request is rooted in the community\u2019s want for trust, transparency, and accountability.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the Eastside community already facing significant credibility concerns from external entities, it is critical that the CBA\u2014a once-in-a-generation opportunity for equitable development\u2014remains free from any cloud of doubt,” the release reads.<\/p>\n

The Coalition said that its push for city oversight was intended to prevent conflicts of interest and the appearance of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe request for Councilman Arias to step down is not an assertion of guilt or wrongdoing,\u201d the release reads. \u201cRather, it reflects the Coalition\u2019s position that public perception, transparency, and accountability must be prioritized when decisions directly affect the future of the Eastside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arias stepped down as Finance Committee chair in November. In a statement at the time, he said he was shifting focus to district needs, including road improvements, traffic calming and street lighting. He said he would continue serving on several committees, including those tied to the Community Benefits Agreement.<\/p>\n

Together Eastside Coalition Vice President Latavia Harris said trust within the Eastside community was already fragile and that the allegations only deepen residents\u2019 concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re dealing with an under-resourced neighborhood. So we don\u2019t trust easily \u2014 especially someone who\u2019s not from this community,\u201d she said. \u201cArias is going through his situation, which is unfortunate, but we don\u2019t want that situation tied to the money coming to the Eastside.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked what happens if Arias refuses to step down, Harris said the coalition plans to press for answers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a coalition, we\u2019re going to ask why he wants to remain,\u201d she said. \u201cWhy would you want to stay in a position that could jeopardize this money if there are any misrepresentations later?\u201d<\/p>\n

News4JAX reached out to Arias for comment. Calls went unanswered.<\/p>\n

Harris said the CBA represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Eastside, and the coalition wants to ensure the process is transparent and the funds are safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our chance,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u00a0can\u2019t afford any mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Coalition is asking city council leadership to appoint a new chair to \u201creinforce the community\u2019s trust\u201d in the CBA process. <\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The Together Eastside Coalition, Inc. requested that Councilman Raul Arias step down as the Chair…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69001,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[16006,116,118,117,14582],"class_list":["post-69000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-cba","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-news","tag-stadium-of-the-future"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69000"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69000\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}