Jacksonville, FL — Just over 24 hours after the JEA Board voted to take steps to terminate embattled CEO Aaron Zahn, State Attorney Melissa Nelson said her office is ‘looking into matters’ involving JEA.
In a statement Nelson said, “We have heard the concerns of the community over the past several months. This office is — and has been — looking into matters involving JEA. We will not be commenting further.”
Nelson’s statement came on the same day the Jacksonville Civic Council, made up of dozens of CEO’s and other business leaders, called for an independent investigation.
Michael Ward, who co-chairs the Civic Council, said the facts need to be public now for everyone to understand. Now that the board voted to terminate Zahn’s contract, Ward wants to see the sale process stopped. “It’s broken, it’s not transparent, it’s secretive, and it has no integrity,” he told Action News Jax.
In the meantime, Ward said he’d like to see Zahn replaced by someone who has experience. “We think it should be a utility executive,” said Ward. As the utility enters a new chapter, Ward said there’s no need to rush into anything going forward.
The NAACP has also written a letter calling for a criminal investigation into the proposed sale of JEA.