Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico faces scrutiny over JEA board nomination texts and ethics rules

Subpoena seeks communications tied to JEA board appointment process

Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico has been drawn into a state attorney investigation focused on communications surrounding a proposed appointment to the JEA board, the governing body of the city-owned utility. Carrico has said he was served with a subpoena requiring production of records and communications covering the period from January 1, 2025, through February 24, 2026.

The subpoena requests calendars and a broad range of correspondence—including emails, text messages and other written communications—connected to the selection of a JEA board member and to individuals involved in the controversy, including JEA CEO Vickie Cavey, former JEA chief of staff Kurt Wilson and Paul Martinez.

“Big favor” text and the withdrawn nomination

Public attention intensified after text messages became public in which Carrico indicated he planned to replace a sitting board member because he “owed a big favor to a friend.” Carrico later described the wording as poor language and said there was no transactional arrangement. The nomination at the center of the controversy involved Paul Martinez, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, where Carrico works as vice president of strategic initiatives. Martinez subsequently withdrew from consideration.

JEA’s board structure places significant influence with City Hall. The seven-member board includes four members nominated by the City Council president and confirmed by the full Council, and three members appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Council. The board appoints JEA’s managing director and CEO.

Calls for recusal and a widening oversight agenda

In the days after the subpoena became public, at least one council member publicly urged Carrico to temporarily step aside from his Council leadership role until the state attorney review concludes, framing the request as a step to protect public trust in the Council and the utility’s governance.

Separately, Carrico announced on March 11, 2026, that the City Council would form a special investigatory committee to review allegations involving JEA, including hostile-workplace claims and questions about uncollected capacity fees from certain commercial customers. The committee announcement followed a request for Council involvement from the city’s inspector general and was presented as an effort to provide transparency and accountability.

What “misuse of position” typically covers in city ethics guidance

Jacksonville’s ethics framework includes provisions aimed at preventing misuse of a public role for private benefit. City ethics guidance for elected officials describes misuse of position as leveraging public office to obtain special benefits not available to the general public or to secure favors for oneself or others, and it lists examples such as seeking preferential treatment or intervening improperly in matters outside public duties.

• Key unresolved issues: whether communications around the JEA board nomination process complied with applicable ethics and governance expectations; whether any conflicts were properly managed; and what reforms, if any, City Council pursues for the appointment process.

• Status: Carrico has said he will cooperate with the subpoena. The state attorney’s office review remains pending.

JEA board appointments can shape utility oversight and executive leadership, making the integrity and transparency of the nomination process a recurring focus in Jacksonville’s city governance.