Peluso urges Carrico to temporarily step aside as Council president amid JEA text controversy and subpoena

Call for a temporary step-down follows questions about a JEA board appointment

Jacksonville City Council member Jimmy Peluso has publicly called on City Council President Kevin Carrico to temporarily step down from the council’s top post as Carrico faces intensifying scrutiny tied to a JEA board appointment and related communications that have now resulted in a subpoena.

The dispute centers on the process to fill a seat on the JEA board. In recent weeks, Carrico sought to replace current board member Arthur Adams with Paul Martinez, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, where Carrico works as a senior administrator. Text messages reported by local media showed Carrico telling Adams he was being replaced because he “owed a big favor to a friend,” language that prompted criticism from multiple quarters and raised questions about how appointments are being decided.

Subpoena and appointment status add pressure ahead of leadership transition timeline

On Feb. 25, 2026, Carrico confirmed he had been issued a subpoena connected to the matter. The State Attorney’s Office has not publicly confirmed or denied an investigation. Carrico has said his use of the word “favor” was inappropriate, denied any quid pro quo, and indicated he would cooperate with requests for information.

As of this week, the JEA board seat remains open after Martinez withdrew from consideration. Carrico has indicated he is weighing options, including potentially reappointing Adams. Adams’ term is set to end Feb. 28, 2026, increasing the urgency around the next appointment decision.

Peluso’s demand reflects broader tensions over council governance

Peluso’s call for Carrico to step aside—framed as temporary—comes against a backdrop of earlier friction between the two council members. In July 2025, Carrico removed Peluso from his only committee assignment after Peluso boycotted a committee meeting in protest of leadership decisions over assignments and related governance norms.

Those earlier disputes did not involve JEA, but they established a pattern of public conflict over the use of presidential authority and the internal balance of power within the 19-member council.

What a temporary step-down could mean operationally

The City Council president is elected annually, with a term that runs from July 1 through June 30. The office carries significant influence over committee assignments and the flow of legislation, and it is also a focal point for the council’s public-facing leadership.

• If Carrico were to step aside, council leadership would need to clarify who would handle presidential duties and how decisions involving sensitive appointments would be managed.

• Any step-down would not itself resolve the underlying questions about the appointment process, but it would alter who exercises discretion over near-term council actions.

The immediate next test for council leadership is the selection of a nominee for the vacant JEA board seat, under heightened scrutiny and on a compressed timeline.

Carrico has said he expects scrutiny regardless of who is nominated next. Peluso’s request adds another layer of political pressure as the council navigates the appointment decision, the subpoena’s implications, and broader questions about transparency and governance.