Jacksonville Mayor Defends JEA CEO Against 'Vile Smear Campaign'

Mayor Donna Deegan and JEA CEO Vickie Cavey address allegations of racism and a toxic work environment made by City Council President Kevin Carrico.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 12:50am

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Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and JEA CEO Vickie Cavey held a press conference to address allegations of racism and a toxic work environment at the utility company made by City Council President Kevin Carrico. Deegan called Carrico's accusations a 'vile smear campaign' that arose after Cavey decided not to renew a lobbying contract with a firm connected to former Mayor Lenny Curry. Cavey denied any wrongdoing, while Deegan accused Carrico of leading a 'pressure campaign' to keep the lobbying contract. Carrico has since responded, calling for an investigation into the 'growing crisis of confidence' at JEA.

Why it matters

The allegations of racism and a toxic work culture at JEA, one of Jacksonville's largest public utilities, have sparked a political clash between the mayor and the city council president. The dispute also raises questions about the independence of JEA and the influence of political connections on its operations.

The details

Mayor Deegan and JEA CEO Cavey held a press conference to address Carrico's accusations. Cavey denied any racism or toxic work environment at JEA, saying 'Racism has no place anywhere, especially at JEA where I am charged to make sure none of that exists.' Deegan claimed the allegations arose after Cavey decided not to renew a lobbying contract with a firm connected to former Mayor Lenny Curry. Carrico has since responded, calling for an investigation into issues at JEA including low employee morale and high ratepayer costs.

  • The press conference was held on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • The JEA lobbying contract with the Ballard firm ended on January 31, 2026.

The players

Donna Deegan

The mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, who defended JEA CEO Vickie Cavey against allegations of racism and a toxic work environment.

Vickie Cavey

The CEO of JEA, Jacksonville's public utility company, who denied any wrongdoing and racism at the organization.

Kevin Carrico

The president of the Jacksonville City Council, who made allegations of racism and a toxic work culture at JEA.

Lenny Curry

The former mayor of Jacksonville who is a partner at the Ballard lobbying firm, whose contract with JEA was not renewed.

Joe DiSalvo

The chair of the JEA board, who said an outside agency had previously reviewed JEA's operations and found no morale issues.

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What they’re saying

“Racism has no place anywhere, especially at JEA where I am charged to make sure none of that exists. No, there is nothing that I know of and especially not from me. One hundred percent, I can say that.”

— Vickie Cavey, JEA CEO

“This vile smear campaign magically appeared after she resisted pressure to renew a lobbying contract with people who are politically connected to a handful of council members, including our council president. That's when all of this started. These are the same people who were part of the effort to sell our public utility, and frankly, who have been responsible for much of the toxic political culture in Jacksonville that people elected me to end.”

— Donna Deegan, Mayor of Jacksonville

“Forgive me, Mayor, but I didn't really have a pressure campaign. I wouldn't say I had a pressure campaign at all. We reviewed that contract and did not use them at all to my knowledge during that year. It was a three-year contract with after one year, up for renewal, and we made the decision not to renew it, and that notice was sent in January, and it did end in January 31st.”

— Vickie Cavey, JEA CEO

What’s next

The JEA board has said it may bring in another outside agency to review the utility's operations in light of the growing controversy.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the ongoing political tensions in Jacksonville over the independence and management of the city's public utility, JEA. It raises questions about the influence of political connections and the need for transparent and accountable leadership at public institutions.