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President Kevin Carrico, in a text message exchange, informed Arthur Adams of JEA that he would be replaced by a colleague from the Boys and Girls Club as a way to repay a “significant favor.”
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville’s City Council President, Kevin Carrico, is under scrutiny over ethical concerns following the revelation of text messages exchanged with a current JEA board member.
JEA shared with First Coast News a text conversation between Carrico and Board Member Arthur Adams Jr. In these messages, Carrico reveals his plan to replace Adams with a friend, citing a need to return a “big favor.”
Adams, who joined the board in January 2025, previously held the position of senior vice president of sales and marketing at CSX.
Within the exchange, Adams expressed his intention to fulfill his entire term on the board, while Carrico emphasized his obligation to accommodate his associate.
The controversy centers on Carrico’s effort to replace Adams with Paul Martinez, CEO and president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, where Carrico also serves as vice president of strategic initiatives.
A council meeting agenda from Feb. 10 shows a resolution to replace Adams with Paul Martinez, the CEO and President of the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Florida, for a full first term.
The Jacksonville NAACP President Isaiah Rumlin sent President Carrico a letter regarding the messages, calling them “deeply troubling,” a “breach of public trust.” The organization also raised concerns about a conflict of interest, due to Carrico serving alongside Martinez at the Boys and Girls Club as its vice president of strategic initiatives.
In a statement to First Coast News, Carrico said Martinez is a wonderful candidate, but did not address the ethical concerns surrounding the idea of placing a board member as a “favor.”
“The decision speaks for itself. Paul Martinez was appointed based on his qualifications and longstanding commitment to Jacksonville,” Carrico said. “He is a respected civic leader, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida serving 18,000 children annually across 59 locations, and a public servant who has worked effectively under both Republican and Democrat administrations. I’m proud of the decision to make this change at the JEA Board and confident Paul will serve with integrity and sound judgment.”
In its letter, the NAACP called on a withdrawal of any attempt to replace a JEA board member for reasons unrelated to “objective qualifications, performance, and the public interest.”
Longtime City Councilman Matt Carlucci said the text puts both Adams and Martinez in an uncomfortable position and undermines confidence in how board appointments are made.
“Mr. Adams is performing very well on the board. He’s only had a year. He should get four years. He deserves it,” Carlucci said. “You are replacing somebody who’s doing a very good job because of somebody you owe a favor to, and he is your boss. It smacks of favoritism. The optics are bad, and the reality is bad.”
“The council president is putting everybody in a bad position including Mr. Martinez and to do it by text and to do that kind of, lackadaisical language,” said Carlucci.
In a statement, a JEA spokesperson said the utility “does not dictate the provisions of board member selections or qualifications and will not have further comment on the exchange.”
According to Article 21 of the city’s code of ordinances, JEA board members must be confirmed by the Jacksonville City Council and generally serve four-year terms. Four members of the seven-member board are nominated by the city council president, while three are appointed by the mayor.
The mayor’s office declined to comment on the matter.
The proposed appointment is scheduled for a vote at the next rules committee meeting before moving to the full council.