The DART salary is also higher than the reported pay of Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert and the chief executive of Los Angeles’ Metro transit system. Ford was selected for the job in July.

His move to Dallas comes as Florida’s attorney general investigates the Jacksonville agency’s spending during Ford’s tenure. The inquiry includes expenses for massages, murals and hotel stays, as well as questions about the agency’s tuition-reimbursement policy and potential IRS code violations. The investigation is ongoing; the allegations do not establish wrongdoing by Ford.

Subpoenas in the probe name Ford and Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. The attorney general’s office has requested text messages and emails between Ford, his wife and consultant Kenston Griffin from October 2023 through March 2025. The Jacksonville authority had until Oct. 20 to produce the records, according to the subpoena.

The JTA is also confronting a reported $40 million budget gap that has prompted route reductions and staffing cuts. Its NAVI autonomous shuttle system, launched while Ford led the agency, is scheduled to shut down Dec. 31. Jacksonville City Council member Rory Diamond has put the system’s cost at about $400 million, compared with the authority’s annual budget of roughly $140 million.

Documents indicate Ford gave the JTA a resignation date of Jan. 8, 2027, which would leave him holding both CEO roles after his expected DART start. DART had not responded to a request for comment about the overlap.

DART board member Doug Hrbacek raised concerns about Ford’s hiring process in July, citing what he called “red flag after red flag.” DART board chairman Randall Bryant, Ford and the search firm that helped recruit him had not responded to requests for comment. Reconsidering Ford’s employment would require a motion from Bryant or a board member who voted to hire him.