Politics
JTA budget deficits spur council calls for answers from Nat Ford
Jacksonville City Council members want departing JTA CEO Nat Ford to explain two consecutive years of deficit spending that are driving layoffs and transit-service cuts. Council member Rory Diamond said a full review requires hearing from the person who led the agency.
Jacksonville City Council members are seeking answers from Nat Ford about two consecutive years of deficit spending at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, as the agency faces deep layoffs and transit-service cuts.
Ford is preparing to leave Jacksonville for a new job in Texas. Council member Rory Diamond said the council cannot complete a full review without questioning the person who led the authority. “You can’t do a full review without asking the guy who was in charge of all this,” Diamond said.
The council’s questions focus on what caused the JTA’s back-to-back years of red-ink spending. The available details do not specify the size of the deficits, the number of jobs affected or which transit services may be reduced.