An Open Letter to JEA Leadership,

I’m writing this as a business consultant—and as your neighbor.

The story that you are preparing to raise rates again is chilling. 

So, before you do that, let’s ask the obvious—have you truly done everything possible, or are you choosing to balance your books on the backs of customers who are already struggling to pay their bills?

In business, raising prices is the last lever—not the first.  Maybe JEA should consider running the organization like a business?

Inside a business here’s how it works:

You start inside your own walls. You dig into every department. You cut waste. You renegotiate contracts. You eliminate what’s no longer essential. You create a culture where saving money is rewarded—not spending it.

You run lean.

Only after you’ve done all that — do you even consider raising prices.

So, when was the last time JEA did a real, top-to-bottom audit with that mindset? Not a report—a true, roll-up-your-sleeves, find-the-fat-and-cut-it review.

Where is the “DOGE attitude” toward expenses?

And what about leadership?

Before rates go up for families already feeling the squeeze, have executive salaries, bonuses, and pensions been put under the same microscope? Has leadership shared in the sacrifice?

Because that’s what leadership looks like.

And one more question we can’t ignore:

Are all customers paying their fair share?

Before asking residents to pay more, shouldn’t we be certain large organizations aren’t skating by underpaying what they owe? Fix that first.

This is Business 101:

• Cut Costs
• Eliminate Waste
• Audit Everything
• Hold Leadership Accountable
• Fix Inequities

Then—and only then—come to your customers to pay more.

Right now, it feels like Jacksonville families are the first solution… not the last resort.

JEA, we all want you to succeed. But success built on higher bills—without doing the hard internal work first—is considered “Lazy Leadership.”

If tightening your belt isn’t good enough for JEA, why should it be for the rest of us?