Let’s Get Back to the Basics at JTA

[jaxlongtimer]

^ the headline is sensational, but the former board member blames the entire city council and her fellow board members in that interview, as well.

Unfortunately, I don't think that will be enough to cover for Deegan.  Rory Diamond is already pouncing as predicted he would when this was sure to blow.

Former JTA board member says she warned officials about agency's financial situation
Mayor Deegan said her office learned about the financial struggles at the same time the board did.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Reactions continued to pour in after the Jacksonville Transportation Authority announced plans to cut roughly 150 positions and reduce services as it works to trim $39 million from its budget.

A former JTA board member and some city leaders say the agency's financial struggles did not happen overnight and that warning signs were ignored.

Megan Hayward, who served on the JTA board for about a year and a half before she was removed, said she repeatedly questioned spending on projects including NAVI, the agency's autonomous vehicle program.

The project is scheduled to be temporarily halted Jan. 1.

"I looked at Donna before I left, and I said, if you guys do not take this seriously, this is going to be your JEA scandal. And here we are," Hayward said, referring to Mayor Donna Deegan.

Hayward said the cost of the NAVI project grew by more than $20 million beyond its original projection of about $250 million.

"It had ballooned already, like over $20 million from the original cost that had been projected," she said.

In her opinion, Hayward said, the spending reflected "complete ego and hubris" by Deegan and JTA's executive team.

"It could have been avoided if the NAVI project had been shut down sooner," Hayward said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Deegan said JTA's board "was not previously aware of the dire nature of the agency's financial situation. We became aware as they did."

City Council member Rory Diamond also criticized the mayor on social media, writing: "Never forget, @MayorDeegan cheered as @JTAFLA was driven into a ditch."

Diamond said he and others had warned for years about problems at JTA.

"We've been screaming from the mountaintops for the last two years that there's huge problems over there, and the mayor removed a board member who's asking those very questions," Diamond said. "So, you can't pretend not to know what's going on and have done all that. It makes no sense. It's dishonest."

JTA riders are now questioning how the cuts could affect their commutes and access to transportation.

"When I heard about it, I was like, on social media scrolling through, I just couldn't believe it because I have to catch the bus every single day," rider Shacara Miller said. "And because of how late I get back and forth to the terminal, it's going to be kind of hard with all the budget cuts."

Hayward said the agency's financial crisis and the use of federal money warrant a criminal investigation.

"There needs to be. When you're talking about federal money, it's a big deal what happens," she said.

She also criticized the impact of the cuts on mechanics, bus drivers and other lower-paid employees.

"The people that cause these problems to happen aren't getting hit as hard," Hayward said. "It's really affecting the mechanics, the bus drivers, the lower-tiered employees."

Hayward said JTA's executive team prioritized its own salaries over the people who depend on the system.

Deegan said the city needs to learn from the past while working to ensure world-class public transportation in the future.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/09/18/former-jta-board-member-says-she-warned-officials-about-agencys-financial-situation-before-jta-staff-and-budget-cuts/

[tufsu1]

Start the PR campaign now! Lol... been calling this for years now. She's cooked if this comes out fully. How do you turn a blind eye to this?

well JTA is an independent authority

[jaxoNOLE]

Start the PR campaign now! Lol... been calling this for years now. She's cooked if this comes out fully. How do you turn a blind eye to this?

well JTA is an independent authority

That the mayor has exercised her board appointment power on to remove a NAVI skeptic. She has also publicly supported NAVI. She might not have the power to kill NAVI single-handedly, but she hasn't exercised good judgment within her area of influence either.

[Jax_Developer]

Start the PR campaign now! Lol... been calling this for years now. She's cooked if this comes out fully. How do you turn a blind eye to this?

well JTA is an independent authority

Lol.

[Steve]

Start the PR campaign now! Lol... been calling this for years now. She's cooked if this comes out fully. How do you turn a blind eye to this?

well JTA is an independent authority

While true....I'm pretty sure Curry tried that same argument with JEA a few years back. How did that go?

She may have been able to make that claim if it weren't for the board member that was pulled. That move might turn out to be a bad one.

[fsu813]

^ Unlike JEA, the Governor also appoints board members to JTA. 1 out of X board members during Ford's tenure reported any concerns about finances. And the type of finance concerns she had were not the same as the issues presenting today, sans Navi. She was generally concerned about relatively small things like uneven employee education reimbursement, and inaccurate reporting of ridership numbers (which is a whole other potential issue).

I totally understand the superficial optics. Sometimes that's good enough to have a long shelf life, sometimes the context catches up to the story after time.

[jaxlongtimer]

^ Regardless of the JTA board, if anyone on the City Council, Mayor's office or JTA board read the Jaxson, they could have seen this train/bus/Skyway/NAVI about to run over them  .  If it was obvious to outsiders, it should have been more than obvious to leadership.  Credit too, to Action News for also pointing out substantial cracks in the JTA foundation.

Blind love, politically, friendship or otherwise, in business is just plain unhealthy.  One has to continuously hold management accountable for expenses being managed/reasonable/justified, revenue being protected/growing, the bottom line being optimized given mission and constraints, and that no one is misusing their position to run the ship aground.  Thoughtful and feasible long term strategy/planning should also be expected.

It's not personal, its good business management 101.  No one should be offended (e.g. I sense the Mayor and the JTA Board didn't want to take on Ford).  If one is offended, that should invite even more scrutiny... after all, what are they afraid of revealing?

[jaxlongtimer]

Based on the below, I would say both NAVI and the Skyway are cooked!  No doubt, tough on the employees, but it's the right and only decision to be made.  Sadly, the Skyway decision should have been made 40 years ago and the NAVI about 5 years ago.  Better late than never. 

The Financial Planning Manager is an obvious casualty unless he/she spoke up and no one would listen.  Unfair in that case but they need a scapegoat, perhaps.

....News4JAX obtained a list of more than 150 employees whose positions are being eliminated as part of JTA's restructuring. Positions eliminated Friday include

- Program Manager

- Chief Innovation Officer

- Director - Automation & Innovation

- Business Relations Administrator

- Financial Planning & Analysis Manager

Employees who worked with JTA's Skyway Line are also on the list. News4JAX witnessed the Skyway operating in downtown Jacksonville on Monday. Workers who oversaw JTA's Navi system are included as well. JTA says Navi will make its last run at the end of this year...

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/09/21/hurt-and-blindsided-laid-off-jta-employee-says-employees-were-given-severance-packets-escorted-out-of-headquarters/