A Jacksonville Transportation Authority board member who is the subject of a removal effort by Mayor Donna Deegan raised questions about discrepancies in ridership numbers and a contribution to the employer of another board member in what could be her final weeks on the board.
At the Feb. 27 board meeting, two days after Deegan filed legislation to remove her, Megan Hayward said JTA reports to the board contained ridership numbers that differed from figures the organization provides to the federal government. She asked for an explanation, noting that JTA’s federal funding is tied partly to the statistics.
“These numbers aren’t off by 10 or 20 riders, they are off by thousands,” said Hayward, who joined the board after being appointed by Deegan and approved by the Jacksonville City Council in October 2023.
After the meeting, Hayward told a reporter that the discrepancies were in the range of 2,000 riders.
In her comments to the board, Hayward said that compared to the numbers provided to the board, JTA is reporting higher ridership to the American Public Transportation Association. Those reports, she said, go to the Florida Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
She said JTA was “retroactively changing” the ridership figures.
“These are the numbers that APTA is reporting and available to the public,” she said, reading from prepared remarks she later shared with the Daily Record. “The Q4 (fourth-quarter) report from APTA just got posted today and again, consistently the numbers are off by thousands every month in Q4. How many transit agencies misreport numbers to APTA and do they correct them on a consistent basis, or are we the only ones?”
JTA CEO Nat Ford said the staff would investigate the situation and provide the board a report.
JAXUSA Partnership contribution
Hayward also questioned a $60,000 contribution by the JTA to JAXUSA Partnership, the economic development arm of the JAX Chamber.
The contribution was listed as an “investment” on a report to the board on JTA’s sponsorships and memberships, along with a $2,500 contribution to the JAX Chamber that was listed as a “board of directors fee” for 2025.
Aundra Wallace, the president of JAXUSA Partnership, is vice chair of the JTA board.
“As this was not a line item on our budget, and we did not get to vote on this money being spent, I want to make sure that this is above board, that we’re building public trust,” Hayward said.
Hayward called for a review of the contribution by an independent auditor, calling it a “direct payment to one of our board members.”
“Look, perception is reality, and even if there is a legal loophole that allows us to directly pay board members, it’s the perception,” she said. “We all need to appear beyond reproach.”
She also called on Ford to explain how the sponsorship helped users of the public transportation system.
“Gov. (Ron) DeSantis is focused on making sure that all of the agencies operating in the state of Florida are operating ethically,” she said. “I want to thank Gov. DeSantis for being so focused on high ethical standards and I want to make sure that we live up to those standards.”
New appointees
The meeting was the first since DeSantis appointed local business executives Max Glober and Donald “Donnie” Horner III to succeed Ari Jolly and Debbie Buckland on the seven-member board.
Richard Milian, general counsel for JTA, said his office had produced a legal opinion on the situation. The Daily Record requested the opinion, which wasn’t immediately provided.
Wallace did not comment on Hayward’s questions.
Under Council legislation requested by Deegan and filed on Feb. 25, Hayward would be replaced mid-term on the board by former Council president and Neptune Beach mayor Elaine Brown.
Brown served as the chair of the Council Transportation Committee and was the Council representative to JTA for four years.
“It is a privilege to welcome Elaine Brown back to public service as a JTA board member who brings a wealth of transportation experience,” Deegan said in a statement. “She is a fierce advocate for the citizens she serves and has proven that time and again as a past Jacksonville City Council President and Mayor of Neptune Beach. I have no doubt that she will serve JTA with the same servant’s heart that has benefited our community for decades.”
In the statement, Deegan also praised Hayward as a “true talent and innovative leader.”
“I look forward to her continued service to Jacksonville as we work together to expand her role serving the community,” the statement read.
Hayward was appointed to a partial first term in 2023 that was scheduled to expire in May 2025, followed automatically by a full four-year term.
In Deegan’s statement, she said the timing of DeSantis’ appointments of Glober and Horner also was a factor in the decision to nominate Brown.
“We are always looking to align board membership with background and experience to move city priorities forward,” she said. “For efficiency purposes, this transition allows all the new JTA board members – including the Governor’s two new appointments – to get up to speed around the same time to carry on the work of JTA for Jacksonville.”
Brown’s appointment is subject to Council approval. The legislation for the appointment, Resolution 2025-0157, is on the agenda for the March 3 meeting of the Council Rules Committee, part of the six-week process for most Council actions.