On the night of funeral services for former Jacksonville city administrator Sam Mousa, the City Council introduced a resolution honoring him.
Mousa, 72, died Jan. 22 before undergoing heart surgery. He had most recently served as Mayor Lenny Curry’s chief administrative officer after a career at City Hall that spanned five mayors.
Resolution 2025-0080, which was introduced by all 19 Council members, honors Mousa for being “integral in so many momentous initiatives that shaped Jacksonville, including the River City Renaissance downtown renewal projects, the restoration of the St. James building as the new City Hall, the new Duval County Courthouse, and pension reform in 2015.”
Mousa joined the city as an engineer in the Department of Public Works in 1987 in Mayor Tommy Hazouri’s administration.
He served as director of public works under Mayor Ed Austin and served as Mayor John Delaney’s chief administrative officer. In that role, he managed the inner workings of the $2.2 billion Better Jacksonville Plan.
In 2003, after serving in Mayor John Peyton’s administration, Mousa left the city for the private sector. He served as the executive vice president of J.B. Coxwell Contracting Inc. and managing principal with JBC Planning & Engineering LLC before returning to City Hall as Curry’s CAO.
Mousa retired in 2019.
According to his obituary, Mousa was involved in the development of such projects as EverBank Stadium, the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, VyStar Ballpark, the Duval County Courthouse, libraries, parks, roads, bridges and fire stations.
The resolution commends Mousa’s “keen ability to manage large and complex infrastructure projects, on time and on budget and he was renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of myriad subjects, tireless work ethic, attention to detail and financial acumen.”
“Sam Mousa had a well-earned reputation, he spoke directly, held high expectations of those around him, and had infinite capacity to make things happen,” the resolution states. “He could get any vision to materialize, he exemplified loyalty, and his tactics reflected his expertise and commitment to excellence.”
Mousa, whose birth name was Sammy Edward Mousa, was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Sept. 18, 1952. His parents, the late Easa John Mousa and Farida Easa Mousa, were Palestinian immigrants.
He moved to Jacksonville at 18, studying at Florida Junior College and graduating from the University of Florida College of Engineering in 1976.
He and his wife, Sandy, married after Mousa’s graduation. Married for 47 years, the Mousas raised three children and had six grandchildren.
The family held a visitation on the evening of Jan. 28. Council President Randy White and member Ron Salem attended. Salem is a cousin of Mousa.
A second visitation is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Jan. 29 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 6300 Bowden Road, followed by a funeral service. A graveside committal will be held at Oaklawn Cemetery, 4801 San Jose Blvd., immediately after the funeral service.
“His legacy is second to none, he was a mentor, a skilled administrator, and a natural leader and his presence, counsel, and friendship will be missed,” the resolution said.
The resolution was passed on an emergency basis to coincide with Mousa’s services. The normal Council process spans six weeks from introduction of legislation to final approval.