JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has learned that a controversial bill - once described by the mayor’s office as a “power grab” - is being withdrawn.
The bill, first filed three weeks ago by finance chairman Raul Arias, aimed to shift appointment power for the Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) and the Jacksonville Public Library boards. Currently, those appointments are made entirely by the mayor’s office.
Arias announced during a Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee Monday morning, he is pulling back his legislation, saying he’s willing to work collaboratively with the mayor’s team.
“If they are going to work with us in good faith, I will withdraw my legislation,” Arias said. “We can work together without having to change anything.”
If passed, the bill would have given the City Council greater control over who serves and more oversight over how millions of dollars are spent.
The Kids Hope Alliance, which has a $52 million budget, oversees key children’s programs across Jacksonville. Arias now says the council will instead submit names to the mayor’s office for consideration rather than changing the structure of appointments entirely.
This move follows an Action News Jax investigation two weeks ago that uncovered transparency and communication issues at KHA—issues that ultimately led to the board firing its CEO.
It also comes as Arias and his political ally Council President Kevin Carrico have come under recent scrutiny – including Carrico’s employer receiving millions in grant funding from KHA and the council member’s connection to a short-lived not-for-profit that both denied having anything to do with.
The mayor’s office declined to comment on the bill’s withdrawal that will require a council vote next week.
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