JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico is facing tough questions from Action News Jax over whether he benefits directly or indirectly from millions in city grant money being allocated to his employer, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida.
Carrico, who earns a six-figure salary as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the nonprofit, said he follows all ethics rules, abstains from related votes, and discloses his employment in official forms.
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Still, the overlap between his public role and his professional one is prompting calls for greater scrutiny and transparency.
$12M in grants for 2025-2026
As council president, Carrico plays a key role in shaping Jacksonville’s budget priorities. At the same time, the Kids Hope Alliance (KHA), a city-funded agency with a $50 million budget, has allocated over $12.2 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. That’s three times more than any other organization KHA supports.
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Despite KHA’s most recent public report showing the nonprofit receiving only about $3 million, Action News Jax uncovered the full $12.2 million figure through a public records request.
“I would love to review that site or anyone with [the Office of General Counsel] to make sure they are accurately reporting that,” Carrico said in response to the discrepancy.
Salary growth tracks with grant increases
The funding boost also coincides with Carrico’s rise in pay at the nonprofit. According to state filings, his salary increased from $111,500 several years ago to $149,000, not including the $60,000 he earns annually as a council member.
KHA’s support for the Boys & Girls Clubs has steadily increased year-over-year:
| Fiscal Year | KHA Grant to Boys & Girls Clubs |
|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | $5.27 million |
| 2020-2021 | $7.74 million |
| 2021-2022 | $8.02 million |
| 2022-2023 | $8.65 million |
| 2023-2024 | $9.71 million |
| 2024-2025 | $12.99 million |
| 2025-2026 | $12.36 million |
Carrico joined the council in a 2020 special election, became vice president in 2024, and assumed the presidency in 2025.
“With growth [at Boys & Girls Clubs] comes more revenue and a more complex job,” Carrico said, defending the correlation between increased grant money and his rising salary.
Legal, but ethical questions persist
While Carrico follows the required procedures, some local leaders argue the situation still raises concerns.
“Even if the money isn’t going directly to his salary, it’s going to other things that frees up money to go to his salary,” Leslie Scott Jean-Bart, an attorney and former member of the Jacksonville Ethics Commission, said.
Jean-Bart, who also serves as President of the Democratic Black Caucus of Duval County, said the matter deserves closer inspection.
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“There needs to be greater scrutiny about how those dollars are spent and how they got those dollars. Are they a step ahead of other nonprofits getting preference somehow?” Jean-Bart said.
The only other member of City Council who is required to recuse themselves form KHA budget votes is Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman, the CEO of the Clara White Mission. That organization received $3,500 from KHA for a summer field trip program.
Long-standing issues at KHA
The Kids Hope Alliance, which consolidated functions and programs of the Jacksonville Journey and Jacksonville Children’s Commission in 2017, was created under then-Mayor Lenny Curry and has been under fire ever since.
Multiple Inspector General investigations and a City Council auditor’s report have documented issues ranging from political interference, questionable management practices, to cronyism.
Boys & Girls Clubs respond
In a statement, Paul Martinez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, defended the organization’s integrity:
“All grant funding we receive is used in accordance with city, state, and federal regulations, with full transparency and accountability... Our employment practices and grant processes follow strict ethical and compliance standards, ensuring a clear separation between organizational operations and any individual’s role in public service.”
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s office on KHA
“Everyone wants to see a Jacksonville where children, youth, and families succeed. It is the mission of Kids Hope Alliance to oversee the funding and programs that support this vision. We will continue working with KHA leadership and the Board of Directors to review opportunities and challenges as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and effective taxpayer investment.”
What’s next?
The KHA Board is set to meet on Wednesday to evaluate the agency’s CEO Karalyn Grass, who has been under scrutiny for outside employment and communication issues.
Meanwhile, the City’s Taxation, Revenue, and Utilization of Expenditures Commission (TRUE Commission) has called for KHA to appear at its next meeting to explain how grants are awarded and monitored.
As for Carrico, he wouldn’t object to another elected official being in a similar position.
“Politically, if someone had the same situation, would you have a problem with it?” he was asked by Becker.
“I wouldn’t have a problem with it. No,” Carrico replied.
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