JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Councilmember Raul Arias (R-District 11) has stepped down from his role as Finance Chair.
The announcement comes after Action News Jax reported on a string of questionable business dealings related to Arias, but Arias is pushing back on the idea that those stories led to him resigning from his top leadership role.
In August, we revealed Arias owed nearly $70,000 in unpaid property taxes on his former restaurant, Mambos.
That bill was paid in full after we reached out.
This past month, we showed another company owned by Arias’ family was paid $35,000 to cater Council President Kevin Carrico’s installation ceremony, and Arias helped steer a $100,000 city grant to a non-profit that he recommended hire his former company, Bold City Media.
“It seems like there’s a hiccup every two weeks or so, and I do hear from my constituents on these things,” Councilmember Matt Carlucci said (R-Group 4 At-Large).
Councilmember Carlucci said he suspects Action News Jax’s reporting may have played a role in Arias’ decision to give up his leadership position.
“No, I would not do that at this point,” Carlucci said.
In a statement, Arias suggested his decision did not come as a response to our reporting.
“After a long and productive budget season that delivered meaningful property tax relief for our homeowners, I’ve shifted my focus back to the district. I’ve identified several neighborhoods that need immediate attention, from road improvements and traffic calming to street lighting and other safety measures,” Arias said.
He also noted he will still serve on five council committees, including the Finance Committee.
Additionally, Arias will continue to chair the Community Benefits Agreement Committee.
It’s unclear whether Arias’ stepping down from his leadership role marks the end of his troubles.
We asked the Office of Inspector General whether it had received any complaints related to our reporting on several of Arias’ business dealings or if it had initiated an investigation.
“The OIG cannot confirm or deny the existence of an ongoing investigation. However, we do take all credible allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse seriously and have the authority and ability to initiate an investigation when warranted,” Inspector General Matthew Lascell said in an emailed statement.
Carlucci said he doesn’t know whether an investigation has been initiated, but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s at least being considered.
“The reporting has been made public, and I’m sure that the different authorities that might would investigate something have taken notice, but I’m not going to pass any judgment in the public square,” Carlucci said.
We asked Mayor Donna Deegan whether she believes an investigation is warranted.
“I do believe that Raul was working hard on the Finance Committee. I was surprised to see it,” said Deegan. “It’s really not my lane, and I’m gonna leave that to council to decide who is gonna lead. I’ll work with whoever is there and continue to work with Raul. I always would prefer to see us focusing on the business of Jacksonville, and that’s what I’ll keep trying to focus on.”
Council President Kevin Carrico (R-District 4) selected Councilmember Joe Carlucci (R-District 5) to take over as Finance Chair.
In his letter announcing the leadership shakeup on the Finance Committee, President Carrico (R-District 4) stated he remains committed to uphold the “highest standards of transparency and integrity” moving forward.
Councilmember Matt Carlucci said he hopes that is truly the case.
“I certainly would like to see things calm down and some normalcy. You know, it’s been a rollercoaster of a year,” Carlucci said.
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