Note: Story update. The day after the story's release, Mr Ford moved up his departure date. Although we don't know the details, we wish him well and have faith in the JTA Board.

Jacksonville Transportation Authority is entering a major transition, and we're beginning a series looking at the questions Jacksonville taxpayers may want answered as JTA prepares for its next chapter.

And Part 1 starts with a pretty simple question:

Will Jacksonville continue paying Nat Ford after he starts running Dallas Area Rapid Transit?

Because right now, the publicly announced dates don't seem to line up.

Ford's resignation from JTA is effective January 8, 2027, and JTA previously said he would remain “fully engaged” through the transition.

But DART has now hired Ford as its new President and CEO, with a starting date of October 26, 2026.

That's roughly a 10½-week overlap.

And We're Talking About Significant Money

Ford has been one of Jacksonville's highest-paid public executives.

Depending on the year and exactly which salary, benefits and other compensation are counted, published reports have placed Ford's total JTA compensation at more than $600,000 in some years.

That works out to roughly $12,000 per week at the $625,000 annual compensation level reported for one recent year.

JTA has since imposed a 15% compensation reduction on Ford and other senior executives as part of its efforts to address financial pressures.

Even using a reduced figure, however, we're still potentially talking about roughly $10,000 per week in total compensation.

Multiply that by approximately 10½ weeks and the significance of the unanswered question becomes much easier to understand.

Depending upon what compensation continues and how Ford's transition agreement is structured, the period between October 26 and January 8 could potentially represent around $100,000 in JTA compensation.

That is not a claim that Ford will receive $100,000 from JTA while working in Dallas.

We don't know.

And that's precisely the point.

The Dallas Comparison Makes This Even More Interesting

Ford isn't leaving Jacksonville for a smaller transit authority.

He's moving to a considerably larger one.

DART serves a 13-city region, employs roughly 3,800 people, operates bus, light rail, commuter rail and other transit services, and has a financial operation many times larger than JTA's.

Yet Dallas reporting indicates Ford is actually expected to take a pay cut to run DART.

That raises one question we'll examine separately in Part 2:

If a much larger transit authority can attract JTA's CEO for less money, what should Jacksonville be paying JTA's next CEO?

But first we need to understand what Jacksonville is paying the departing one.

Two Public Statements Need to Be Reconciled

JTA told Jacksonville that Ford would remain engaged through the leadership transition, with his resignation effective January 8.

DART says Ford becomes its President and CEO on October 26.

Both statements can potentially be true.

But taxpayers deserve to know how.

Perhaps Ford's regular JTA compensation ends when he begins working for DART.

Perhaps the January date represents accrued leave or some other contractual obligation.

Perhaps JTA is retaining him in a limited transition or consulting capacity.

Or perhaps some portion of his JTA compensation will continue while he is simultaneously being paid by DART.

There may be a completely reasonable explanation.

But the public shouldn't have to guess.

The JTA Board Should Answer Five Questions

That's why the next JTA Board meeting matters.

Before the discussion moves entirely toward finding Ford's replacement, Jacksonville residents should ask the Board:

Will Nat Ford continue receiving JTA compensation after October 25?

If so, exactly how much will he receive between October 26 and January 8?

What JTA duties will Ford perform after becoming President and CEO of DART?

Has JTA negotiated a new transition, separation or consulting agreement with Ford?

And will JTA publicly release that agreement along with the current contract terms governing his departure?

Those aren't accusations.

They're basic questions about public money.

Why July 29 Matters

The JTA Board meets July 29, as the authority begins navigating this leadership transition.

That's an opportunity for Jacksonville taxpayers, transit riders, members of the media and anyone interested in government accountability to attend, listen and respectfully ask questions.

Because we're potentially talking about roughly $10,000 a week in JTA compensation during a 10½-week period that currently overlaps with Ford's announced start date in Dallas.

Maybe there is no dual compensation at all.

Maybe there's a contractual explanation that makes the entire issue straightforward.

If so, JTA should say so.

But considering JTA's recent financial pressures and executive compensation reductions, taxpayers shouldn't have to wait until January to discover what the arrangement was.

Ask now, before the transition is complete.

And that's only the beginning.

Coming in Part 2:

If Nat Ford can leave JTA to run a much larger transit authority while reportedly taking a pay cut, how much should Jacksonville taxpayers be paying JTA's next CEO?

That's a question worth answering before the next contract is signed.