‘I am being pushed out’: Jacksonville Housing Authority CEO to resign after report finds agency misused funds

Jacksonville Housing Authority CEO Dwayne Alexander on Monday submitted his resignation letter more than a month after he came under fire following the release of a city investigation into the agency.

“I feel like the new administration is improperly pushing me out through the BOC based on the comments made by some of the BOC in the past two months-and its actions. Nevertheless, I still found a way to make my job both rewarding and memorable,” Alexander said.

Alexander added that he feels like he is “being pushed out in a manner not consistent with the law.”

MORE: Jacksonville Housing Authority CEO pushes back after city report finds agency wasted federal funds

A Jacksonville Inspector General Report report released in December said the agency wasted government funds when it loaded money onto Jacksonville housing tenant utility reimbursement payment cards but the money wasn’t spent on utility expenses.

Before and after the report, Alexander was under scrutiny and there were calls for him to resign, but he defended himself and said he planned to stay in his position.

The Jacksonville Housing Authority (JHA) Board of Commissioners later voted to approve a $20,000 performance bonus for Alexander and offered to extend his contract for six more months without a pay raise.

Alexander said in his resignation letter he now has “the option to take on another venture with a longer contract.”

“I have been pleased with the accomplishments at JHA, such as obtaining the A Plus Bond Rating, purchasing new homes, acquiring Franklin Arms and the total rehabilitation of more that 600 units. In addition to successfully navigated the process of the soon to be purchase of the Westwood development with bonds (the first in this agency’s history), and I have also managed the other deals this agency has on the horizon,” Alexander wrote in his resignation letter. “I have consistently given JHA my full attention and commitment to providing leadership in achieving their goals as an agency during this affordable housing crisis. Our goal at JHA is to be reliable partners with non-profits, stakeholders, and local government.”

Alexander was named interim CEO of the agency in 2018 and took over permanently in 2021.

The resignation will take effect 30 days from Monday.

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