Budget Process

JEA has a budget to pay for its business requirements to provide reliable services to our customers rain or shine, summer or winter, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is a responsibility we take seriously and includes ensuring the upkeep of our current facilities and technologies, planning for future growth and new technologies, and keeping pace with local, state, and federal environmental requirements meant to keep our air and river clean.

Each year, JEA goes through a rigorous budget development process that begins months in advance of the beginning of the next fiscal year. Here’s a look at who works on and approves JEA’s budget and when each part of the process takes place.

Monthly Milestones

March: JEA area directors and managers assess and document the resources they need for the coming year. Managers submit their budget requests to their directors, who in turn submit their budget request for their entire area to his/her Senior Leadership Team (SLT) member.

March/April: JEA’s SLT reviews the requests, makes adjustments if necessary, and drafts a preliminary budget. JEA's CEO and finance staff then review the preliminary budget and budget assumptions for the coming year with the Board Finance and Audit Committee. 
About Our Senior Leaders

April: JEA’s budget office refines the proposed budget based on projected revenues and expenses.  

May: JEA staff presents the proposed budget to JEA Board’s Finance and Audit Committee. The Committee reviews it and suggests changes for clarification as needed.  

June: JEA Board of Directors reviews and votes on the proposed budget at the June Board meeting.

July 1: JEA’s CEO submits the proposed budget to the President of the City Council. The budget is then turned over to the City Council Auditors for review. They request clarification or additional information as needed. 

August: Council Auditors review and discuss the JEA budget with the City Council Finance Committee. JEA’s CEO and Chief Financial Officer are present to answer questions. 

September: Normally, at the first City Council meeting in the month, the Council holds a public hearing on the budgets for all City departments and independent agencies, including JEA. Later in the month, the Council approves the budget.   

October 1: The new fiscal year begins and the approved budget is released.  

Annual Budget Expenditures by Area

JEA’s budget is divided into two distinct areas: the energy business and the water/wastewater business. The tables below show how the revenue budgeted for FY20 is expected to be utilized.

Energy System Budgeted Revenues for FY20 - $1,249,528,535

City Contribution - 8%
Operations and Maintenance - 23%
Capital Investment - 19%
Debt Service - 11%
Non-Fuel Purchased Power - 6%
Fuel and Purchased Power - 33%

Water/Wastewater System Budgeted Revenues for FY20 - $494,451,331

City Contribution - 5%
Operations and Maintenance - 38%
Capital Investment - 41%
Debt Service - 16%

Capital Investment: Money set aside to pay for additions to our systems. Having this fund allows us to pay for these items directly instead of borrowing money. This is the same idea as if you saved up to buy a car with cash rather than borrowing the money and paying interest. 

City Contribution: The portion of JEA’s budget that is collected by JEA for the City of Jacksonville to support general government services not related to JEA. 

Debt Service: Repays loans for very large capital investments such as electric generation and substations or water and sewer plants. This is similar to your very large capital investments, most notably your home. A home purchase usually requires a mortgage that’s repaid in monthly installments over decades. 

Fuel and Purchased Power: Variable costs for and associated with fuel used in generation and purchase of electricity.  Fuel used by JEA includes coal, petroleum coke (a byproduct of the oil refining process), natural gas, diesel oil and residual oil.  JEA purchases include solar, landfill gas, wind, and wholesale market power. 

Non-Fuel Purchased Power: Costs related to the purchase of electricity that are independent of the quantity purchased.

Operations and Maintenance: Materials and supplies to operate and maintain JEA’s systems once built, vehicle maintenance and repair, pavement repair, roof repair, etc.  This also includes salaries and benefits for 2,137 budgeted employee allocations.