(1) There is hereby created and established a body politic and corporate and an agency of the state to be known as the Jacksonville Expressway Authority, redesignated as the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and hereinafter referred to as the “authority.”
(2) The governing body of the authority shall be composed of seven members. Four members shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Of the four members appointed by the Governor, one must be a resident of Duval County, one must be a resident of Clay County, one must be a resident of St. Johns County, and one must be a resident of Nassau County. Three members shall be appointed by the mayor of the City of Jacksonville subject to confirmation by the council of the City of Jacksonville. Members appointed by the mayor of the City of Jacksonville must be residents and qualified electors of Duval County.
(3)(a) The terms of appointed members shall be for 4 years deemed to have commenced on June 1 of the year in which they are appointed. Each member shall hold office until a successor has been appointed and has qualified. A vacancy during a term shall be filled by the respective appointing authority only for the balance of the unexpired term. Any member appointed to the authority for two consecutive full terms shall not be eligible for appointment to the next succeeding term. One of the members so appointed shall be designated annually by the members as chair of the authority, one member shall be designated annually as the vice chair of the authority, one member shall be designated annually as the secretary of the authority, and one member shall be designated annually as the treasurer of the authority. The members of the authority shall not be entitled to compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses or other expenses actually incurred in their duties as provided by law. Four voting members of the authority shall constitute a quorum, and no resolution adopted by the authority shall become effective unless with the affirmative vote of at least four members. Members of the authority shall file as their mandatory financial disclosure a statement of financial interest with the Commission on Ethics as provided in s. 112.3145. (b) The authority shall employ an executive director, and the executive director may hire such staff, permanent or temporary, as he or she may determine and may organize the staff of the authority into such departments and units as he or she may determine. The executive director may appoint department directors, deputy directors, division chiefs, and staff assistants to the executive director, as he or she may determine. In so appointing the executive director, the authority may fix the compensation of such appointee, who shall serve at the pleasure of the authority. All employees of the authority shall be exempt from the provisions of part II of chapter 110. The authority may employ such financial advisers and consultants, technical experts, engineers, and agents and employees, permanent or temporary, as it may require and may fix the compensation and qualifications of such persons, firms, or corporations. The authority may delegate to one or more of its agents or employees such of its powers as it shall deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, subject always to the supervision and control of the governing body of the authority.
