Jacksonville Housing Authority Board Fires CEO Cheron Corbett a Week After Her 12% Developer Fee Proposal

The Jacksonville Housing Authority's board voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 27, to fire CEO Cheron Corbett, ending a tenure of about a year and a half a week after it became public that she had proposed a 12% cut of developer fees on new agency projects for herself and senior leadership. Commissioners, meeting in an emergency session, terminated her without cause, effective immediately, after she declined an offer to resign over the weekend. Roslyn Phillips, a longtime agency official who previously served as interim CEO, will run the authority as acting CEO until a permanent replacement is hired.

What the board decided

The board took two unanimous votes at the special meeting, according to News4JAX: one to terminate Corbett and a second to make the termination without cause and effective immediately. It then selected Phillips as acting CEO with the full duties and powers of the position.

Corbett is identified in some reports, including Action News Jax coverage, as Cheron Corbett Waller. News4JAX and earlier coverage of her hiring refer to her as Cheron Corbett.

Board Chairman Daniel Blanchard cited operational, cultural and financial problems at the agency. "The books are a mess," he said, according to News4JAX and Action News Jax, and he called the idea of a million-dollar bonus "horrific." One commissioner said the board had not received "honest, complete" answers, and another said, "I don't see a path forward," News4JAX reported. Action News Jax identified board member Robin Smith as raising concerns about the answers commissioners had received and board member Hank Rogers as saying the board and the CEO had different visions for the agency.

The developer fee proposal

The firing came a week after Action News Jax reported that Corbett had brought the board a proposal entitling her and senior leadership to 12% of developer fees on new JHA projects. On a single deal, such as the redevelopment of the Franklin Arms property, that share could have approached $1 million, on top of her $300,000 base salary, according to Action News Jax.

The station reported that the board rejected the proposal. It drew criticism from the mayor's office and City Council members, and Councilman Rory Diamond called for Corbett to resign. City Councilman Michael Boylan, the council's liaison to the authority, told News4JAX that Corbett had done some good things but that the compensation proposal was inappropriate and created bad optics.

Corbett's attorney, Tad Delegal, said she did nothing wrong. He argued that the proposal would have shifted part of her compensation from publicly funded sources to privately funded development fees, a practice he said other agencies also use. He said it was disappointing and unfortunate that the board did not give her an opportunity to respond or defend herself. Delegal also disputed claims of financial mismanagement, telling Action News Jax the budget was in the best condition it has ever been.

A city analysis raised red flags

Ahead of the meeting, Action News Jax obtained a 10-page analysis from the mayor's office titled "Red Flags for Board Meeting." The station reported that the document raised concerns about the authority's finances, contracts and board oversight and said the agency was on pace for a loss of nearly $4 million.

Mayor Donna Deegan's office praised the vote. In a statement reported by News4JAX, the mayor's office said the board "acted decisively" and addressed conduct "unsuitable for a public agency." Action News Jax reported that Deegan thanked Blanchard and the board for what she called thoughtful accountability, and said city boards should ask questions, demand answers and make decisions that preserve public trust.

Severance and what she is owed

Because the board fired her without cause, Corbett is entitled to severance under her contract. Delegal said the board appears to be paying 22 weeks of pay, which Action News Jax calculated at nearly $127,000 based on her $300,000 salary. News4JAX reported that Delegal also raised a $30,000 bonus that had not been paid.

The board has 30 days to determine the amount it legally owes her, and a human resources committee will review her contract and any outstanding payments, News4JAX reported.

A troubled stretch at JHA

The authority, which runs public housing and administers federal Housing Choice Vouchers, often called Section 8, in Jacksonville, has been through repeated leadership turnover. When Corbett arrived in 2025, Action News Jax reported she was the fourth person to hold the CEO job since 2023.

The board approved her contract on Jan. 14, 2025, after its top choice, George Guy, withdrew in a contract dispute. Corbett came from Illinois, where she led the DuPage and Kendall County housing authorities, and before that she spent six years as deputy chief of operations at the Chicago Housing Authority. She was the first woman to serve as JHA's full-time CEO. Her contract carried a three-year term with an option to renew.

The weeks before her firing brought another dispute. Board secretary Harriet Brock, a voucher recipient, sued the authority, Corbett and another official in federal court on Sept. 23, alleging JHA ended her housing assistance without proper notice or a hearing. Under a settlement reported by Action News Jax on Oct. 20, JHA restored her assistance, Brock agreed to repay $9,691 in disputed benefits and to resign from the board effective Oct. 16, and neither side admitted fault. At Tuesday's meeting, Blanchard also criticized the forced resignation of Brock in exchange for a financial settlement, News4JAX reported.

Part of a wider leadership shake-up

Corbett's firing is the third departure of a CEO at a major Jacksonville public agency in four months. Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nat Ford announced his resignation in July, followed by disclosure of a $39 million budget shortfall, and JEA CEO Vickie Cavey announced her resignation in September amid scrutiny of workplace culture allegations, Action News Jax reported.

City Council President Nick Howland said oversight should start with the boards that govern the independent authorities, whose members serve the public rather than the CEO and leadership teams, according to the station. Howland has formed a committee to examine JTA's finances, operations and governance and said it could later be reconvened to look at JHA. Councilman Ron Salem said the string of departures is concerning and that council liaisons should make sure they are comfortable with the boards' choices.

What's next

Phillips will lead the authority while the board searches for a permanent CEO; no timeline has been announced. The board's human resources committee will settle what Corbett is owed within the 30-day window, including the unpaid bonus Delegal raised. City Council leaders have said they may extend their review of independent authority governance to JHA, whose public housing and vouchers serve low-income households across the city.

At the meeting, one speaker who supported Corbett questioned the need for an emergency session and warned that another leadership change could leave the agency unstable, News4JAX reported.