Morning edition · October 28, 2026
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The Jacksonville Housing Authority is changing leadership after its board voted unanimously on October 27 to dismiss chief executive Cheron Corbett Waller. The decision puts the agency’s management and oversight under renewed scrutiny, while her attorney disputes the board’s characterization of its finances.
News4JAX reported Tuesday that the termination was without cause and effective immediately. The board appointed an acting chief executive and authorized an HR committee to help manage the transition and review outstanding contractual payments.
A proposed payment becomes a flashpoint
The decision followed a proposal for the chief executive and senior leadership to receive a 12% share of development fees on new authority projects, according to News4JAX. On one project, the arrangement could have produced a payment of approximately $1 million. A proposed payment is not evidence that the money was actually distributed.
News4JAX also reported that the employment agreement could provide 22 weeks of salary following termination. That potential contractual obligation should not be confused with a confirmed final settlement or a completed payout.
The financial picture is disputed
In Action News Jax’s October 27 coverage, board chair Daniel Blanchard raised operational, cultural and financial concerns. Other members questioned the completeness of information supplied to the board and described differing visions for the authority.
The station reported that a mayor’s-office analysis identified concerns about finances, contracts and oversight and said the agency was on pace for a nearly $4 million loss. Corbett Waller’s attorney, Tad Delegal, rejected suggestions of financial mismanagement and defended the condition of the agency’s budget.
Those positions deserve attribution. A management dismissal establishes the board’s action; it does not independently establish every financial criticism, and termination without cause is not a criminal finding.
For residents, the next questions concern continuity and accountability: how the transition will be managed, what records support the competing financial accounts and what the board does next. Neither report establishes a change to an individual resident’s eligibility, rent or assistance. Those matters require specific notices rather than assumptions drawn from the leadership dispute.