Jacksonville families struggle with unusually high JEA bills as council members explore relief options

Rising prices are squeezing household budgets across Jacksonville, and for some residents, keeping up with the utility bill has become one more financial burden they can’t afford to ignore.Two Jacksonville City Council members are now looking at ways the city could step in to help.Ray Pringle, a retired Jacksonville resident living on a fixed income, said the situation keeps getting harder.RELATED | JEA customers to see higher water, sewer bills as rate increases take effect | Jacksonville resident hit with unusual $500 JEA bill pushes for change with online petition“My wife and I are retired and living off of a fixed income — it’s progressively getting worse,” Pringle said.Jason Goodrich also went public with his frustration, posting on social media and filing a petition against JEA that has already collected more than 5,000 signatures. He said the bills his family has been receiving are far beyond what he expected.“My mother received a $500 bill, and when she came to me, they said we