High Springs City Commission adopts budget with increased property tax rate, continues debate over police department

BY JESSE THOMAS FLETCHER

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – The High Springs City Commission unanimously adopted its $20.8 million budget on September 21 and approved a higher property tax rate in a 4-1 vote. Many residents attended the meeting and urged Commissioners to preserve the City’s police and fire departments. Commissioners also moved forward with a search for a new City Manager.

No decision was made about the fate of either department. Mayor Andrew Miller said information requested about Alachua County replacement services would be presented at the Commission’s next meeting.

Final budget and property tax rate

The Commission set the Fiscal Year 2026-27 property tax rate at 7.24 mills, up from the current rate of 6.99 mills. Commissioner Katherine Weitz cast the only vote against the property tax rate but joined the other four commissioners in approving the budget.

The property tax rate is 3.58% higher than the current rate and 8.94% above the rolled-back rate of 6.6458 mills. The rolled-back rate is the rate that would generate the same revenue as last year, excluding new construction.

The increase adds $25 annually for every $100,000 of taxable value to the City portion of a property tax bill; an increase in the appraised property value may also add to the amount owed in property taxes.

The approved All Funds budget totals $20,852,403, and the General Fund budget is $8 million. Finance Director Leslie Moyer said $149,000 in additional revenue will be generated from the higher millage rate, and the additional funds are budgeted under the City Manager’s department for now.

Moyer explained that the additional revenue will cover any unallocated spending. During public comment, Sue Weller urged the City to establish a designated reserve fund; Weller and Ross Ambrose praised the additional detail in this year’s budget documents.

Residents plead to retain local departments

Residents described the quick response from local police and firefighters and raised concerns about response times, staffing, and safety if the City turns services over to Alachua County.

Resident Ruthie Dawson said losing the City police department “would be a tragedy.” Dawson said she had called for emergency assistance eight times in two years and praised the knowledge and courtesy of High Springs police officers. “They’ve saved my life more than once,” she said.

Other speakers asked Commissioners to reduce police spending while keeping the department.

Ambrose thanked the Commissioners for seeking more information after a motion to dissolve the police department failed on September 10. 

Commissioner Chad Howell presented hypothetical scenarios to illustrate possible savings from contracting with the County. Using a roughly $3.2 million police budget as his starting point (the FY2027 budget lists $3,261,343 for the police department), Howell said a $1.5 million contract with Alachua County could save High Springs $8.5 million over five years. 

Howell acknowledged that “we will not get the same service” and said he expected longer response times. He said the City needs to invest in roads, water, and wastewater infrastructure and cannot sustain its finances without larger changes.

Commissioner Tristan Grunder said he did not want to eliminate local police but urged residents to speak with the Finance Director about the City’s financial problems. He asked for more attention to projects that could generate revenue.

Statutory rules about reducing law enforcement budgets

Howell said the police department’s budget had increased from roughly $2.9 million to $3.2 million, but late in the meeting, Moyer clarified that the police operating budget (as opposed to the total budget) was down 4.35%.

Moyer said Howell’s comparison used the total department budget that includes grant revenue and donations. Her calculation excluded those amounts to compare the operating budget relevant to the state’s 5% threshold. Cutting over 5% of the police department budget could trigger state-level prosecution, as the Commission discussed in the September 10 meeting.

Florida law provides a process to challenge a reduction; it is not an absolute prohibition on larger cuts. The law allows the City Commission to seek a hearing over a proposed police budget reduction of more than 5% if the budget is challenged.

Police union agreement and other business

Commissioners approved an agreement with the Florida Police Benevolent Association. Police Chief J. Antoine Sheppard said the union agreed to forgo an automatic 2% step increase, which he estimated would save $15,000 to $20,000. He also described a revised attendance incentive awarding three hours of paid time off each quarter to eligible employees who do not call in sick. 

The Commission unanimously maintained its salaries at $695.25 per month for Commissioners and $772.50 for the Mayor, continuing a prior 25% reduction.

Commissioners voted 3-2 to renew the Sunrise Consulting Group agreement for state lobbying services at $2,800 per month. Weitz and Vice Mayor Wayne Bloodsworth Jr. voted against renewal.

Interim City Manager Jennifer Applebee said work on the FY2024-25 audit would begin in earnest on October 1, with a projected completion date of December 1. 

City Manager search moves forward

At a 5:30 p.m. special meeting, Commissioners voted to work with the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) to explore both permanent and interim Manager candidates.

FCCMA Senior Advisor Jim Hanson said a permanent search could take about six months, putting a possible start date around March 2027. He said the FCCMA’s retired Managers volunteer their time, but the City would reimburse travel expenses.

Hanson said High Springs needs to first identify their priorities and approve recruitment materials and a salary range. “Before we can get you the Manager you want, you’ve got to tell us what you need,” Hanson said.

He said High Springs’ previous salary appeared low compared with the current market and cited St. Augustine Beach’s advertised range of $160,000 to $200,000. The Commission did not adopt a salary range for the candidate search.

Applebee has been serving as interim Manager following Jeremy Marshall’s August 27 resignation. Commissioners set Applebee’s interim annual pay at $97,000.