High Springs City Commission delays City Manager removal, opens settlement talks

BY JESSE THOMAS FLETCHER

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – The High Springs City Commission voted 3-2 on Aug. 13 to postpone formal action on City Manager Jeremy Marshall’s removal and authorized the City Attorney to negotiate a separation agreement with Marshall’s lawyer.

Commissioner Katherine Weitz made a motion to table Resolution 2026-V, the measure that would have begun the City Charter’s formal removal process. Weitz said she wanted to give the City Attorney time to negotiate a settlement that was “reasonable for both parties.”

Commissioner Weitz: “I believe Mr. Marshall’s earned that.”

Vice Mayor Wayne Bloodsworth Jr. seconded the motion, saying, “I believe that as well.” Commissioner Chad Howell joined Weitz and Bloodsworth in voting for the delay. Mayor Andrew Miller and Commissioner Tristan Grunder voted against the motion.

The vote leaves Marshall suspended with pay while negotiations proceed. The Commission placed him on administrative leave on July 23 and directed the City Attorney to prepare the removal resolution.

City Attorney Danielle Adams told commissioners that Ryan Barrick, an attorney representing Marshall, had asked the City to discuss an agreement that would protect both sides. Commissioners did not discuss any proposed payment or other settlement terms.

Adams said she would negotiate during the two weeks before the next commission meeting. If the parties reach an agreement, she will bring it to the Commission for approval. If they do not, she will report that to Commissioners, and the removal resolution will remain before them.

Public comment: “We have no money to pay this man to go away.”

During public comment, six speakers urged Commissioners to proceed with the resolution rather than delay the decision. High Springs resident Tanya Weaver questioned whether the City should pay Marshall a settlement, citing the City’s budget concerns.

Resident Mark Paris raised a similar concern: “The longer we hold on to him, the more money we’re paying him.”

Resident Jody Huey called Marshall’s departure inevitable and argued that further delays would prevent the City from moving on. “Any time that we delay this decision,… we’re not making any progress,” Huey said. “It is hurting the City more and more. There’s more turmoil.”

“We need to move forward,” Huey added. “Get past this, get this behind us.”

Commissioner Grunder: “I believe that there’s more than enough cause to remove Mr. Marshall”

Grunder said he was “quite frankly shocked” that settlement negotiations were being considered. He said communication among City employees had improved during Marshall’s suspension and described a lack of trust and communication before the suspension.

“I believe that there’s more than enough cause to remove Mr. Marshall,” Grunder said, adding that his position was not a judgment of Marshall’s character.

Weitz said she still believed “parting ways” was appropriate but favored a negotiated separation. She grouped the concerns raised at the July 23 meeting into three areas: unanswered calls and a lack of responsiveness, Marshall’s handling of an investigation involving Police Chief Antoine Sheppard, and findings in the City’s delayed audit. Weitz said the complaints about Marshall’s responsiveness were valid but defended his handling of the Sheppard matter.

Bloodsworth also said the City and Marshall should separate but argued that Marshall should be allowed to leave “with some dignity.” He said he believed some criticism of Marshall stemmed from Marshall’s decision to place Sheppard on administrative leave.

Bloodsworth also criticized comments about Marshall not being from High Springs. “In the last meeting at the Civic Center, people claimed he was not from here, he doesn’t belong here, and he needs to go,” Bloodsworth said. He called that criticism “wrong” and “embarrassing.”

Marshall reinstated Sheppard in July after an investigation.

Mayor Miller said the Sheppard matter did not influence his decision to remove Marshall. “The issue between him and Chief Sheppard was not in my decision-making,” Miller said.

Grunder likewise said he had reached his decision before Marshall placed Sheppard on leave. “It had nothing to do with that,” he said.

Miller said his position rested on his own experience working with Marshall and complaints he had heard from residents. He also pointed to the delayed fiscal year 2023-24 audit, saying it was completed in about 26 days after a change in Finance leadership. Miller questioned why management had not completed the audit years earlier.

The removal process is set out in Section 3.03 of the City Charter. If Commissioners adopt a preliminary removal resolution, Marshall would have 10 days to accept the offer of a public hearing or file a written response. A requested hearing would have to be held between 20 and 30 days after the resolution’s adoption. If Marshall does not respond within 10 days, the preliminary resolution would become final.

Selecting the next City Manager

After the vote, Commissioners discussed how to select the City’s next Manager. Miller said he preferred appointing an interim Manager rather than immediately hiring a permanent replacement. Adams agreed to contact the Florida League of Cities and bring back options, including a possible search for an outside interim Manager.

The City’s next regular commission meeting is scheduled for Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m.