Letter: Dumpster fire in High Springs

Letter to the editor

I have heard rumblings from some folks in the community that a certain faction is attacking our City Manager in an effort to get rid of him, and I have this to say.

Mr. Marshall has brought expertise and transparency to this City that has not been seen in the 15 years I have lived here, or the 35 years of my family’s residing in High Springs, where they actively participated in the local government and the community.

Our city was FOUR YEARS behind on our audits when Mr. Marshall was handed a dumpster fire when he came to us less than two years ago. He was hired to do a job and got right to it. He conducted an extensive audit to determine why this City is in the financial straits that it is in, discovering poor decisions dating as far back as 30 years and revealing the mishandling of several enterprises within the City. Last spring, he showed how 60% of our Public Works Department budget is spent [each month] on a debt commitment, before even one drop of sewage is processed. This debt is a result of poor financial/project decision-making and was in place BEFORE he was hired. Yet blame is levied at him.

Mr. Marshall has also had to deal with unexpected budget shortfalls, such as the loss of 30% of High Springs revenue due to cuts from the County fire department.  

When some folks found out that the job Mr. Marshall was doing was getting in the way of what they wanted to do, they went on a mission to discredit him – both personally and professionally. In my opinion, he, through no fault of his own, has spent a lot of energy dealing with people who don’t want him to succeed – energy which could have been put to better use for High Springs. The actions of these detractors are despicable and write an old story that I, for one, don’t want to relive.

The Commissioners promised the community that further investigation would explore where additional cutbacks could occur. We are in dire straits and need to buckle down with additional, detailed audits of each department, cutting any unnecessary costs. Imagine my shock at learning that our police chief is currently driving a City vehicle for his own use that has lease payments of $1,200 a MONTH. We certainly want our police department to have all the tools it needs to do its job, but this kind of expense is excessive. 

Since nearly half (47%) of the General Fund budget goes to the police department, that department would be a good place to start the cost-cutting assessment. High-cost lease vehicles and extra motorcycles are unnecessary, especially in the position the City is in. 

As Mr. Marshall attempts to rein in the costs and right the course our finances are on, I would expect Department heads to jump on board and help save each of their Departments, as well as their employees’ jobs. All budgets have to be actively managed, as they will not smooth out or grow by wishful thinking, or by dismissing the problems that caused the deficits in the first place. The financial strain the City is in affects its employees and citizens alike. It is why Mr Marshall has been working hard to bring the City into the black, and why we need to support him.  

Other departments have already been cut to bare bones, leaving the Department Heads stressed to the max. Our Public Works Director said he had enough and has resigned. Additionally, we no longer have a Finance Director.  

Some folks say we need to have accountability. I wholeheartedly agree. Stepping back and looking at these folks’ apparent agenda, I have to ask ‘why now’? Why haven’t they supported cutting costs so High Springs can recover from its indebtedness? Where have they been for the last 6 years? Seems to me they are after obstacles in the way of their own agenda, rather than the health and recovery of our community. 

Recently, text messages were posted on social media showing that, in March 2024, a Commissioner [former and current] contacted our then former Public Works Director. The discussion between the two seemed very much like an attempt to contrive a false disciplinary letter regarding the Financial Director, whom this Commissioner has openly admitted that he wanted fired. The former City Manager was to be contacted to insert paperwork in the Finance Director’s file to document this “wrongdoing,” but she was no longer employed as the City Manager at that point. This scenario is very troubling!

My understanding was that the Finance Director was a whistleblower, and some folks did not want certain information known. She was forced on a 3-month administrative leave 2 years ago and would have been fired if they found a way. 

A purchase order (PO) was filed during the time the Finance Director was on forced leave. This PO had the nearly $1 million dollar payment request for the Wastewater project, but was overlooked, as other items were on the same purchase order. The Finance Director was initially blamed for not taking care of the bill, but it was not submitted while she was actively in office. Regardless, she ultimately lost her job after allegedly having missed a follow-up request to pay the bill. It’s disturbing that they dogged her for at least 2 years before they finally got their way, as she is no longer employed. It’s just another example of how power [seemingly] is negatively used to discredit and expel employees who won’t play the game. 

As for me, I have stood at the podium many times demanding fiscal accountability. At times, I have been dismissed and disrespected. I have shared my observations and concerns with members of the community through social media for several years, only to be disparagingly called a “keyboard warrior.” I am blocked from several groups because I won’t ride the bandwagon, as the truth of what is happening conflicts with the pushing of their narrative. So, amongst the hundreds of keyboard warriors, I am the problem, because the Truth hurts. The negative power these outspoken community members have is used for their own agendas, and they relentlessly go after people, rather than problems, with no regard for the damage they do. How much more productive it would be if they directed their efforts towards building up the systems that sustain us, rather than tearing down the people who are holding these systems up. 

When will the residents come together and say “enough is enough”? People may sustain each other socially, but the right people, with integrity and accountability, will sustain the systems that are the bedrock of our community. We must agree to put a stop to attacks on those who remain steadfast in their convictions to help High Springs survive. These dedicated people are the people who need our support the most. 

We must not let our City revert to a “good old boys” club. To paraphrase the quote: “All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.” 

Janet Evans, High Springs

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