Newberry Mayor Tim Marden welcomed three delegates to the city’s municipal building Saturday morning for a town hall to discuss their stances and votes on past, current and upcoming local and national issues. 

The panel featured state Sen. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, state Rep. Chad Johnson, R-Chiefland, and U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack’s Deputy Chief of Staff and District Director Jessica Norfleet. Cammack would’ve been present but was recovering after giving birth to her first child the week before. 

Marden moderated the 90-minute panel using his own pre-submitted questions to the panelists on education, legislation and budget topics, as well as questions submitted from attendees on notecards.  

The town hall reflected the country’s political tension as the delegates weaved their answers in and out of booing, clapping, shouting and door slamming from audience members. 

“We’re going to disagree sometimes, ladies and gentlemen,” Johnson said during one of the outbursts. “Let’s agree to disagree on that issue, and then let’s go to work on the things that we can agree on rather than just being disagreeable.” 

For education, Marden asked the panel about how local issues are being heard on the state level, school budgets burdening teachers and the potential elimination of the Department of Education (DOE). 

Using the Newberry charter school and discussions related to the School Board of Alachua County as examples of changes in education, Marden asked the delegates what they’ve been seeing and hearing within their chambers. 

Johnson and McClain confirmed their stances on school choice, with Johnson saying the charter school is likely a result of parents feeling the needs of their children aren’t being met.  

He said one of the best things the Florida House had done within the past decade was to link education to employment. Current administrations that focus on improving the educational process can then also improve the workforce. 

“I think it’s important that we make sure our system is set up to allow parents to be successful so that their children can be successful,” Johnson said. “It’s the responsibility of the House to fund education and the responsibility of the parent to decide how their children are educated.” 

Norfleet answered Marden’s question on behalf of Cammack regarding the potential return of education regulation to the states. She said even though lots of people voiced wanting the change during the past election season, there’s still a long way to go.  

“It requires both chambers, Congress and the president’s signature, and quite simply, the votes just aren’t there,” Norfleet said. “Rep. Cammack has been working to reign in authorities and scaling back, focusing on court functions. But ultimately, there’s just not enough [votes] yet.” 

Regarding legislation, Marden asked McClain to explain SB 1080 for local government land regulations. 

McClain said one of the biggest misconceptions was that he was trying to create a new statute. Ultimately, he said the bill aimed to amend current state law relating to agricultural enclaves, an urban growth category, to keep growth where it should be.  

He said the bill aimed to protect long-time agricultural producers from being surrounded by developments that would inhibit their operation and devalue their land. 

“Government picks winners and losers in land use,” McClain said. “My desire was to make sure that a bona fide ag producer should be able to have what everybody else around him got, minus industrial or commercial. So if you declare an agricultural enclave, you cannot have industrial or commercial, even if your neighbors have industrial commercial.” 

Regarding the topic of the budget, Marden asked Norfleet if the state had seen any measurable impacts on the federal level. She said it had seen a positive impact but that she didn’t have the numbers with her to show it.  

Questions from audience members also touched on topics like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, homosexual marriage, abortion and gun ownership.  

One attendee asked Johnson if he intended to revisit the governance issue of Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) during the next session.  

Johnson said the timing wasn’t right when the topic was last discussed at the House, including a proposed bill that he announced and then shelved. He said even though GRU had been run into the ground and may not be sending services to Gainesville at the capacity citizens need, it had reduced rates and the GRU Authority was functioning properly. 

“Government, in their design because they answer to constituents, have a capacity to overspend to try to deliver goods and services,” Johnson said. “And that’s what we did with Gainesville. We can argue all day about whether I’m right or wrong, but that’s where we’re coming from.” 

Marden told Mainstreet he started planning the town hall about a month and a half ago. The tension was expected and even though town halls aren’t as common anymore, he hoped it gave people an opportunity to get their thoughts out. 

Marden said he’d like to hold another town hall in the future as the need arises. 

“Maybe if we had more town halls, we wouldn’t have as much aggravation,” he said. “Like Rep. Johnson said, let’s agree to disagree. Let’s move on to something that we do agree with. Hopefully, that’s a little bit of a takeaway from today.”