Next week, High Springs will lose 20 years of experience as Commissioner Byran Williams steps away from the dais after deciding not to run for reelection.  

Combined, the new slate of five commissioners fails to reach his number of years on the dais as Mayor Katherine Weitz will become the “old hand” heading into her second three-year term. Voters first picked Williams in 2004. 

“He loves this community so much, and he’s been very passionate for a long time,” Weitz said of Williams. “We’re going to feel that loss big time.” 

She said High Springs is better for the decades that Williams has given the city in service. 

Weitz won reelection on Tuesday against Sue Weller, a former city commissioner, with 57.8% of the vote. Weitz earned 2,196 votes compared with Weller’s 1,388 votes. 

Chad Howell won the bid to claim Williams’ vacated seat. He and Julie Ann Tapia-Ruano, both political newcomers, garnered 63.6% and 36.4% of the vote, respectively. In total, Howell had 2,430 ballots in his favor compared with 1,388 votes for Tapia-Ruano. 

In addition to the candidates, High Springs residents overwhelmingly passed a series of three changes to the city’s charter. The items mostly dealt with a routine updating of the language, boundaries and commission rules. All three passed with just over 70% of the vote. 

Howell ran in a March 2023 special election for a vacated commission seat, losing by 64 votes to now-seated Commissioner Wayne Bloodsworth.  

That spring campaign was the first time Howell had tried to gain support from people in a political way. To find that support eight months later was encouraging, he said. 

“Having that many people vote for me, trust me to make a difference and get in there and try to fix what’s been wrong in the past, it makes me feel very good,” Howell said. “I’m excited and encouraged to work for the city.” 

Along with Howell just starting his first term and Weitz entering year four, Bloodsworth has been on the commission for eight months, Commissioner Andrew Miller for a year and Vice Mayor Tristan Grunder has served two years.  

High Springs also hired a new city manager this year. City Manager Jeremy Marshall was selected in March and stepped into the office shortly after. Weitz said he’s had to make tough decisions from the start to get the city’s budget on track.  

The city has also added a new fire chief and head of public works this year.  

With personnel shifted, Weitz said city staff and the commission are ready to move forward, and she said the cohesiveness of the group is heartening. The city’s approach has also changed from the past, she said. 

“We’re doing business a little bit differently and, I think in large part, a lot more out in the open,” Weitz said. “Have there been mistakes made? I’m sure there have, but by golly, we’re going to talk about them and we’re going to make sure we don’t do it again.”   

Weitz commented on how engaged voters were during the campaign and said she hopes that continues as the city leaves election season and starts into normal business.  

She said the voters couldn’t have really gone wrong with the candidate options in both races. Weitz said she hopes Weller and Topia-Ruana stay engaged and active in city issues to help High Springs.  

“As an elected official, having a plugged-in voter base is an amazing gift,” Weitz said.  

She said local issues surrounding urban sprawl and protecting the Floridian Aquifer likely influenced the turnout.  

As a small, rural city, High Springs has started dealing with increasing development and high-density development—namely the Bridlewood proposal to build more than 2,000 units on 686 acres south of downtown.  

Weitz said High Springs has to be careful about how it develops. With its karst geology, the city already deals with sinkholes. The city’s wastewater expansion project has seen large sinkholes opening on the property.  

High density development increases sinkhole possibilities, Weitz said, upping the potential of harm to the aquifer and springs.  

“That’s something that’s really showing up on people’s radar,” Weitz said. “We have to be very, very careful in terms of how we develop to protect the springs, protect the aquifer. Because if we don’t have springs in High Springs, we got nothing.”   

She said new developments are also a change in lifestyle from what High Springs has been historically. She said the developer’s idea of luxury differs from most residents who live on acre-sized lots or more—with lots smaller than a quarter of an acre being rare. 

Howell also said responsible growth is an issue that needs to be addressed. He noted that Bridlewood has the potential to double the city’s population in the coming decade or two.  

“This large population thing over the next 10 or 15 years is going to be rough for the city, and what I’m hoping is we can make some big adjustments for the future before all of it happens, but I don’t know,” Howell said.  

Concerning development and protecting springs, Howell said the commission needs to increase its education on how similar cities are dealing or have dealt with the issues.  

Both commissioners said the city will likely need to update its land development code. Weitz said the city’s policies need to, in a sensible fashion, balance citizens’ right to develop their property with what’s good for the community, aquifer and geology of the area. Right now, she said those two sides aren’t in balance. 

Howell also touched on growing tourism and business. He said the city needs to invest in the downtown area, making it a place people want to visit and spend their money for a few days. 

He said that desire dovetails with adding businesses to the city. New businesses that hire 20 to 30 people and keep jobs local instead of driving into Gainesville. Plus, he said new businesses will spur better businesses.  

“There’s going to be some competition, and it encourages those people to continue to have ideas and grow more,” Howell said. 

Howell and Weitz will be sworn into office next week at the Nov. 14 regular meeting.