High Springs City Manager Jeremy Marshall exited Thursday’s City Commission meeting early after the governing body voted 4-1 to place him on administrative leave with the intent of termination.
Commissioner Tristan Grunder made the expelling motion following over two hours of public comment where numerous citizens called for it, citing financial mismanagement and inexperience.
Commissioner Chad Howell seconded the motion, which directed the city attorney to prepare a resolution executing the termination for the City Commission to vote on at its Aug. 13 meeting.
The motion also enacted an immediate administrative leave that denies Marshall access to city buildings and employees. He is allowed one supervised return to his office to remove any belongings.
Wanting to speak with the city manager and city attorney first, Vice Mayor Wayne Bloodsworth Jr. was the only dissenting vote.
Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Applebee will serve as interim city manager through the weekend before teaming up with Building Official Alan Alligood for the position starting Monday.
“I believe there has been a lack of adequate oversight, a failure to properly supervise city employees and a failure to appropriately manage the city’s financial resources,” Grunder said. “These are fundamental responsibilities of the city manager, and when they are not carried out effectively, public trust and the efficient operation of the city are put at risk.”
Marshall had been city manager since March 2024. Some speakers and commissioners argued that while he inherited a fickle financial situation and broken trust with the community, both had only gotten worse. In February, Marshall applied for a city manager position in Auburndale, but the position was given to one of the city’s former assistant city managers.
Public commenter Scott Jamison said four department heads and at least 15 employees had been terminated or left the city during Marshall’s tenure.
Other residents also cited Marshall’s recent placing of High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard on administrative leave and pointed to multiple outstanding lawsuits against the city or employees.
A $900,000 overlooked bill that popped up in November and a late 2023-24 audit that lead to the state’s withholding of funds for financial ineptness were laid on Marshall’s tenure as well.
According to a presentation of the audit on Thursday by accountant James Moore, the report revealed five tier weaknesses and one non-compliant item all related to untimely invoices and bank reconciliations and several departments over their budgetary compliance amounts.
The commissioners frustratingly voted to table approving the audit until its next meeting because they hadn’t received the report ahead of time to review.
“We need to move forward,” Grunder said. “I think we have ideas, and I think we will get other ideas on how to move forward appropriately in the best interest of the city.”
Because Thursday’s meeting at the Civic Center picked up where the cancelled July 7 one left off, fresh after Sheppard’s reinstatement, support for and opposition against the chief also weaved throughout public comment.
City Attorney Kiersten Ballou detailed a timeline of the incident with Sheppard, which she said started with a complaint from Alachua attorney Bobi Frank.
She said Marshall’s placing Sheppard on administrative leave was to minimize discussions outside the investigation and that Marshall, while not required, gave Sheppard an opportunity to supply a written response to the allegations against him. Sheppard provided that written response with evidence to clear claims and admitted to other charges.
The commission also narrowly approved a 7.24 maximum millage for the 2026-27 fiscal year with a 3-2 vote, with commissioners Katherine Weitz and Tristan Grunder in dissent. The city’s current rate stands at 6.99 mills with a 6.6458 rollback rate.
If finalized, the 7.24 millage would generate $499,985 more than the city levied in property taxes this fiscal year ($4.7 million). If the commission keeps the millage at 6.99 mills, the city would generate $342,183 more than it generated in the current fiscal year.