HIGH SPRINGS – The High Springs City Commission stopped short of formally beginning the process to remove City Manager Jeremy Marshall on Aug. 13, voting 3-2 to give the city attorney two weeks to negotiate a possible separation agreement with Marshall’s attorney.
Marshall will remain on paid administrative leave while City Attorney Danielle Adams negotiates with Ryan Barrick, an attorney representing Marshall. No potential payment or other settlement terms were discussed publicly.
The commission had been scheduled to consider Resolution 2026-V, which would initiate the formal removal process outlined in the City Charter. Instead, Commissioner Katherine Weitz moved to table the resolution until the Aug. 27 meeting, allowing time to determine whether Marshall and the city can agree on terms for his departure.
Vice Mayor Wayne Bloodsworth Jr. seconded the motion, and Commissioner Chad Howell joined Weitz and Bloodsworth in the majority. Mayor Andrew Miller and Commissioner Tristan Grunder opposed the delay.
Adams told commissioners Barrick had approached the city about discussing an agreement intended to protect both sides. She said she would negotiate before the next meeting and return any proposed agreement to the commission for approval. If no agreement is reached, the removal resolution will remain before commissioners.
The vote extends a dispute that began publicly at the commission’s July 23 meeting, when commissioners moved toward ending Marshall’s tenure amid concerns about his management, communication, the handling of Police Chief Antoine Sheppard’s disciplinary investigation and a delayed city audit.
Residents Urge Commission To Act
Six speakers during public comment urged commissioners to proceed with Marshall’s removal rather than postpone action.
Resident Mark Paris questioned the financial consequences of keeping Marshall on paid leave while negotiations continue.
“The longer we hold on to him, the more money we’re paying him,” Paris said.
Another resident described Marshall’s departure as “inevitable” and argued that postponing a decision was prolonging uncertainty at City Hall.
“Any time that we delay this decision … we’re not making any progress,” the resident said. “It is hurting the City more and more. There’s more turmoil.”
“We need to move forward,” the resident added. “Get past this, get this behind us.”
Grunder, who voted against tabling the resolution, said he was “quite frankly shocked” that the commission was considering settlement negotiations. He said communication among city employees had improved since Marshall was placed on leave and pointed to what he described as problems with trust and communication under Marshall’s management.
“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.
Commissioners Agree on Departure, Differ on Approach
Although Weitz voted to delay formal action, she said she continues to believe “parting ways” with Marshall is appropriate. She favored attempting to negotiate a separation rather than immediately proceeding through the charter’s removal process.
Weitz grouped concerns raised during the July 23 meeting into three broad areas: complaints about unanswered calls and responsiveness, Marshall’s handling of the investigation involving Sheppard, and findings associated with the city’s delayed audit.
She said concerns about Marshall’s responsiveness were valid but defended his handling of the Sheppard investigation.
Bloodsworth also said Marshall and the city should separate but argued that the manager should be permitted to leave “with some dignity.”
He said he believed some of the criticism directed at Marshall resulted from the manager’s decision to place Sheppard on administrative leave. Marshall subsequently reinstated the police chief in July.
Bloodsworth also objected to previous public comments suggesting Marshall should leave because he was not 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, calling such criticism “wrong” and “embarrassing.”
Miller and Grunder both said the Sheppard controversy was not the basis for their positions on Marshall.
“The issue between him and Chief Sheppard were not in my decision-making,” Miller said.
Grunder said he had reached his decision before Marshall placed Sheppard on leave.
“It had nothing to do with that,” Grunder said.
Miller said his position was based on his own experience working with Marshall, complaints from residents and concerns about the delayed fiscal year 2023-24 audit. He noted the audit was completed in approximately 26 days following a change in finance leadership and questioned why city management had not completed the work earlier.
Charter Sets Removal Process
Section 3.03 of the High Springs City Charter establishes the procedure for removing a city manager.
If the commission adopts a preliminary removal resolution, Marshall would have 10 days to request a public hearing or submit a written response. If he requests a hearing, it would have to be held between 20 and 30 days after adoption of the resolution. If Marshall does not respond within 10 days, the preliminary resolution would become final.
The commission’s decision to table Resolution 2026-V means that process has not yet formally begun.
Commissioners also discussed how the city should proceed with management once Marshall’s departure is resolved.
Miller said he favored appointing an interim city manager rather than immediately hiring a permanent replacement. Adams agreed to contact the Florida League of Cities and return with options, including the possibility of conducting a search for an outside interim manager.
The commission is scheduled to meet again at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27, when commissioners could consider a negotiated separation agreement or return to the formal removal process.
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