New High Springs commissioners to be sworn in Thursday

HIGH SPRINGS – Newly elected High Springs commissioners will be sworn in on Thursday, Nov. 17. The commission will also elect the city’s mayor and vice mayor.

Political newcomers Bob Barnas and Linda Clark Gestrin defeated incumbents Larry Travis and Byran Williams in the Nov. 8 general election. Neither have held political office,although they both ran unsuccessfully for commission seats in 2010.

Travis had been serving as mayor and had not been defeated since his election to the commission in 2005. Vice Mayor Williams had served on the commission for six years, though he briefly lost his seat in 2009.

After a heated campaign, Gestrin said now it is “time to get down to business.” Both commissioner elects have called for a new direction and have said they will be making policy decisions soon.

At the Nov. 17 meeting, the new commission will discuss a variety of topics affecting the City of High Springs including appointing members to various commission boards, discussing possible management of Poe Springs Park and exploring the option of extending the City’s sewer line along the U.S. Highway 441 corridor as a joint project with the City of Alachua.