High Springs selects Edwin Booth as City Manager

HIGH SPRINGS – The High Springs City Commission ranked Edwin Booth as their top city manager candidate and agreed to offer him the position, contingent on an acceptable background check, during the regular commission meeting held on Thursday, Oct. 25.

While Scott Lippman was chosen by all five commissioners, Booth was the only one to be ranked number one by the majority of the commission.

All five candidates interviewed during the Monday, Oct. 22 meeting scored well. But Lippman’s inability to relocate to High Springs was concerning to Mayor Dean Davis and Commissioner Sue Weller, who said they ranked him lower for that reason.  Booth, who presently lives in South Carolina, indicated his willingness to relocate to the area if he selected by the commission.

Following the ranking, Commissioner Weller moved and Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas seconded a motion to offer Booth the position as part of the next step in the hiring process; once again stressing the offer would be contingent on an acceptable background check.

Following discussion about the method and cost of conducting the background check, the commission directed City Attorney Scott Walker to have his firm vet the candidate.  Negotiating a salary agreement was discussed, but was not assigned.

Contingent upon successful negotiations, it is anticipated that Walker will draw up a detailed agreement stipulating the terms and length of the contract for both parties to approve.

As reported in the Oct. 25 edition of Alachua County Today, Booth holds a BS in Management from Columbia College, a MA in Public Administration from Webster University, a MS in Military Science from Command & General Staff College.  He is a retired U.S. Army Colonel with more than 20 years experience in all phases of utility management, police, fire and rescue experience, budget planning and preparation, master planning, economic development and staff management.  He also has had extensive experience in zoning and planning issues and served on the Board of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council for three years.

More recently, Booth has been the Town Administrator for Surfside Beach, SC.  Previously he served as the Town Administrator for Malabar, Fla., the City Manager in Ayden, NC, Commander, Dugway Proving Ground, UT, with 1,200 housing units under military control, City Manager, West Point, NE and Community Manager Fulda Military Community, with 1,800 housing units under military control.

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