CLARIFICATION: High Springs Finances Under Fire After $1M Sewer Bill Overlooked

Editors Note: Alachua County Today published an article headlined “High Springs finances under fire after $1M sewer bill overlooked” in the Jan. 15, 2026, edition. Following publication, the newspaper learned that the matter was also discussed during the High Springs City Commission meeting on Nov. 13, 2025. Additional information providing further context was not included in the original report and is published here.

The $1 million sewer project invoice was discussed at the Nov. 13, 2025, City Commission meeting, when city officials and members of the public reviewed a bill totaling $1,055,131 from Evoqua Water Technologies for wastewater treatment plant equipment. City Manager Jeremy Marshall told commissioners and residents the City was unaware of the full extent of the expense until the invoice surfaced in September 2025 and said staff were reviewing procedures to prevent similar situations.

At that time, Finance Director Diane Wilson said the original purchase order dated back to February 2023 and likely passed through her office during a busy period, adding that once the purchase order was entered into the system, it would have been approved at that time.

Former City Commissioner Sue Weller presented records indicating the City issued a purchase order in February 2023 and later approved a change order in September 2023. According to those records, the City opted to purchase certain equipment directly from multiple vendors, including Evoqua, to reduce tax costs. Evoqua issued an invoice for the full amount in December 2023, and the City made a 10 percent down payment of $105,513.10 in January 2024.

Additional records show that in May 2024, project consultants scheduled a meeting with City management to review the project’s funding and history. In September 2025, Evoqua invoiced the City for the remaining balance of $896,861.35.

During the November 2025 meeting, questions were raised about whether funds had been allocated in the City’s fiscal year 2024 or 2025 budgets to cover the purchase order and change order amounts. City officials acknowledged the oversight, and the Commission later approved payment of the remaining balance from emergency funds.

The November discussion preceded subsequent commission meetings in December 2025 and January 2026, during which City officials continued reviewing internal procedures, software issues, and financial controls related to the invoice.

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