Finance Services Director Helen McIver said the Alachua County Property Appraisers’ Office estimated a 5 percent drop in property values for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which will equate to approximately $60,000 to $70,000 less in ad valorem taxes than the city received this year. The budget revenues already reflect a $1.5 million reduction in total revenues from the 2010-2011 fiscal year to the current year.

In addition, the Florida Supreme Court is considering a case about the state employee pension fund. If the court settles in favor of employees, the city may have to pay back a 3 percent reduction in retirement benefits that was instituted as a result of a State of Florida mandate. Commissioners suggested setting aside a reserve fund to be prepared for either outcome.

“It’s going to be a tough budget year,” Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas said.

The budget meeting falls on the heels of the commission voting to bring back the emergency dispatch center to the High Springs Police Department.  During the budget workshop, the commission decided to budget for one dispatch supervisor and five dispatchers.  The anticipated cost of the dispatch will be $268,925 for the 2012-2013 budget compared to $143,285 in 2011-2012. Dispatch services are currently handled through the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Combined Communication Center (CCC).

“Communications is the one that concerns me because of what we have to fund this budget year for next year’s operations, and that’s money that’s got to come out now,” Commissioner Scott Jamison said. “We need to figure out where we’re going to get it.”

Total expenditures from the police department operations have fallen from $1,044,788 in the adopted 2011-2012 budget to $937,318 for the proposed 2012-2013 budget. City Manager Jeri Langman said High Springs will have to fund approximately $54,000 to $75,000 in the current fiscal year to purchase equipment and software, and to begin training employees. The dispatch console alone will cost an estimated $40,000.

In addition, the city’s fire department proposed adding three firefighters and one administrative assistant. The addition will increase that portion of the budget from $507,650 in the previous fiscal year to a proposed $615,600 in 2012-2013 for personnel service costs.

According to the Fire Chief, Bruce Gillingham, the fire department needs more firemen to create a safe environment and improve fire response time. Currently, he said the response time is seven to eight minutes for a downtown call, but a typical fire will consume a house in 11 minutes.

“All I’m trying to do is raise the quality of care we are providing,” Gillingham said.

Commissioner Sue Weller said she would like to keep a full-time Parks and Recreation Director on staff, if possible. Other commissioners agreed. Barnas said he enjoyed the previous director’s contributions to the city, citing Music in the Park.

Barnas said he wants to look at cutting employee health benefits and getting rid of the tag agency to lower city costs.

“We’re going to have to change – dramatically change – what we contribute as a city to health benefits,” Barnas said.

If the employees want to stay with their current plan, Barnas said the employees will have to pay the difference between what the city can pay next fiscal year and the total cost of the plan. McIver estimates the city will pay $6,500 per employee for 45 to 50 employees in the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

Although McIver had estimates on reductions in property taxes, the revenue side of the budget has not been formally prepared.

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Email awilliamson@alachuatoday.com

SEE COMPLETE VIDEO HERE

LANGMAN'S DETAILED MEMO TO MAYOR DEAN DAVIS HERE

Below is a prepared statement that was released as High Springs City Manager Jeri Langman called for Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas to resign this morning, Friday, June 8.

My name is Jeri Langman. I am City Manager for the City of High Springs. I am here today to call for the resignation of Vice-Mayor Barnas for egregious and repeated Violations of the Charter of High Springs. The City of High Springs has a manager/commission form of government. The City Manager runs the day to day operations and the City Commission makes policy, which the Manager carries out. While it is true the City Manager serves at the pleasure of the City Commission, he or she serves at the Commission’s pleasure collectively, as a Board. The City Manager cannot be directed by any one Commissioner. Our City Charter is very clear:

(b) Duties. The mayor shall preside at meetings of the commission and shall be recognized as head of the city government for service of process, ceremonial matters, and execution of contracts, deeds, and others documents. The mayor shall have no administrative duties other than those necessary to accomplish these duties.

All powers of the city shall be vested in the city commission except those powers specifically given to the charter officers or specifically reserved by this Charter to the electors of the city.

The city manager, when necessary, shall appoint, suspend, demote, or dismiss any city employee under his jurisdiction in accordance with law and the personnel rules, …….. The city manager shall direct and supervise the administration of all departments of the city except the offices of city clerk and city attorney and ….. shall see that all laws, Charter provisions, ordinances, resolutions, and other acts of the commission subject to enforcement by him are faithfully executed.

Section 2.06. - Commission-employee relationship.

Neither the city commission nor any of its members shall in any manner dictate the appointment or removal of any city employee except the charter officers, nor shall the commission or any of its members give orders to any employee other than commission orders to a charter officer. The commission or its members shall deal on all matters through the appropriate charter officer.

Since I was appointed City Manager Vice-Mayor Barnas has attempted to run the day to day operations of the City of High Springs by directing me to take various actions. He is a rogue Commissioner. I was directed by Barnas to fire Christian Popoli. I refused. Christian was a competent employee and I relied  him to help me manage the City. Because I refused to fire him, Vice-Commissioner Barnas manipulated the budget to eliminate Christian’s position. Vice Mayor Barnas then pushed this budget change through the Commission without explaining his true motives to the public or even to all of the Commissioners.

I have voluminous e-mail from Vice Mayor Barnas where he has attempted to direct my every move in this office. He has done this without Commission approval or direction, or even knowledge by some of the other Commissioners. Every time he does this he is violating the Charter of the City of High Springs.

Vice Mayor Barnas has been attempting to negotiate contracts on behalf of the City of High Springs without Commission direction, approval or knowledge. This is a direct violation of the Charter of the City of High Springs.  He has been writing letters on behalf of the City of High Springs without Commission direction, approval or knowledge. This is a direct violation of the Charter of the City of High Springs. He has been directing City staff on his own without my direction, approval or even knowledge. This is a direct violation of the Charter of the City of High Springs. He has constantly directed me to direct staff in a certain and specific manner and each time he does this he is violating the City of High Springs Charter. It is my duty as City Manager to see that all laws, Charter provisions, ordinances, (and) resolutions, …..subject to enforcement by (me)…. are faithfully executed.

Therefore, as a result of Vice Mayor Barnas’ repeated refusal to follow the law of the Charter of High Springs I am calling for him to do the right thing and step down from his position as a High Springs Commissioner immediately.

I will be filing a formal complaint with the State Attorney and Governor’s office as soon as the paper work is completed. Thank you all for coming.

During the April 26 meeting, Commission Scott Jamison said he was concerned that Plantation Oaks did not meet the guidelines required by the ordinance for tax exemption.  The exemption would grant Plantation Oaks a 60 percent reduction in taxes for six years.

“It concerns me a little bit that we are looking at approving something that doesn’t fit any of the criteria in an ordinance that we put forth,” Jamison said.

The ordinance requires at least 25 non-manufacturing employees for a new business, which Plantation Oaks does not meet. To calculate the possible tax reduction, the commission took into account the number of employees and average employee wages.

A majority of the commission felt that the business should be granted the exemption in hopes of creating  a business-friendly environment in the city. The intent was to give benefits and breaks to business coming in, said Commissioner Linda Gestrin.

High Springs city attorney Raymond Ivey said the commission can grant a waiver for Plantation Oaks, but warned that doing so for a business not meeting the requirement could open the door to others requesting the same treatment.

“This is a business that has added employment to the city, has bent over backward to help the city,” Vice-Mayor Bob Barnas said at an earlier meeting. “If we want to continue to invite businesses to come to town, this is something that we said we were going to do years ago in economic developments and incentives. It will go to the county, and they will review it.”

On March 20, Mayor Dean Davis said the owner of Plantation Oaks purchased the building for $2 million. Previously a conference center for Seventh Day Adventists, the building was not on the tax rolls, but the taxes expected from the business for this year total $51,000 to $53,000. According to Barnas, the business pays $12,000 to the city in taxes.

At the May 24 meeting, Commissioner Sue Weller made the motion to pass the application along to the Council of Economic Outreach. Commissioner Scott Jamison voted against the measure citing the applicant’s failure to not meet the required guidelines. The motion passed four to one.

“They are helping our city,” Davis said.

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Email awilliamson@alachuatoday.com

High Springs City Manager Jeri Langman has called a press conference for Friday, June 8 at 10 a.m. in which, it is reported, she will ask that Vice Mayor Bob Barnas resign from his position on the city commission. 

Attorney Linda Rice Chapman reports that the call for Barnas' resignation comes amid accusations of "repeated violations of the Charter of the City of High Springs."

Chapman said Langman would be detailing the violations at the press conference, which is to be held on the steps of City Hall.

Chapman represents former High Springs City Planner Christian Popoli, whose position was terminated in April after Barnas and other commissioners said hiring a city engineer was more important.