Alachua Voter Guide

From left to right: Bill Coughlin, Gene Levine, Dick Williams

I have some audio from the forum Q&A that needs to be processed, and I will try to get that online tomorrow. For now, there are just my first impressions of 3 fairly impressive candidates. In November, the voters of High Springs will be choosing from among 3 intelligent, qualified individuals. All small towns should be so lucky.

However, all is not civil and dignified in this small town election. Just below the surface is a lot of animosity the resembles the City of Alachua’s political climate. Alachua has become a battleground between pro-growth and anti-growth forces that has made the commission meetings less than amicable. As far as I can tell, High Springs has not reached this stage, but there are ripples in the water. One individual was passing out leaflets, with no campaign identification on them, charging a candidate with spending, “his entire working career helping greedy corporations increase their profits, by getting employees to work harder for less money and fewer benefits”. It gets worse, but it’s the kind of vitriol that can work for or against the people who are releasing it.

Inside the forum it was all strictly business, questions and answers. For each candidate I will give a brief summation with a link to a YouTube video of each candidate’s opening remarks.

Bill Coughlin Mr. Coughlin is the candidate who has been on the commission before, is a long time resident, and is not a polished speaker. But there is no doubt that he knows the issues because he spoke with ease and familiarity about specific details. He is an advocate of “Smart Growth”, is opposed to the $50 assessment on homeowners for funding  greenspace, and believes the same end can be achieved through planning and zoning.

Gene Levine Mr. Levine is a newcomer to High Springs, but not new to local government. He was “City Official of the Year” in  Canton, Texas, a town that is actually a little smaller than High Springs. For the past 40 years he has been a consultant to big corporations and municipalities, a brings a lot of experience across a broad background. He states that he wants to preserve the “quaintness, charm, sanity, and ecology” of High Springs, while he also wants to attract some large employers who will pay for green space set-asides.

Dick Williams Mr Williams is a retired environmental specialist with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and past President of the Suwannee/St. Johns Sierra Club. His chief concern seems to be creating a better comprehensive plan for High Springs, as well as preserving the local ecology. He is also running to be a voice for the older “citizens who built High Springs”, and to see to it that we use their wisdom.

I am in the process of sending each of the candidates a username and password so they can post their own material here.