WUFT | News and public media for north central Florida
Upcoming election could decide whether Newberry continues current rate of growth
By Michael Orlando
March 7, 2025 at 12:52 AM EST
Newberry residents will head to the ballot box in April and decide whether they want their small town to continue growing at a breakneck pace, or if they want to place checks on the city’s growth.
The qualifying period for the April 8 election ended Feb. 27. On the ballot is the mayor’s position and two commission seats. Six people have qualified to run, two for each seat.
While there is no referendum directly affecting Newberry’s growth on the ballot, voters will decide whether the three seats are filled by candidates who want to regulate the city’s expansion or by candidates who prefer the way city leaders are currently pursuing growth.
“Well, our infrastructure can’t hold what they’re proposing,” said Tamara Anderson, 51, about the current City Commission. She said this election is “extremely important” for the city’s future.
In 2023, Newberry had around 2,679 households, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey five-year estimate. That’s nearly a thousand more than the 1,845 counted 10 years ago in 2015. Both figures will be dwarfed by NC Ranch Estates, the 4,500-home subdivision Newberry commissioners approved to be built over the next 50 years.
Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe reading from the city commission meeting packet on Feb. 10. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (4675x2802, AR: 1.6684511063526053)
Mayor Jordan Marlowe’s seat is up for grabs, meaning his name won’t be on the ballot for the first time in 14 years. He is in talks to become the next city manager of Newberry.
Commissioners Tim Marden and Tony Mazon’s seats are up for reelection. Newberry’s current leadership has pushed heavily for development in the city of about 8,010 people. Commissioners have signed off on building thousands of new homes, approved the construction of Alachua County’s largest Publix supermarket and pushed to convert Newberry Elementary into a charter school.
Some candidates said they are in favor of the commission’s push for growth, while others want leadership to pump the brakes.
“Newberry residents are extremely passionate about everything about their town,” said Christa Rummel, 40, who owns Capricious, a restaurant on Newberry Road. She said voters are passionate about “keeping the small-town feel, but also with some progress.”
Two people have qualified to run for mayor, and two have filed to run for each of the two open city commission seats.
Commissioner Tim Marden, whose seat is up for reelection, is running for mayor. Marden is also the chairman of the Alachua County Republican Party.
Former city commissioner Joy Glanzer is also throwing her hat into the ring for the mayor’s seat. She is the owner of Glanzer Realty and has lived in the city for more than half a century.
Two people are running for Marden’s open city commission seat. Donald Long, a planning and zoning board member, is running against Steve Panaghi, who’s lived in Newberry for 13 years and owns an IT consulting firm.
Commissioner Tony Mazon is running for reelection and is being challenged by lifelong Newberry resident Rosa Marie Campbell.
“I think growth is a huge thing. I think the school is a very important thing,” Rummel said when asked what Newberry residents will prioritize when casting their ballots on April 8.
While every candidate said they would push for the “right” amount of growth, Glanzer, Panaghi and Campbell have all expressed their concerns for Newberry’s infrastructure.
“They’re going to have to do something with our infrastructure and our school system,” Anderson said. She said residents are “going to be dead in the water” if city leaders continue their push for growth.
Newberry mayoral candidates Joy Glanzer (left) and Commissioner Tim Marden. Both have experience on the Newberry City Commission. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Marden said if elected as mayor, his priority will be to preserve the momentum the city commission has built.
“Keep Newberry on the same path that we have been on -- maintaining our services, keeping taxes as low as possible, running our general operations as lean as possible,” Marden said. “We like to tell that we sort of offer a Mercedes-Benz service of government on a Chevy price.”
Marden has held his commission seat since he was first elected in 2013. He just started his second term as the chair of the Alachua County Republican Party.
Glanzer said she agrees that growth is good for Newberry, but she said she will make sure that the city can support the growth.
“I remember when I came here 50 years ago, it was like, a thousand people,” Glanzer recalled. “The growth seems like it’s sudden, but it’s really been something we’ve been working on for decades.”
Glanzer has a lengthy resumé as a public servant for Newberry. She said she helped found the city’s economic development committee, chamber of commerce, and opioid task force. She said that in addition to her time on the city commission from 2017 to 2019, she’s served as chair of the planning and zoning board, the city’s visioning board and has owned six businesses in Newberry.
Marden said he’s running to keep the city operating the same way it has been for the past few years.
“It was really a matter of what was best for the city,” Marden explained. He said throwing his hat in the ring was the best way for “the citizens and staff to maintain a level of consistency and expectation.”
When asked about what she would do differently if elected, Glanzer said she would make Newberry residents feel more like they’re a part of the conversation at city hall.
“Right now, I think citizens may feel a little bit intimidated because there is some pushback from the dais,” Glanzer said. “So I would promote and I would really encourage our commissioners to be respectful and lead with an open mind.”
“You have to leave your politics at the door if you’re going to be representing all the citizens because half of them are like you and half of them aren’t,” Glanzer elaborated.
Marden said his experience on the commission and connections he’s made as Alachua County’s GOP chairman will help him achieve more when he is mayor.
“Let’s face it, Tallahassee is Republican heavy,” Marden said. He said he’s worked with U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack and met Sen. Rick Scott, saying that his connections will help secure grant money for Newberry.
Glanzer said her decades of working with Newberry residents from all walks of life will make her a good fit for mayor.
“I really think it’s helped me to see all the sides of Newberry and to understand what drives us,” Glanzer said, adding that her decades spent in the city have given her close relationships with important members of the community, including business owners and community organizers.
Candidates Steve Panaghi (left) and Donald Long. They are both running for Newberry City Commissioner Tim Marden’s seat. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Former planning and zoning board member Donald Long and resident Steve Panaghi are both vying for Marden’s commission seat.
Long said if elected, he would advocate for the right amount of growth in Newberry.
“For every five homes, there’s a business in Newberry,” Long said. “That’s the kind of concept and growth and design you want the city to have. You don’t want too much too fast.”
Panaghi said he wants Newberry to grow, but the current commission is too quick to sign off on developments. He said that some of the city’s projects can’t be supported by Newberry’s existing infrastructure, and that he would err on the side of caution if elected.
“I think we have a lot of reckless development going on,” Panaghi said. “What about the roads, what about the infrastructure, can our electric grid that the city owns handle this? There’s not really any answers. It’s ‘oh yeah, it’s on the plan, we’ll get to it.’”
Panaghi mentioned one specific example of a city commission decision he didn’t agree with. He said putting Bev’s Burgers, a fast food restaurant, right next to two schools has had a negative impact on traffic. He said the burger joint has made driving down Southwest 250th Street a slog, combining traffic from Oak View Middle School and Greenfield Preschool West.
Panaghi said he grew up in a community smaller than Newberry in Long Island, where he watched rapid growth change his town. He said seeing that firsthand will affect how he votes if elected.
“It’s just not the place that we grew up,” Panaghi recalled about his Long Island town. “I’m seeing the growth here starting to happen like what I experienced all those years ago.”
Long said that growing up in Newberry gave him a perspective that will help guide his vision for the city. He said he doesn’t want the city to feel like a place students need to “escape” from after graduation.
“You want to make sure the kids have a future going forward,” Long explained.
Long said community feedback would be important to his process as commissioner if he were elected. He said his time on the planning and zoning board gave him experience communicating with residents on issues.
“A lot of people feel as though they don’t, they’re not heard on the commission, and it’s kind of something I want to kind of debunk,” Long said. “We are here, we’re working for the city, not against it. I have no agenda of my own.”
Panaghi said that if elected, he would push to establish term limits and a code of ethics for the commission.
Candidates Rosa Marie Campbell (left) and incumbent Newberry City Commissioner Tony Mazon. Campbell is vying for Mazon’s seat. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Rosa Marie Campbell, who is running against incumbent Tony Mazon, said she believes the push for growth in Newberry has caused a rift in her community. She said people are divided on whether the small-town feeling of Newberry should be preserved or if the city’s expansion is more important.
“We need to bring back the small-town vibe, give everyone an opportunity to settle back in,” Campbell said.
Commissioner Mazon did not respond to a request from WUFT for comment, but he has been on both sides of the issue when it comes to supporting the city’s growth. On Oct. 14, he seconded a motion to establish a community development district bigger than 260 acres. In May, he was the lone vote against the 50-year plan to build the NC Ranch development, which will bring thousands more homes to Newberry.
Campbell said the sudden push for expansion has hurt local business and damaged the small-town feel of Newberry.
“I feel like I’m living in the middle of Miami in Newberry,” Campbell said. “We have more issues that need to be resolved and better solutions before we continue to expand.”
Campbell said she would promote more community outreach if she were elected to the city commission.
“I would be more engaged in the community,” Campbell said. She said she believes every commissioner should know what’s happening in their community and what needs to change.
Campbell said she will also make parks and recreation a priority of hers if elected. She said Newberry’s parks need more funding to give the city’s children an outlet for positive social interaction.
Newberry residents will decide on April 8 who sits on the dais. It will be the first time since 2017 that Newberry has had a new mayor. Last year’s election was canceled because no candidates filed to run against incumbents Ricky Coleman and Mark Clark.
The qualifying period for the April 8 election ended Feb. 27. On the ballot is the mayor’s position and two commission seats. Six people have qualified to run, two for each seat.
While there is no referendum directly affecting Newberry’s growth on the ballot, voters will decide whether the three seats are filled by candidates who want to regulate the city’s expansion or by candidates who prefer the way city leaders are currently pursuing growth.
“Well, our infrastructure can’t hold what they’re proposing,” said Tamara Anderson, 51, about the current City Commission. She said this election is “extremely important” for the city’s future.
In 2023, Newberry had around 2,679 households, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey five-year estimate. That’s nearly a thousand more than the 1,845 counted 10 years ago in 2015. Both figures will be dwarfed by NC Ranch Estates, the 4,500-home subdivision Newberry commissioners approved to be built over the next 50 years.
Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe reading from the city commission meeting packet on Feb. 10. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (4675x2802, AR: 1.6684511063526053)
Mayor Jordan Marlowe’s seat is up for grabs, meaning his name won’t be on the ballot for the first time in 14 years. He is in talks to become the next city manager of Newberry.
Commissioners Tim Marden and Tony Mazon’s seats are up for reelection. Newberry’s current leadership has pushed heavily for development in the city of about 8,010 people. Commissioners have signed off on building thousands of new homes, approved the construction of Alachua County’s largest Publix supermarket and pushed to convert Newberry Elementary into a charter school.
Some candidates said they are in favor of the commission’s push for growth, while others want leadership to pump the brakes.
“Newberry residents are extremely passionate about everything about their town,” said Christa Rummel, 40, who owns Capricious, a restaurant on Newberry Road. She said voters are passionate about “keeping the small-town feel, but also with some progress.”
Two people have qualified to run for mayor, and two have filed to run for each of the two open city commission seats.
Commissioner Tim Marden, whose seat is up for reelection, is running for mayor. Marden is also the chairman of the Alachua County Republican Party.
Former city commissioner Joy Glanzer is also throwing her hat into the ring for the mayor’s seat. She is the owner of Glanzer Realty and has lived in the city for more than half a century.
Two people are running for Marden’s open city commission seat. Donald Long, a planning and zoning board member, is running against Steve Panaghi, who’s lived in Newberry for 13 years and owns an IT consulting firm.
Commissioner Tony Mazon is running for reelection and is being challenged by lifelong Newberry resident Rosa Marie Campbell.
“I think growth is a huge thing. I think the school is a very important thing,” Rummel said when asked what Newberry residents will prioritize when casting their ballots on April 8.
While every candidate said they would push for the “right” amount of growth, Glanzer, Panaghi and Campbell have all expressed their concerns for Newberry’s infrastructure.
“They’re going to have to do something with our infrastructure and our school system,” Anderson said. She said residents are “going to be dead in the water” if city leaders continue their push for growth.
Newberry mayoral candidates Joy Glanzer (left) and Commissioner Tim Marden. Both have experience on the Newberry City Commission. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Marden said if elected as mayor, his priority will be to preserve the momentum the city commission has built.
“Keep Newberry on the same path that we have been on -- maintaining our services, keeping taxes as low as possible, running our general operations as lean as possible,” Marden said. “We like to tell that we sort of offer a Mercedes-Benz service of government on a Chevy price.”
Marden has held his commission seat since he was first elected in 2013. He just started his second term as the chair of the Alachua County Republican Party.
Glanzer said she agrees that growth is good for Newberry, but she said she will make sure that the city can support the growth.
“I remember when I came here 50 years ago, it was like, a thousand people,” Glanzer recalled. “The growth seems like it’s sudden, but it’s really been something we’ve been working on for decades.”
Glanzer has a lengthy resumé as a public servant for Newberry. She said she helped found the city’s economic development committee, chamber of commerce, and opioid task force. She said that in addition to her time on the city commission from 2017 to 2019, she’s served as chair of the planning and zoning board, the city’s visioning board and has owned six businesses in Newberry.
Marden said he’s running to keep the city operating the same way it has been for the past few years.
“It was really a matter of what was best for the city,” Marden explained. He said throwing his hat in the ring was the best way for “the citizens and staff to maintain a level of consistency and expectation.”
When asked about what she would do differently if elected, Glanzer said she would make Newberry residents feel more like they’re a part of the conversation at city hall.
“Right now, I think citizens may feel a little bit intimidated because there is some pushback from the dais,” Glanzer said. “So I would promote and I would really encourage our commissioners to be respectful and lead with an open mind.”
“You have to leave your politics at the door if you’re going to be representing all the citizens because half of them are like you and half of them aren’t,” Glanzer elaborated.
Marden said his experience on the commission and connections he’s made as Alachua County’s GOP chairman will help him achieve more when he is mayor.
“Let’s face it, Tallahassee is Republican heavy,” Marden said. He said he’s worked with U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack and met Sen. Rick Scott, saying that his connections will help secure grant money for Newberry.
Glanzer said her decades of working with Newberry residents from all walks of life will make her a good fit for mayor.
“I really think it’s helped me to see all the sides of Newberry and to understand what drives us,” Glanzer said, adding that her decades spent in the city have given her close relationships with important members of the community, including business owners and community organizers.
Candidates Steve Panaghi (left) and Donald Long. They are both running for Newberry City Commissioner Tim Marden’s seat. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Former planning and zoning board member Donald Long and resident Steve Panaghi are both vying for Marden’s commission seat.
Long said if elected, he would advocate for the right amount of growth in Newberry.
“For every five homes, there’s a business in Newberry,” Long said. “That’s the kind of concept and growth and design you want the city to have. You don’t want too much too fast.”
Panaghi said he wants Newberry to grow, but the current commission is too quick to sign off on developments. He said that some of the city’s projects can’t be supported by Newberry’s existing infrastructure, and that he would err on the side of caution if elected.
“I think we have a lot of reckless development going on,” Panaghi said. “What about the roads, what about the infrastructure, can our electric grid that the city owns handle this? There’s not really any answers. It’s ‘oh yeah, it’s on the plan, we’ll get to it.’”
Panaghi mentioned one specific example of a city commission decision he didn’t agree with. He said putting Bev’s Burgers, a fast food restaurant, right next to two schools has had a negative impact on traffic. He said the burger joint has made driving down Southwest 250th Street a slog, combining traffic from Oak View Middle School and Greenfield Preschool West.
Panaghi said he grew up in a community smaller than Newberry in Long Island, where he watched rapid growth change his town. He said seeing that firsthand will affect how he votes if elected.
“It’s just not the place that we grew up,” Panaghi recalled about his Long Island town. “I’m seeing the growth here starting to happen like what I experienced all those years ago.”
Long said that growing up in Newberry gave him a perspective that will help guide his vision for the city. He said he doesn’t want the city to feel like a place students need to “escape” from after graduation.
“You want to make sure the kids have a future going forward,” Long explained.
Long said community feedback would be important to his process as commissioner if he were elected. He said his time on the planning and zoning board gave him experience communicating with residents on issues.
“A lot of people feel as though they don’t, they’re not heard on the commission, and it’s kind of something I want to kind of debunk,” Long said. “We are here, we’re working for the city, not against it. I have no agenda of my own.”
Panaghi said that if elected, he would push to establish term limits and a code of ethics for the commission.
Candidates Rosa Marie Campbell (left) and incumbent Newberry City Commissioner Tony Mazon. Campbell is vying for Mazon’s seat. (Michael Orlando/WUFT News) (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Rosa Marie Campbell, who is running against incumbent Tony Mazon, said she believes the push for growth in Newberry has caused a rift in her community. She said people are divided on whether the small-town feeling of Newberry should be preserved or if the city’s expansion is more important.
“We need to bring back the small-town vibe, give everyone an opportunity to settle back in,” Campbell said.
Commissioner Mazon did not respond to a request from WUFT for comment, but he has been on both sides of the issue when it comes to supporting the city’s growth. On Oct. 14, he seconded a motion to establish a community development district bigger than 260 acres. In May, he was the lone vote against the 50-year plan to build the NC Ranch development, which will bring thousands more homes to Newberry.
Campbell said the sudden push for expansion has hurt local business and damaged the small-town feel of Newberry.
“I feel like I’m living in the middle of Miami in Newberry,” Campbell said. “We have more issues that need to be resolved and better solutions before we continue to expand.”
Campbell said she would promote more community outreach if she were elected to the city commission.
“I would be more engaged in the community,” Campbell said. She said she believes every commissioner should know what’s happening in their community and what needs to change.
Campbell said she will also make parks and recreation a priority of hers if elected. She said Newberry’s parks need more funding to give the city’s children an outlet for positive social interaction.
Newberry residents will decide on April 8 who sits on the dais. It will be the first time since 2017 that Newberry has had a new mayor. Last year’s election was canceled because no candidates filed to run against incumbents Ricky Coleman and Mark Clark.