Former commissioner departs

Fernandina Beach resident and public servant James Byron (Jim B.) Higginbotham was born into a politically connected family. 

His father, John B., served as a county commissioner and his mother, Wynelle Davis, was the daughter of a state senator. Content to follow his father’s footsteps in the construction business, Higginbotham did not plan to go into public service or politics. It would, nonetheless, be his destiny. Higginbotham passed away Feb. 8 at age 74 after a brief illness.

Higginbotham spent more than 40 years in service to Fernandina Beach in various capacities, from Public Works Department director to county commissioner for District 1, to leadership roles in civic organizations. He once told the Record’s sister newspaper, the News-Leader, “I love this area and want to do so much more to make it a premier place to live, work and play.”

In his race for the District 1 Seat on the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, Higginbotham’s position on beach issues, according to his campaign ad, was “Not to have a speedway, however, not to deny access and parking on the beach.”

Born in Fernandina Beach, he and siblings Vivian, Richard and Johnny were raised in Hilliard. After receiving an associate degree from Lake City Community College, he joined the Air Force and served as a jet mechanic stationed in the Philippines during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1969.

Following his military service, he joined Houdaille-Duval-Wright construction firm in Jacksonville, where his father and brother had also worked. Living in Jacksonville at the time, he met and married his first wife, Jan R. Spottswood, who would become mother of his three children, son Barry and daughters Laran and Erin. Jim and Jan were married for 17 years. 

“His passions were his children, his community and the city,” Jan said.

When Houdaille-Duval-Wright won the bid for a six-block revitalization project on Centre Street in 1977, Higginbotham was the construction superintendent. The project transformed Centre Street from a straight line into graceful curves from Eighth Street to the waterfront. During the project, Higginbotham was recruited by then-city manager Grady James to become Public Works director for the City of Fernandina Beach.

According to Jan, it wasn’t an easy sell. Higginbotham did not want the job, which included oversight of multiple departments: Administration, Solid and Wastewater Treatment, Streets and Highways, Water Collection, City Vehicle Mainten-ance and Repair, Bosque Bello Cemetery, and the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport. Jan urged him to consider the opportunity, so after nine years in construction, Higginbotham switched gears and the family moved to Fernandina Beach to accept the job. He would remain in the role for the next 25 years, until retiring in 2003.

He also served on the Mosquito Control Board, the Nassau County Metropolitan Planning Organ-ization, three terms on the BOCC, with two as chairman, eight years on the Amelia Island Tourist and Developmental Board and 10 years on the Shrimp Festival Committee. His last run for office was in 2015, with an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Fernandina Beach City Commission.

Higginbotham was president of the Fernandina Beach Kiwanis Club and director of the Amelia Park Neighborhood Association and active on the Bike Path Planning Committee and in Special Olympics. He sang in the choir at First Baptist Church of Fernandina Beach.

Daughter Erin recalls her father’s firm stance on height limits for buildings at the beach and his vigilance in monitoring flood damage each time a storm came by the island. Jan recalls him driving a green city truck along the north end of the beach during storms to assess damage in real time until he and his truck were once inundated by a wave and nearly swept out to sea.

“He came home wide-eyed and soaking wet. … He didn’t do that again,” recalled Jan.

“My dad was the kind of person who would take a problem and get dirty trying to figure it out,” said daughter Erin. “He wasn’t the kind of guy who was trying to climb the ladder (of success).”  

Jim and Jan divorced in 1994 and he married Carol Decker six years ago. Already retired by then, Higginbotham shared a story with Carol from his days on the Centre Street construction project. He told her about a business owner who became angry about all the construction commotion and blamed him for business losses. The business owner wanted him arrested, so she called the police. 

The story goes that a police officer came and pulled him from the street, telling Higginbotham they needed to go for a cup of coffee. As they sat with their cups of coffee in plain sight of the business owner, the officer explained his strategy. They were going to stall long enough to convince the complainant the officer was giving Jim B. a lecture and a ticket. According to Higginbotham’s story, he and the business owner become friends within a couple of days and there were no more complaints.

“I don’t think he got to travel much earlier in life,” said Carol. “He loved to travel anywhere by car, and we went on some bigger trips to Paris and Germany, Canada and California. We enjoyed life together.”

His former colleague on the BOCC, John Crawford, expressed great respect for Higginbotham’s public service. “Jim knew stuff. Jim was an incredible problem solver. … His presence often helped us make better decisions,” Crawford said.

Now Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for Nassau County, Crawford continued, “I could give a voluminous résumé of Jim’s accomplishments from when we served together in government, but I want people to know my friend based on the qualities that really frame a life well-lived. He was a great citizen, a great and selfless public servant … a guy with an infectious laugh, a giant heart, and an even larger smile.”