Donald "Donny" Barber
jmartin [at] cityofarcher.com (city[dot]manager[at]cityofarcher[dot]com)
The City Manager is the administrative head of the municipal government.
Donald “Donny” Barber serves as the City Manager for the City of Archer, bringing a strong background in municipal administration, public infrastructure, budgeting, grants management, and community-focused leadership. With years of experience in local government, Mr. Barber has worked on major public works, utility, stormwater, transportation, parks, budgeting, and community improvement projects throughout North Central Florida.
As City Manager, Mr. Barber is committed to making City government transparent, accessible, and responsive to the residents of Archer. He believes residents should be able to easily understand how decisions are made, how public funds are used, and how City projects and policies affect their neighborhoods, homes, businesses, and quality of life. His approach emphasizes open communication, practical problem-solving, accountability, and a willingness to listen directly to residents’ concerns.
Archer Ascending
Mr. Barber’s leadership vision for the City is centered around Archer Ascending, a forward-looking plan focused on strengthening City operations, improving infrastructure, restoring financial stability, encouraging responsible growth, and protecting the small-town character that makes Archer unique. Archer Ascending is built on the belief that progress and preservation can work together when growth is planned carefully, public dollars are managed responsibly, and residents remain at the center of every major decision.
Through Archer Ascending, Mr. Barber is focused on improving water and wastewater infrastructure, modernizing City policies and procedures, expanding transparency, supporting economic opportunity, and ensuring that new development contributes fairly to the cost of growth. He believes developers should be treated professionally and fairly, while also making certain that existing residents are not asked to carry the financial burden of new development.
Community-First Leadership
Mr. Barber’s commitment to public service extends beyond City Hall. He remains actively involved in hands-on community work, including service through his own community center, because he believes local government should never lose sight of the real needs of families, neighborhoods, seniors, children, and working residents. For Mr. Barber, community service is not just administrative — it is personal, practical, and rooted in showing up where people need help.
This community-first mindset shapes his approach to leading Archer. Whether addressing infrastructure, public safety, utilities, parks, code enforcement, or long-term planning, Mr. Barber believes City government should be approachable, dependable, and focused on improving everyday life for residents.
Prior to serving Archer, Mr. Barber worked in municipal public works administration, where he helped manage departmental operations, infrastructure planning, capital projects, grant-funded improvements, and long-term service delivery for residents. His experience includes work on wastewater treatment expansion, stormwater improvements, roadway redesign, parks, budgeting, grants, and intergovernmental coordination.
Mr. Barber is a lifelong North Central Florida resident with deep ties to the region. He is committed to serving Archer with integrity, professionalism, transparency, accessibility, and a resident-first approach to local government. Mr. Barber can be reached at 352-553-6627.