Your City
The City of Gainesville, Florida is the county seat and the largest City in Alachua County. The City was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1869. There are approximately 60 square miles of land inside the corporate boundaries of the City. As of April 1, 2007, the City's population was estimated at 122,671 by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida. Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the state's leading research institution, and Santa Fe Community College, a provider of excellent professional and vocational education. Gainesville has one of the largest medical communities in the Southeastern United States, and is a center for commerce, art and culture in North Central Florida.

The City Commission was faced with a significant budgetary challenge in FY07. A combination of events, including reduction in Communications Services Taxes, State Shared Revenues and statutory changes enacted by the State Legislature this June, led to a deficit of approximately $4 million. The City Commission addressed this revenue shortage by reducing the budgets of City departments, instituting new organizational efficiencies and identifying new revenue sources such as increased user fees and fines, among other solutions. The statutory changes will also restrict future revenue growth, which will require ongoing work by the City Commission in addressing decreased revenues.