Tag Archives: Gail Johnson

Gainesville City Commissioners decided to terminate three contracts with the Florida Department of Corrections in a 5-1 vote on Thursday. In 30 days, inmate labor will be gone from Gainesville.

The three candidates who applied to fill his role while commissioners searched for a permanent replacement were city employees Deborah Bowie, Michelle Park and Steve Varvel.

Over a hundred concerned residents packed the City Commission Auditorium in a meeting that lasted from 6 p.m. to midnight Thursday evening. Attendance was so high that many needed to watch the meeting from an overflow room downstairs.

The GRU Authority referendum on the November ballot will allow Gainesville residents to vote on whether GRU’s governing authority should be transferred to an independent board appointed by the city commission.

City commissioners Gail Johnson and Gigi Simmons had skeptical questions about the half-cent sales tax on Thursday.

The turnout at Gainesville City Hall supporting the Fraternal Order of Police required live feeds of the City Commission meeting be shown on TVs in the lobby and throughout the basement. From Police Chief Tony Jones to longtime residents to people who encounter police officers as part of their work, …

While she had never held public office before, she said she’s a quick learner and has been absorbing as much as she can since taking office.

What was once to be a 700-acre planned development on Gainesville’s northern edge will likely soon be a conservation and parks area.