Editor’s note: This story has been updated to remove mentions of the city of Gainesville budget and GRU rates.
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The Alachua County commission established its budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
The new budget continues the county’s seven-year millage rate reduction. The General Fund operating millage rate was finalized at 7.6414 mills. This still sits at 7% greater than the rolled-back rate, meaning property taxes are set to go up.
Anna Prizzia, Alachua County Commission Chair, mentioned the effort to keep costs low in a county press release. She said the commission stays focused on lowering the millage rate and responding to the impacts of inflation.
She also referenced the “increased demands on county governments due to Florida’s population growth.”
The Board of County Commissioners approved its $757 million budget for the next fiscal year. The new millage rate projects an additional $15 million toward the county budget. A few notable entries in the budget consist of $13.3 million for land conservation from Wild Spaces Public Places, $20 million for roads and $12.8 million for housing projects.
The new rates became effective on Oct. 1.