“The City of Gainesville has hiked taxes on property owners by over 85% in the last four years, while the city budget has expanded by nearly $90 million per year, a staggering increase that far outpaces population growth. Despite our DOGE team’s requests, the city has failed to explain or justify this spending. Gainesville taxpayers deserve better from their local government. Our DOGE team, with support from Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia and his team, will be coming to Gainesville to review their spending practices and procedures. Transparency is no longer optional. If any government entity in the state is misusing taxpayer dollars, we will expose it and put a stop to it.”
Desantis is notorious for nominating people that waste money. They have yet to audit the Alligator Alcatraz and it's no bid contracts although they are legally required to do so
Same guy that frivolously wasted $10M of a Medicaid settlement including diverting $8.5M to a PAC. Absolutely, let’s hold those fraudsters accountable.
States will soon be joining cities in needing to raise taxes, after Trump recently had the federal government cut services (in order to very partially offset his deficit funded tax cuts for the rich.) It's like a righty wet dream : cut services to poor and average people, take a big tax cut for yourself ........ and then moan about local jurisdictions and Democrats, when they try to clean up the mess. Just a mixture of selfishness and Idiocracy.
Sorry, but what business does the state have in auditing city budgets? Republicans continue making a mockery of the constitution's "home rule" provision. You've got multiple scandals at the state level involving corruption and sweetheart deals to donors ... get your own house in order first.
You're in Gainesville? I was wondering if the 85 percent figure was accurate. It's a pretty radical increase.
Are you in the city? We lived in the county - Haile - but moved away in 2014. Over the 18+ years we lived there the property tax growth rate wasn't too bad. However, I understand this is a city matter. Also, I've been told GRU rates are quite high. Did the wood-burning power pant ever work out?
I'm guessing actual residents or people with homesteads arent seeing anything like that. Would I believe that "property owners" who own/flip stuff just to 'modernize' and rent out for top dollar are seeing property taxes increase substantially? I'm sure, as they should.
An audit in theory wouldn't be a bad idea, but when you begin the process with a conclusion already in hand, that will skew the whole thing. What ends up happening is cherry picking anything you don't like to create the narrative you already have prepared.
Gainesville and Alachua county are terrible. Worst roads and highest taxes. I don't care what they do as I live in Marion county and rent my office in Gainesville. No way i want to be a property owner in Alachua County.
Actually, who pays for that? My understanding is UF/UAA pays for all law enforcement for the games, which includes traffic control before and after games. So I dont believe the city bears the burden of paying for traffic control due to UF events.
Yes, I live in Gainesville . . . have since 2008. Property taxes haven’t increased much (maybe 5-10%) in all that time. I don’t know if they tax rentals differently. Of couse, I’m homesteaded.
All of the tax revenue that UF Sports provides to Gainesville and the city is going to quibble about a few grand to pay cops some overtime? What’s turds they must be? Put a $.01 addition on the sales tax and the revenue from the bookstore alone would cover it.