The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) directed staff to return with an ordinance that, if passed, would change the commission district maps ahead of the 2026 election.  

At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the BOCC also set its list of state and federal priorities heading into the next legislative session and declined a merit increase for its county manager and attorney.  

The county commissioners voted 3-2 to move forward with a new district map. The map was one of 11 submitted anonymously by the public and checked by staff to ensure population equality between the districts.  

Commissioner Ken Cornell asked last week for two of the maps, along with the current map approved in 2020, to return for a discussion and potential vote. The redistricting discussion started back in the spring.  

Cornell said he only liked Map 8 but asked for a couple of changes. He wanted precinct 27 to move from district 3 to district 4 and precinct 17 to move from district 4 to district 3. Commissioner Anna Prizzia also asked for precinct 3 to move from district 4 to district 2 and precinct 37 to move from district 2 to district 4.  

The motion asked for county staff to check the changes to make sure the population differences still meet Florida requirements. The new district map will likely be returned at the next regular BOCC meeting on Oct 28.  

Commissioners Marihelen Wheeler and Chuck Chestnut dissented on the vote.  

Both commissioners have confirmed that they will not seek reelection. Wheeler’s term will end next year, with her seat on the November 2026 ballot. Chestnut was just reelected in 2024 and his term lasts through 2028.  

Wheeler cited concerns about voter confusion by implementing new districts during a governor’s race that she anticipated would be contentious, along with ongoing litigation over the BOCC’s 2024 referendum. 

Alachua County has historically elected its county commissioners through an at-large system, meaning the entire county elects each of the five commissioners. The district map doesn’t restrict who votes for which commission, like under a single-member district system, where each district elects its own commissioner. Instead, the district map for an at-large county determines where commissioners can live.  

Each commissioner must live in one of the five different districts, even though voters across the county vote for each seat. The residency requirement states that once elected, a candidate must live in, or move to, the district as shown on the map.  

Alachua County recently flip-flopped from at-large districts in 2022 to single-member districts in 2024 and back to an anticipated at-large district election for 2026.  

The First District Court of Appeals is actively reviewing a lawsuit filed against the 2024 referendum that switched Alachua County back to at-large districts.  

But County Attorney Sylvia Torres said the court could rule tomorrow or in two years. In the meantime, Torres said the government must move on and hold elections. She said there’s an automatic stay on the referendum, allowing at-large districts for 2026.  

Prizzia said redistricting allows for the best possible districts, even if the county switches back to single-member districts.  

“I mean everyone—Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, urban, rural—have all been asking for better representation and districts that better reflect them, and I think that these do that,” Prizzia said.” They provide a much better opportunity for representation in our community.”    

Commissioner Mary Alford said she liked the new district maps. She said the different geographies, versus the current pie-shaped districts, allow each commissioner to focus on their district and the unique concerns, from urban or rural or suburban, even though each represents the whole county.  

Alford said the county changes maps frequently and said it would be better to change during a non-presidential election—a belief echoed by Prizzia.  

Cornell said it’s not an urgent matter since the commissioners are at-large. He also said that if the court ruling forces the county to switch back to single-member districts, then he will vote to reword the referendum and return it to the ballot. He said the will of Alachua County’s citizens is for at-large districts.  

Cornell told the commission that he checked the proposed Map 8 against the candidates who have filed to run in 2026 and said no one would need to move because of the new districts.    

Alachua County must vote on the map at the next two meetings in order to meet the statutory timeframe before the next election.  

Prizzia said she would have liked to make the decision three months ago, but she said the BOCC lacked the information it needed at the time. The BOCC delayed an earlier decision after expressing dissatisfaction with three maps created by its consultant.  

Chestnut said he worried about using anonymous maps that aren’t certified by a consultant. He said when he served under single-member districts on the Gainesville City Commission, a consultant came and redrew the map for the commission, allowing confidence if it were challenged in court.  

He added that he believes any changes will be challenged. 

“This is a tough issue guys, I’m not gonna lie,” Chestnut said. “This is very, very tough for me at least.”   

Torress said staff checked the maps to ensure they met Florida law. She said the law requires the populations to remain nearly equal and that the maps neither favor nor disfavor incumbents.  

She said the maps presented met those standards.  

State and Federal Priorities 

The Alachua County Legislative Delegation meeting is scheduled for next week. The BOCC voted on their funding and advocacy priorities.  

At the state level, the requests include funds to implement phase 2 of restoration to Newnans Lake, to plan and design Archer Road expansion, to finalize design work for key fire rescue infrastructure and equipment purchases at the Alachua County Sports and Event Center (portable basketball court, bleachers and sound system).  

Advocacy issues included support for Home Rule Authority, affordable housing initiatives, childcare support, payment in lieu of taxes for publicly owned land and local food systems.  

Federal funding requests also included Newnans Lake and Archer Road. Additionally, it had a training tower for fire rescue, a medical support unit bus and restoration of the State Homeland Security Grant Program.  

Manager and Attorney evaluations 

The BOCC evaluated both City Manager Michele Lieberman and County Attorney Sylvia Torres highly in their evaluations.  

Because of the high marks, Cornell voted to give a 3% merit increase in addition to the 4% cost-of-living adjustment given to all county employees. Other county employees also received a merit increase depending on annual evaluations.  

But commissioners worried about giving raises to their highest-salaried employees at this time. Chestnut cited DOGE audit concerns, and Prizzia said it was the wrong environment at the moment.  

Cornell said he made the same motion for the director of the Children’s Trust of Alachua County and was outvoted there. Last week, the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority approved a 3% merit increase for its general manager.  

Wheeler agreed with Cornell, but the three other commissioners passed a motion that didn’t have the additional 3% merit increase.