Ward: Gainesville kept the ship sailing in 2023 

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward said the city continued progress in the last year despite strong headwinds from the Florida Legislation and fiscal challenges.  

“As with all our staff and commissioners, our charter officers were called upon to perform in ways no one could have predicted in 2023, and everyone was up to the task,” said Ward at Tuesday’s State of the City address. “When it felt like the tide was rising around us, rather than allowing the ship that is our city to take on water, our crew set sail.” 

Ward listed traffic safety and gun violence prevention as key initiatives and said the city also “right-sized” its budget. Using emails from citizens as springboards, he touched on green spaces, public safety, investment in East Gainesville and sustainability. 

The city’s new budget came after a $19 million income loss and a 16.9% property tax increase. 

Ward said the fact that so many citizens email and talk with commissioners about how to better Gainesville is itself the first part of the answer—everyone working together.  

“Gainesville is pretty terrific,” Ward said. “But it gets even better when we all work together—when we leave behind the outdated belief that Gainesville is a fragmented community somehow split down the middle.” 

Ward sprinkled examples of this community work throughout his speech, including a downtown cleanup focused on removing litter and beautifying the area.  

Ward also recognized four local authors during his speech—Jack Davis, Cynthia Barnett, Lauren Groff and Joe Haldeman. Davis and Barnett received the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts at the event. The new awards serve as part of Ward’s push to promote Gainesville as Florida’s cultural capital. 

Tuesday’s event also included an introduction of Gainesville’s new city auditor—Stephen Mhere. 

The six city commissioners spoke in video segments on different topics.  

Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut spoke on the renewed A Very GNV Holiday Parade and plans to revitalize the city complex at the corner of NE 8^th Avenue and Waldo Road, including Citizens Field, the MLK Jr. Multipurpose Complex and the Dwight H. Hunter Pool.  

Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker spoke on plans to create a cultural arts center and to combat gun violence. 

Commissioner Casey Willits spoke about affordable housing and how Gainesville is spending $7 million on related projects.  

Commissioner Bryan Eastman spoke on the city’s reinforcement of open container bans except for two newly created Arts, Culture and Entertainment districts. 

Commissioner Reina Saco spoke on the city’s Vision Zero initiative, no pedestrian or bicyclist deaths, along with $8 million in federal dollars used for planning changes to University Avenue and 13th Street. 

Commissioner Ed Book spoke on his work to coordinate the downtown refresh mentioned earlier by Ward. Book said the project cleaned 15,000 pounds of trash from local creeks and roadways. 

At last year’s State of the City, Ward highlighted Gainesville’s higher mix of renewable energy than other cities in Florida. This year, Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) found its way into the speech as the Legislature removed the utility from City Commission control.  

The pressure from Tallahassee resulted in the budget pressures felt by the city.  

“The City Commission and staff have worked very hard during this process to preserve the things that matter,” Ward said. “Our parks and our special events fit into that category.” 

He also noted that GRU’s placement under an independent authority may further impact the city’s budget in the coming year. Some impacts have already begun, with GRU stopping $180,000 in monthly payments. The authority also discussed eliminating another $15 million in annual contributions. 

The City Commission and GRU Authority are scheduled for a special meeting later this month.  

Ward ended by praising city staff. He said staff rose to overcome opposition in the past year and would continue forward no matter what happens in 2024.