Highlights from the July 14, 2026 County Commission Meeting | | |
These highlights will give residents a quick review of the most recent County Commission meeting, including video, the agenda and other useful links.
County Manager Michele Lieberman presented the County Commission with her Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Budget Message.
It reflects the county’s financial strength today and the uncertain environment in which this budget was developed. The recommended General Fund property tax millage rate is the rollback rate of 7.2107 mills, reduced from 7.6000 mills. The rollback rate is the millage rate necessary to generate the same property tax revenue from existing taxable property as the previous year.
This continues a 10-year pattern of General Fund millage reductions and marks the third rollback rate in that period. This recommendation reflects the discipline that has helped the county enter FY27 with sound finances, operational stability, and the flexibility to protect core services.
The tentative budget maintains support for core and essential services that residents depend on every day. Public safety and transportation infrastructure remain the county’s largest investments, with more than $343 million dedicated to these critical services. The budget also supports housing, social services, environmental protection, land conservation, parks, recreation, economic development, and programs that strengthen our quality of life.
Read the Budget Message packet.
Read the complete highlights for this meeting.
| | County Manager Shares 2026 Annual Report | | |
At today’s special meeting, the Alachua County Commission viewed the 2026 Annual Report video that highlighted the many accomplishments and milestones achieved by county departments over the past year.
Watch the Annual Report video.
The report format is different this year than in years past. Rather than having departmental leaders present their accomplishments one after another, the Annual Report features other county voices and cross-departmental collaboration. Report topics include housing, transportation, environmental protection and much more. Furthermore, the report aligns directly with the commission’s Strategic Guide, which organizes priorities around three major pillars:
- People
- People and Place
- People, Place, and Prosperity
“Each year, this report gives us a moment to celebrate the work being done across Alachua County, work that helps shape the quality of life in our community,” said County Manager Michele Lieberman in the opening of the report. “Alachua County remains financially strong. So strong that for nine consecutive years, we have reduced the property tax millage rate while maintaining essential services and preparing for the needs of a growing community.”
| | Visitors Welcome at the Newly Opened Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve | | |
Alachua County invites the public to explore the newly opened Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve, a 69-acre natural area on the western shore of Little Lake Santa Fe near Waldo that was protected through a partnership between the county and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
Visitors can enjoy a mile-long trail through pine uplands and along the wetland edge for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, wildlife viewing and other outdoor recreation. The trailhead and a small parking area are located at 20201 NE 132nd Ave. in Waldo. Preserve hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April through September and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October through March.
Watch a video on the ceremony.
Read more about the preserve.
| | Feature Story – UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County: From the Farm to the Community | | |
Before sunrise each morning, Kevin Lussier walks the pastures of Hawthorne Creek Creamery, checking on some of the 300 cattle that make him the last remaining dairy farmer in Alachua County.
Every decision that follows, from when to plant forage to how deep to sow seed and manage invasive weeds, is informed by decades of guidance from the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Alachua County Extension Office.
For Lussier, who has spent his life farming, that expertise has helped sustain a family tradition while building a successful business producing locally made cheese. Without it, it’s hard to say where his operation would be.
Read the full Feature Story.
| | Animal Resources to Host Annual Summer Lovin' Adopt-A-Thon | | |
Alachua County and its Animal Resources department invite the community to the annual Summer Lovin' Adopt-A-Thon, the animal shelter’s biggest adoption event of the year.
The event is held in partnership with the University of Florida and its student chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, whose volunteers assist shelter staff in connecting adoptable pets with loving families during the busy summer intake season.
The event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Alachua County Animal Resources shelter (3400 NE 53rd Ave., Gainesville) and will feature hundreds of dogs and cats available for adoption free of charge.
Learn more about the Summer Lovin' Adopt-A-Thon.
| | State Report Highlights Alachua County's Leadership in Reducing Homelessness | | |
Alachua County's efforts to reduce homelessness and expand access to permanent housing are being recognized in the Florida Council on Homelessness' 2026 Annual Report provided to Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature.
The report highlights the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners for its commitment to expanding permanent housing opportunities by redeveloping former motel properties.
In April, the county opened two new permanent housing communities by transforming the former Budget Inn and Scottish Inns into safe, stable homes for individuals experiencing homelessness. The newly converted East Tumblin Creek and Forest Edge apartment complexes provide a total of 67 units. The report identifies these projects as examples of a growing national best practice: converting underutilized motel properties into permanent housing.
Find out more about the report and the county's permanent housing programs.
| | Levy Loop Trail Reopened at Barr Hammock Preserve | | |
The Levy Loop Trail and parking lot at Barr Hammock Preserve (14920 SE 11th Dr., Micanopy) have reopened following maintenance work.
The maintenance work included removing vegetation and hazardous trees.
The Barr Hammock Preserve is actively managed through the Alachua County Forever Program, which is funded by the voter-approved Wild Spaces and Public Places surtax to acquire, improve and manage environmentally sensitive lands to protect water resources, wildlife habitat and natural areas suitable for resource-based recreation.
| | Art Grant Applications Now Open | | |
Alachua County artists, artist collaborators and not-for-profit organizations are invited to apply for a fiscal year 2027 (FY27) art grant.
The maximum grant award is $3,000 for individual artists, artist collaborators, and not-for-profit organizations, and $5,000 for the incorporated cities of Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, High Springs, LaCrosse, Micanopy, Newberry and Waldo. Awards can be used for visual art and music supplies, advertising, studio time, printing, equipment, and other project-related expenses. Interested artists and cities can apply for an art grant online.
Applications are due by midnight on July 31, 2026.
Read more about the art grants.
| | Alachua County Reminds Residents of Seasonal Fertilizer Ban | | |
Alachua County is reminding residents that the annual landscape fertilizer ban takes effect today, July 1, 2026, and will remain in place through Feb. 28, 2027.
The application of landscape fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus is prohibited during this period because fertilizers are more likely to be washed off landscapes and into stormwater systems, creeks, lakes and the aquifer. These measures apply countywide and are critical to preventing harmful algae outbreaks and meeting the state’s Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) for improving water quality.
Learn more about the fertilizer ban.
| | Poe Springs Swimming Area Temporarily Closed | | |
Effective Thursday, July 16, 2026, the designated swimming area at Poe Springs Park will be temporarily closed due to poor water clarity.
Recent conditions have reduced underwater visibility to the point that the county has determined the swimming area is no longer safe for public use.
The remainder of Poe Springs Park will remain open, including the picnic areas, trails, and boat ramp. Visitors may continue to enjoy these amenities, including launching kayaks and canoes.
County staff will monitor water clarity on a weekly basis, and the swimming area will reopen as soon as visibility returns to a safe level.
The county appreciates the public's patience and cooperation as we prioritize visitor safety.
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County Seeks Advisory Board Volunteers | |
Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity that allows you to give back to your community and participate in your County's decision-making process? Serving on an Alachua County Advisory Board offers you this chance. The County Commission relies on input from these Boards to make informed decisions and set policies.
Over 250 citizens serve on the advisory boards advising county government and local agencies on many topics. They include affordable housing, economic development, environmental protection, human rights, county finances, and many other issues.
For example, the Citizen’s Climate Advisory Committee has five vacancies. The committee provides an opportunity for citizen involvement in climate change issues and concerns affecting Alachua County, the City of Gainesville and surrounding municipalities.
Find out more about advisory board vacancies.
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