Gainesville City Manager Urges Community Organizations to Seek Alternative Funding in 2025

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2023) – Gainesville City Manager Cynthia W. Curry is encouraging community organizations that receive support from the City of Gainesville to consider Fiscal Year 2025 budget plans that do not rely on city funding.

In a message sent today to community-based service providers, City Manager Curry outlined the uncertainties facing the City of Gainesville as her office begins the Fiscal Year 2025 budget process.

In past years, the city has relied on funds from Gainesville Regional Utilities to help support public services and programs. But as the members of the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority Board continue to analyze the utility’s debt level and rate structure, this Government Services Contribution (GSC) — formerly called the General Fund Transfer —could potentially be lowered or eliminated.

The City Manager’s message reads:

Dear Community-based Service Providers,

On behalf of the City of Gainesville, I would like to thank you for your dedication to our residents and your continued partnership with the City. Your presence in the community and involvement with the City helps us to deliver important services, enrich our cultural resources, and improve the quality of life for our neighbors.

When developing the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, General Government was faced with unprecedented challenges – including navigating a $19.0 million revenue deficit as a result of a 55.4% reduction to our second largest revenue source – the General Fund Transfer – now referred to as the Government Service Contribution, remitted to General Government by the Gainesville Regional Utilities. Through reductions in personnel, including eliminating 125.5 positions, increasing the millage rate, and making other revenue and expenditure adjustments, we were able to balance the budget and preserve outside agency grant funding.

We are now working on the Fiscal Year 2025 operating budget, and at this time, we are facing similar uncertainties regarding revenue sources. Future discussions and budget development processes will bring these uncertainties to resolution. However, we are preparing for additional reductions in our key revenues such as the Government Services Contribution and indirect costs, which could potentially further reduce our available resources. This will surely impact our ability to maintain current funding levels for General Government programs, services, and the level of outside agency support you have come to rely on.

I share this information with you in the spirit of transparency as you begin to prepare your budgets and develop your fundraising plans for the upcoming year.

Again, thank you for making Gainesville the special place it is. Please do not hesitate to contact my office with questions.

Cynthia W. Curry

City Manager

City of Gainesville

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