Fareed Johnson: City of Gainesville must re-evaluate spending

Letter to the editor

I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a while now – the municipal debt of our City. As your candidate for Gainesville City Commission At-large Seat A, it’s a matter close to my heart. 

Debt isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when it’s a catalyst for growth and progress. However, when it starts to impede essential needs, that’s when we need to take a step back and reassess our priorities. Did you know that almost 60% of Americans can’t handle a $1,000 emergency? That’s a staggering number, and it hits close to home for many in our city. Knowing this, why would we create a larger property tax burden? 

Our current practice, replacing lost funding with taxes, is not sustainable. To ensure the financial well-being of our community, it is my hope that the GRU Authority takes proactive steps to lower rates and further decrease the transfer fund. This adjustment is crucial for the economic stability of our residents and businesses.

I firmly believe in programs and services and their ability to uplift and support a community. But we have to be cautious because they should never inadvertently harm more people than they help.

We also need to carefully examine our City assets, reconsider executive positions/salaries, and, most importantly, empower our non-profit community to receive the necessary funding to meet the needs of special interests. They are vital in providing programs and services that are currently beyond our financial reach.

Our goal is clear – we want to create a community where everyone can thrive without the burden of excessive debt, where social programs genuinely serve the greater good without unintentionally causing harm. This is not a one-person job; it’s a team effort. I need your support, your ideas, and your passion to make this vision a reality. Let’s work together to build a financially responsible, caring, and supportive city that we can all be proud of.

Thank you for your unwavering support and for being part of this journey with me!

Fareed Johnson, Gainesville

The opinions expressed by letter or opinion writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AlachuaChronicle.com. Letters may be submitted to info@alachuachronicle.com and are published at the discretion of the editor.

  • Dam if I lived in the city you have my vote your the first candidate running for a city seat to show you have common sense and understand how government should work good luck

  • Great platitudes that say nothing. If you are a candidate, look at the budget, figure out what you would cut – what is discretionary and what is truly mandatory. If you don’t have to spend it, then it is discretionary. Parks are discretionary, funding non-profits is discretionary. People that want Thelma Bolton fixed are a special interest group just like those who want affordable housing. Look at the Charter – it is top heavy with officers – not a lot to be done there. City workers want to get paid too. That financed debt is going to take decades to pay off. Understand City spending and budgeting before you take a position on the Commission, it is a lousy place to have to learn the job using training wheels. Understand that to do the job, it is not a part time job.

  • We already have enough shady people running the city why does the community without needing more ex convicts as commissioner. You do not have my support or vote.

    • What’s your name, let me run your background and check for the skeleton’s in your closet lol.. You sound like a bigot, a complainer and someone who does absolutely nothing to improve their surroundings. Instead of being open minded to the conversation at hand you refer to someone’s background like you’re any better.. Loser

  • You lost me with your” everyone can thrive”. Get crime under control. Stop bowing down everything some complains. Like the 16 clowns that went to commission meeting and Ward writes letter to President Joe.
    How about educating them. Let them know what happened over there. Sorry no vote from me you sound like the rest if them looking for a check.

  • The gov’t in general (federal, state and local levels) takes at least 40% of the whole economy. And that’s not enough, they need to print trillions more. They need to start foreign “civil wars” and ancient border disputes, to indirectly pump the Dollar’s value, too.
    All because we let politicians take over America, inch by inch. The whole world is paying the price, not just us. The Constitution needs an addendum now.
    The claimed scary alternatives are said to be Russia, China or some theocratic force. But they cannot even control their own people without collapsing in the process. Politics is temporary.
    Locally, Dems do not want their captive voters leaving the city, for fear they’d lose elections and starve their campaigns’ lawyer-donors. In the past, people moved to greener pastures. Today, you must stay, get addicted, dependent, and stay registered. Or get replaced by future voters.

  • If we operated our households and budget like the city does, we’d be bankrupt inside 3 months.
    Politicians never met a dollar they didn’t like.
    It’s always easier to spend other folks money.

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