Gainesville staff to present new plans for calculating General Fund Transfer, reducing debt levels

Press release from the City of Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At today’s General Policy Committee meeting, City of Gainesville staff, from both General Government and Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), will present to city commissioners a new formula for determining the General Fund Transfer – now referred to as the Government Services Contribution (GSC).

When: 1 p.m. Thursday, April 13

Where: City Hall Auditorium, 200 E. University Ave.

The GSC is the annual transfer of funds from GRU to General Government to support the delivery of municipal services and programs. The GSC for the current fiscal year totals $34.3 million. Staff will propose a new formula that would reduce the GSC for FY24 to $15.3 million, a reduction of more than 55 percent from the current level.

City staff also will ask the commission to approve a 10-year time frame to accelerate the reduction of debt service level during the next decade.

  • They want to reduce debt? Good start would be some going on a diet and tightening their belts. Harvey should step up & set an example since he has the most to gain…I mean lose.

    That’s what many of us have had to do since the GRU rate increases & over bloated increase in local government & associated salaries.

    Fortunately, I hope they’re too late.

    • 10 years, Absurd! Way too long. Do-able, better plan: Cut 1/3 of transfer now. Cut the remainder or it 1/4 each year for 4 years = zero transfer in 5 years. And: cut all salaries >60k 5%, >$80k 10%, >$95k 15% starting June 1, 2023! Then we might get somewhere. New rule: any increase in taxes, rates, or fees can ONLY go to debt reduction, nothing else.

  • Here’s an idea, make the theft of GRU funds be ZERO !
    Use any extra GRU funds for needed GRU infrastructure and reducing debt.
    Wipe out all of the massive bloat in the city budget and problem solved.

  • Here’s a plan- get rid of city government in Gainesville entirely. You’re welcome.

  • Must be part of that ‘new math’ we keep hearing about? Maybe they can ‘reimagine’ their budget deficit so they feel better? You know with progressives it’s all about their feeling and the hell with any facts. Now….fix the damn roads!

  • I hope they are wasting their time that the state takes over and the transfer is zero

  • Wonder how many “staff” it took to conclude the projection would be more than a 55% reduction?

    Did they have to use all 10 fingers to figure that out?

    Pretty confident that the tax increase that will be imposed on residents were calculated prior to this “reduction” as well. If there’s one thing the city liars are good at, it’s playing the shell game.

  • The thing that stands out is if the city is/was able to cut $15,000,000.00 from it’s budget, what took so long? Secondly, why was it there in the first place if it wasn’t needed?
    It’s not like they’ve been fixing the roadways.

    All of you gullible people, that’s what you should be asking before you vote for these people again

  • Get rid of climate Czar and diversity, equity, & inclusion positions. Go woke, go broke. Focus on essential services. No net zero by 2050. No agenda 21, no agenda 30, no great reset.

  • Here is my concern they are only taking 15 million what happens if the profit from GRU is only 10 million this year that means they have again taken 5 million more than GRU made by doing that GRU has no cash reserves if they truly want to pay off the debt then only transfer 25% of the profits every year what ever the number is

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