Gainesville is battling budget cuts in the proposed city budget for 2009 and 2010.
The city is suffering a 2009 deficit of more than $2 million, which will result in funding cuts across the board.
The Gainesville Police, Public Works, Communications and Marketing, and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs are being hit the hardest, according to the first of two proposed budgets from City Manager Russ Blackburn.
The second proposed budget includes revenues generated from a fire assessment, or fee, for city property owners, while the first does not, said Becky Rountree, the Gainesville administrative services director.
The main reason for the budget deficit is the changes in property tax laws by the state, including voter approval of Amendment 1, which increased exemptions from the property tax, Rountree said.
The city is considering a number of ways to make up for these lost funds, including implementing a four-day workweek for City Hall, the Thomas Center, the Old Library Building and the administrative offices at the Public Works Compound, according to the budget report.
This would save an estimated $90,000 in energy costs.
The Regional Transit System is also looking to increase its fees in order to make up for rising gas costs, Rountree said. In addition to this, some gas tax funds will also be redirected to cover the rise in operating costs. RTS will also decrease the frequency of certain bus routes, Rountree said.
The city's annexation of Butler Plaza from Alachua County to the city also helps reduce the deficit by providing the city with a new source of property taxes, she said.
A new city fire station that is being built is also included in the budget, although it is not expected to be operational until 2010, she said.
The city will also provide closed captions to its televised City Commission meetings starting this year, Rountree said.
The total proposed budget for all funds in 2009 and 2010 is $265,177,516 and $261,370,024, respectively, according to the budget report.
