Are you sure you live in Gainesville?
People who live in the area around Southwest 20th Avenue may be surprised to find out they don't actually live within city limits.
A referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot could change that. If passed, the referendum would allow Gainesville to annex the area, which is part of unincorporated Alachua County, and make it part of the city.
The area, largely populated by UF students, includes businesses, 30 apartment complexes and 12 condominium complexes. It has been up for annexation twice before and has failed both times.
Although Alachua County and the city of Gainesville both support the annexation, other officials say they are looking at less funding and possible job loss if the referendum passes.
Some people don't even know it's happening.
A VOICE IN GOVERNMENT
The possible annexation would bring about both positive and negative changes for the residents of the area.
Since they don't actually live in the city, residents are currently not allowed to vote in city elections, City Manager Russ Blackburn said.
"You're not a city resident," Blackburn said. "You really don't have a voice."
If the area is annexed, residents would be able to vote for Gainesville City Commissioners, who are responsible for regulating Regional Transit System bus routes and Gainesville Regional Utilities rates, issues that affect both county and city residents.
Karen Billings, Gainesville strategic planning manager, said customers living outside the city pay an extra 10 to 25 percent fee on their monthly GRU bills.
Although utility fees would decrease, property taxes would go up. Since the area is mostly made up of apartment complexes, complex owners would be able to choose whether to pass along the extra costs to renters.
The largest property tax increase would go to The Estates, which would be charged $38,352 more per year, according to a city study.
The increased tax money would be a benefit to the city, along with a larger and more diverse population, Billings said. If annexed, the city expects nearly $2 million in taxes per year from the area by the 2014 fiscal year, the study stated.
A THIRD CHANCE
This isn't the first time the area around Southwest 20th Avenue has been up for annexation. The city has tried to acquire the area twice before but has not been successful.
On the ballot in 2000, the vote on the referendum was tied, meaning it did not pass.
In 2003, union firefighters picketed and protested, saying county firefighters could lose their jobs. Residents voted against the annexation.
This year, city officials are optimistic that the annexation will pass.
A door-to-door campaign has been going on in the area to alert residents to the referendum.
Bob Woods, city spokesman, said the small campaign staff has received a positive response from residents and general support from property managers for the annexation.
The annexation has also been endorsed by the UF Student Senate, which unanimously passed a resolution supporting the referendum at its meeting Sept. 30. The resolution does not take any action.
In April, Butler Plaza, which is adjacent to the area, voluntarily annexed itself into the city, making the proposed area even more attractive to the city. With Butler Plaza annexed, the Southwest 20th Avenue area is now almost surrounded by Gainesville.
Billings said it also costs the city less money to place the referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot than to run a separate election.
"All the pieces just fell into place," she said.
LOSS OF FUNDING
Although Gainesville and Alachua County support the annexation, public safety officials say they are not pleased the issue has re-emerged.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office and the International Association of Fire Fighters, a local union branch, have protested against the annexation both times it has been proposed.
Lt. Stephen Maynard, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said that if the annexation were to pass, tax cuts to the county would decrease funding for law enforcement. But the office would not look into cutting jobs, he said.
He said the Sheriff's Office might decide to actively protest the annexation. For now, he said, he urges residents to know the facts and research the issue.
Roger Cox, president of the local union branch No. 3852 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said the group also opposes the annexation because it could cut county funding and leave county firefighters out of work.
"You can't support something that is going to harm your members," he said.
Although Gainesville and Alachua County have agreed that if the referendum passes, Alachua County Fire Rescue will answer rescue calls for the area for the next 2.5 years, Cox said the contract is postponing the issue.
"(The contract) is a good thing," he said. "We just need to get some longevity to it. What really helps is a long-term agreement."
A SMOOTH TRANSITION
Though the annexation would take away some county tax income, Alachua County officials have stated that they support it.
Rodney Long, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, said if the referendum passes, the city would take over certain services the county once provided.
That means the county will not have to invest as much money in the area, balancing some of the loss of revenue, Long said.
He said that as long as there is a smooth transition of services from the county to the city, there should be no problems. "We're not opposed to annexation as long as it's orderly," he said.
He said the county also supports the annexation of other areas, such as county land in the area of East Gainesville.
"It makes sense for those areas that are dense to be within the city limits of Gainesville," he said.
STILL IN THE DARK
News of the referendum hasn't reached everyone.
Linda Truong, a nutritional science junior at UF and resident of Kensington North, said she had no idea she didn't live within city limits.
"I'm shocked," Truong said. "So where do I live? On my address, it's Gainesville, Fla."
She said unless the city lets residents know about the plans, no one will understand what the issue is when they go to the polls.
The sample ballot for the Nov. 4 election asks voters to mark if they are for or against the annexation but gives no other explanation.
"What the hell does annexation mean?" Truong said.
Tiffany Buckridge, the property manager of Southwest Villas, said she was aware of the push for annexation but didn't understand how it would affect the complex's residents.
Buckridge said she was aware of neither the increase in taxes nor the GRU fee reduction for residents, who she said complain about the utility bills often.
Pinetree Gardens leasing specialist Soner Acar said he thought the annexation would pass if residents - especially students - were informed.
Acar said he thought the city should spread the word by handing out fliers, making phone calls or holding an informational panel at UF to help voters make a more informed choice.
"I think it's just important to educate people and for them to know what they're voting for," he said.
