The city has avoided raising property taxes in favor of adjustments such as higher fines for parking tickets and false burglary alarms.
A parking ticket will cost $20 instead of $15, and the second false burglary alarm will now cost $60, up from $26.25, said Bob Woods, spokesman for the City of Gainesville.
In addition to the increased fines, the city resolved a $7.1 million deficit with budget cuts to city departments. The budget year begins Oct. 1.
A proposed cut to reduce the budget for cultural activities by 10 percent was voted down by the City Commission. Funding for the Hippodrome State Theatre will remain at its current level.
City Commissioner Jack Donovan said one of the largest cuts reduced the annual pay raise of city employees.
City employees typically receive an annual raise of 3 percent, he said. For next year, that number has been reduced to 1 percent, saving the city $900,000.
The city saved an additional $900,000 by delaying the construction of a new fire station.
The opening of the station was pushed back to the end of 2010, after the next fiscal year, he said.
One city employee will be laid off due to budget changes, but a number of vacant positions will remain available, Donovan said.
In addition, the city will offer early retirement to employees with more than 17 years of service. Normally, city retirement benefits are awarded after 20 years.
If any employees choose to retire early, the city would not immediately seek to fill their vacancies, a process that could save $340,000, Donovan said.
Rather than close the city-owned Ironwood golf course, which Donovan said will incur $750,000 in losses next year, the commission voted to increase the green fees by $5 per round.
The city now has a balanced budget. The proposed millage rate, which determines how much landowners pay in property tax, will not increase, Donovan said.
