At the June 4, 2019 Special Budget Meeting, County Manager Michele Lieberman presented the Fiscal Year 2020 Tentative Budget and her 2020 Budget Message to the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners.
In the Budget Message, Manager Lieberman said, “One of my most important duties is the presentation of the Tentative Budget and Budget Message for the County Commission’s consideration. It is a common refrain these days to hear that government should live within its means. The County does that by producing a balanced budget as mandated by Florida law. Unlike the Federal government, Alachua County cannot run deficits. Our budgeted expenditures will not exceed our revenues.” She continued saying, “With the vision of the Board at the forefront, your staff has spent an enormous amount of time weighing the available funding and the many competing needs for providing services to our community.”
Read the Budget MessageView the video of the Manager’s presentationRead the FY2020 Tentative Budget.
This year’s message highlights three initiatives and imperatives:
1. A Living Wage The Commission has expressed its policy of ensuring a living wage for all employees, with a goal of reaching $15.00 per hour. The recommended budget for FY20 includes an increase in the Local County Minimum Wage from $13.50 to $14.00 an hour.
2. Alachua County Agricultural & Equestrian CenterIt has long been a goal of the Commission to break ground on a new site for the Alachua County Fairgrounds. We are to purchasing the Canterbury site in Newberry to build the Alachua County Agricultural & Equestrian Center, which includes the Cooperative Extension Office and Community Center.
3. Addressing the County’s Critical Building NeedsMany of the County’s buildings have reached a critical stage that requires immediate action. It is imperative to provide facilities that allow staff an effective place from which to provide services and programs to our citizens. This budget provides the first step in the construction of a new administration building to consolidate much of the County’s downtown operations in a single location.
For more information, contact Communications Director Mark Sexton at 352-264-6979.
