MediaUpdate

​Alachua County residents are invited to attend any of the three upcoming public information meetings about proposed updates to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for the Waccasassa Basin and surrounding areas.

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​College officials partnered with Alachua County and CareerSource North Central Florida to launch a new “Heavy Diesel Mechanic Training and Certification program.”

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​Alachua County Animal Resources is waiving adoption fees for the remainder of August, extending its Summer Lovin’ event after 116 pets found forever homes on Saturday.

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​With school starting back up next week, Alachua County Public Works reminds drivers about school bus safety.

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​This year, Animal Resources is teaming up with the University of Florida student chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians to help clear the shelter and open space for more animals who need a safe place.

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​Alachua County Public Works sent a reminder to drivers about school bus safety as area schools return on Monday.

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​Alachua County residents are invited to attend a Comprehensive Plan update workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 12, that will set a long-term vision for the county.

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​The Alachua County Public Works Department would like to remind all residents of the importance of sharing the roadway so that all road users can arrive at their locations safely.

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​The Alachua County Commission will conduct its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. The meeting is in the Jack Durrance Auditorium on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 SE 1st St., Gainesville). The daytime meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. The evening meeting is at 5 p.m.

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​The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) was scheduled to discuss the maps at its Aug. 12 meeting, but county spokesperson Mark Sexton said an administrative decision postponed the item.  

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​As the new school year begins, the Alachua County Public Works Department would like to share some tips for parents, guardians, and kids on bicycle safety.

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​Alachua County is excited to announce that the 2025 World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships has been named a finalist for a 2025 SportsTravel Award in the Best Amateur Sports Event category.

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​Alachua County’s Cuscowilla Nature and Retreat Center has concluded its 2025 summer camp season after seven weeks of outdoor activities, environmental education, and community engagement.

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​The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) directed its staff on Tuesday to move forward with the idea and bring back more concrete details for how the agreement would work.

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​Alachua County is the latest government agency to receive a letter from Florida DOGE requesting a large number of documents and site access

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​Alachua County will undergo a similar audit as the city of Gainesville by the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia informed County Commission Chair Charles "Chuck" Chestnut IV in an Aug. 1 letter that the DOGE team will visit the county's offices Aug. 13-14.

"Over the last four years, the taxpayers of Alachua County have watched as your county government has increased annual budgeted spending from the General Fund by over $80 million, and spending from other funds by approximately $200 million," Ingoglia wrote.​

​Ingoglia asserted that the funds spent by the county were "supported in part by over $50 million in increased annual property tax burdens on property owners."

Alachua County spokesperson Mark Sexton told The Sun that the county received the letter on Aug. 4. He said staff were informed on Aug. 5 of DOGE's impending visit and that the county is ready to cooperate.

​"Alachua County prides itself on being completely open and transparent to all requests for information and that certainly extends to the state of Florida when they want to take a look at what we're doing," Sexton said.

DOGE is requesting information from the county regarding procurement and contracting including contracts in excess of $10,000, personnel compensation, management practices, DEI, the county's goals for the Green New Deal — which identifies any goals or targets for carbon or emissions reduction that have been adopted — grants and other financial management and homeless services.

​Additionally, DOGE requested interviews with the county's sustainability manager, contracts/grants administrator, language access and immigrant inclusion specialist.

"Governor DeSantis has charged us, through Florida’s DOGE effort, to identify and report on this type of excessive spending at the city and municipal level," Ingoglia said. "In follow-up to our July 11, 2025 letter requesting information linking your county’s sources of revenue to its expenditures, the DOGE team has identified additional information needed for our review."

​In February, DeSantis created the Florida DOGE through Executive Order 25-44 to ensure government efficiency, transparency, and accountability at all levels of government, including state agencies, state colleges and universities and local governments.

​The governor and Ingoglia announced on July 22 that the city of Gainesville and Broward County would be the first to be audited by the DOGE teams on July 31 and Aug. 1. Since then, other municipalities including the cities of Jacksonville and St. Petersburg, and Manatee and Orange counties also have been targeted.

​At a meeting on Tuesday, County Manager Michele Lieberman informed the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) that the audit would happen. She said county staff met that morning to discuss a plan. 

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​Maronda Homes, LLC has filed a request to rezone 73 acres just off Southwest 13th Street in Alachua County to make way for 134 single-family homes. The site, while privately owned, borders the northwest edge of Paynes Prairie, a protected ecosystem known for its scenic vistas and rich biodiversity.

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​Santa Fe College, in partnership with Alachua County and CareerSource North Central Florida, is launching a new heavy diesel mechanic training and certification program aimed at strengthening the region’s skilled labor force and supporting long-term economic development.

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