BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At a Budget Workshop on May 8, the Gainesville City Commission heard preliminary budget presentations from the Charter Offices and internal support departments. City Manager Cynthia Curry said the budget gap for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) has “crept up some” from the $5.3 million gap that was shared on March 27; the presentation covered expenditures that amount to 15% of the estimated budget for FY26, but the projected increases add up to 83% of the projected increases in revenue.
Executive Chief of Staff Cintya Ramos explained that the current FY26 estimated General Fund budget is $162.0 million, $6.6 million or 4.2% higher than the FY25 adopted budget. The budget estimate reinstates funding for 20 police officers and a Grant Program Specialist in the Department of Financial Services, reinstates fleet fixed expenses to support vehicle replacement, maintains the same number of employees as FY25, and includes a 3% raise for employees…