- Eliminating property taxes would reduce Newberry’s budget by $2.2 to $2.5 million, about 20% of its general fund, according to Mayor Tim Marden.
- Alachua County’s budget could drop by $24 million, leaving $21 million for mandatory services like Medicaid and elections, said Manager Michele Lieberman.
- Harvest Singularity will break ground on $66 million hydroponic greenhouses in Newberry’s AgFoodTech Park on May 26, creating 90 jobs each.
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held its first joint meeting with the Newberry City Commission from the city’s new City Hall on Monday and discussed property tax cuts, Newberry’s role in the Forward Focus initiative and AgFoodTech updates.
As the BOCC has done in its other joint meetings with Alachua County municipalities, staff presented potential impacts to the city and county if the state’s proposal to eliminate property taxes is approved. Voters will see the constitutional amendment on ballots in November.
Mayor Tim Marden said the removal would set Newberry back $2.2 to $2.5 million, around 20% of the city’s general fund budget…