The Gainesville Ledger

Thursday, May 14, 2026

City

GRU Authority Board deadlocks on garbage and stormwater billing, may shift to tax collector

The GRU Authority Board split without a vote Wednesday on a proposal to hand off billing for stormwater and solid waste services to the Alachua County Tax Collector. GRU CEO Ed Bielarski told city leaders the authority board will not renew its current arrangement to bill for those services on the city’s behalf, likely forcing the city to use the tax collector’s office to meet a billing deadline. Tax Collector John Power attended the meeting and described his office’s capacity to absorb the additional line items onto residents’ annual tax bills.

Read both sides →

Sources: WCJB TV20 · Mainstreet Daily News

Alachua County officials split over proposal to address homeless youth housing

County Commissioner Ken Cornell has written to the Alachua County School Board requesting joint action on youth homelessness, including a review of vacant and underutilized school facilities for potential use in serving homeless students and families. While the letter stops short of explicitly calling for housing students in empty schools, some officials interpret it that way, creating a rift among local leaders. State data counts 920 unaccompanied homeless youth in the county, though Cornell and Children’s Trust of Alachua County leaders believe the true number is higher.

Read both sides →

Sources: WCJB TV20

In Brief

Windstream updates Alachua County on rural broadband expansion progress — The Gainesville Sun
Gainesville hires economic mobility manager with $354K federal grant — City of Gainesville

← Back to front page