Finance Friday – Where your tax dollar goes

Published on July 21, 2023

As the Gainesville City Commission continues to make decisions to shape the budget for the next fiscal year, this breakdown helps explain how your tax dollars would be spent.

About 45¢ of each dollar would fund public safety — our police and fire who respond to life safety emergencies.

Another 25¢ would pay for parks, transportation, housing and other services that add to Gainesville’s quality of life, and directly impact the people we serve.

The 21¢ labeled “non-departmental” would not fund city departments. This money would go to combined communications — that’s the area 911 center — and to help fund art and community organizations, GRACE Marketplace and other groups the city supports. Part of this money is also used to pay down debt.

The final 9¢ would fund administrative services like budget development, human resources, technology support, legal, auditing and financial services.

More information about the City of Gainesville budget process and timeline is available online.