City Council looks at setting up TAD committee, policies

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville City Council considered setting up policies and procedures to administer the Midtown Tax Allocation District Thursday.
Consultant Kenneth Bleakly said that included setting up a nine member advisory committee that would decide what projects should and should not get tax allocation money for redeveloping Midtown.

"This process we're going through now sets up tbe procedures the city will follow in evaluating proposals," Bleakly said.

That nine member committee includes two county commissioners,two city school board members,the Gainesville mayor, a chamber of commerce representative, a banker and a realtor.
Bleakly said if approved the project gets TAD financing, but only if the developer can show solid private funding.

"The money comes at the end of the process," Bleakly said. "They (the developers)have to produce all their private equity and private capital and debt for the project."
"If they are unable to put all that together you don't go forward with the project."

THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR MAYOR

Gainesville City Councilman George Wangemann said he expects Council to look at allowing the voters to choose the mayor instead of rotating the post among council members.
Wangemann said it would involve a city charter change that would have to get state legislative approval.

"This is not my government, it's not any council member's government, it's the government of the people," Wangemann said.

Wangemann added the change in choosing Gainesville's mayor might take one or two years; it should come up for discussion at the next two council work sessions.