Less than a week into his term, Mayor Craig Lowe said he is expecting some of the toughest budget decisions in decades. Nevertheless, he still has high hopes for Gainesville by planning to improve the economic, environmental and neighborhood development.
Lowe’s first goal is to prepare for the upcoming budget discussions, which he is doing by evaluating programs’ costs and benefits, he said.
He also wants to partner with the Alachua County School Board to “see if we can work to improve student achievement in the school system.”
While Lowe said he can’t please everybody, especially with tough problems, there are benefits to being mayor, too.
“You do get to make a difference in the community that you love,” he said.
Lowe said he views his job as “a challenge and an opportunity to serve the community,” and as a way to practice what he learned from being a city commissioner.
“I can’t imagine what it would be like assuming the office of mayor without serving as commissioner,” he said.
