Welcome to the City of Gainesville, one of the finest college towns in the United States! We are very proud of our institutions of higher learning — also among the nation’s finest — and as Mayor I am committed to maintaining our strong partnerships with the University of Florida and Santa Fe College to offer you unique ways to enrich your experience.
In Gainesville, you will find many opportunities to expand your education beyond the classroom. In addition to great restaurants and hundreds of businesses oriented to students, Gainesville has impressive natural resources both in and around the city that are open to you.
Gainesville is ground zero for the Gator Nation.
As you embrace your student life, I challenge you to be fully engaged as a resident of this city by accepting the responsibilities that come with the many freedoms we enjoy. You can learn more about the local policies affecting you at http://www.cityofgainesville.org.
City Hall belongs to the people it serves, and I welcome your involvement and ideas that can make our city an even greater experience for us all.
Ed Braddy is the mayor of Gainesville. This guest column originally ran on page 8 on 8/14/2013 under the headline "Civic pride, duty starts with you"
