Welcome back to Fall in Gainesville! Yes, I know it’s technically still summer, and I know it’s still hot. It’s going to be this way for a bit, but I promise you there’s no better place to be right now than right here in the capital of The Gator Nation.
Gainesville is always a great place to be, but for me, the time between now and the end of the calendar year is magical. New neighbors come to town, everyone refocuses on what’s important and, yes, it’s football season. Speaking of which, let me wish a warm Gator welcome to Coach Sumrall!
I’m also happy to welcome UF’s new president, Stuart Bell, to our community. I appreciate the hard work the university’s Board of Trustees has put in to bring stability back to UF, and I look forward to working closely with Bell for the good of not only Gainesville, but all of Florida.
The most important thing I hope you’ll take away from reading this column is I’m glad you’re here. No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter the hue of your skin or the accent of your voice, no matter whose hand you hold or the clothes you wear, no matter how (or if) you vote, your mayor is glad you’ve chosen to be a part of Florida’s “Cultural Capital.”
Here at City Hall, we’re excited about partnerships we’ve been developing with Alachua County and UF Health. The Gainesville City Commission and I are bullish on East Gainesville, and we’re seeing our combined public investments begin to directly serve our neighbors who live there.
If you’re registered to vote in Gainesville — and I urge you to register if you haven’t already — I hope you’ll educate yourself on the candidates and issues and show up to cast your ballot. We’ll be choosing a U.S. senator and congressional representative and filling seats in the Florida House and Florida Senate this year.
The city of Gainesville team and many neighborhood and community groups have made great strides in lowering crime in our community. Crime — particularly violent crime — is down across the board in Gainesville. Further, through city partnerships with UF, the Florida Department of Transportation and Alachua County, our streets are markedly safer for pedestrians and cyclists. We are on track to have the fewest traffic injuries in many years.
If you’re downtown this Fall, please seek out the “Downtown Ambassadors” in yellow vests and ask them for help if you’re having trouble with, well, anything downtown-related. From directions to parking to security, they’re downtown to help you and everyone else have a great experience.
An important ask I have for you is if you find yourself as a driver or passenger on a city street and someone approaches you for a personal cash donation in traffic, please do not make that donation.
Instead, please make a donation online to a local nonprofit that serves their needs. Asking for donations in traffic is dangerous for everyone involved, and we are trying to make it safer for everyone. Your help in this situation makes a big difference.
As always, we all have a great deal of hard work to do for ourselves and our neighbors. As previous UF president Kent Fuchs said, “Hard work and joy are not mutually exclusive.” Frankly, if we can’t provide the opportunity for joyful experiences to accompany the hard work, we’ve failed as leaders.
To that end, I hope you will take part in all this city has to offer, from homecoming festivities to the city’s fourth annual holiday parade, from our outstanding parks, recreation and cultural affairs facilities and programming to our libraries. They’re all yours, because no matter how long you’ve been here or how long you’re staying, you’re our neighbor. It’s important to me that you know you belong in this community.
Whether you’ve been here in Gainesville for a few days or a few decades, whether you’re already looking for the exits or trying to put down roots, whether you’re a casual bystander or hip deep in local culture, you are a part of Gainesville’s story, and Gainesville is a part of yours.
And, once again, I’m glad you’re here.
Harvey Ward is the mayor of Gainesville.
