City & County Commission Reporter Olivia Lofaso is a senior journalism student at UF and the Fall 2026 City and County Commission reporter, a role she previously held during the summer. She enjoys gushing about her cocker spaniels to anyone who will listen and playing the cello in her free time.
The Gainesville City Commission voted Thursday to eliminate roam towing and booting throughout the city. The ordinance must pass an additional vote before it can take effect.
Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered the removal of automated license plate readers from state roads Aug. 30. Law enforcement agencies in Florida have until Sept. 30 to remove them.
The Trump administration published a proposal Wednesday that would no longer count immigrants without legal residency in the 2030 U.S. census. The proposed change would also exclude immigrants in the country under temporary lawful protections.
The Trump administration published a proposal Wednesday that would no longer count immigrants without legal residency in the 2030 U.S. census. The proposed change would also exclude immigrants in the country under temporary lawful protections.
After four months of debate and concerns about risks to state funding, the Alachua County Commission passed a resolution Aug. 11 opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the county.
Después de cuatro meses de debate y preocupaciones por los riesgos para la financiación estatal, el Comisionado del Condado de Alachua firmó una resolución el 11 de agosto en contra de operaciones del Servicio de Control de Inmigración y Aduanas en el país.
The Gainesville City Commission unanimously approved renovation plans on Thursday for the T.B. McPherson Center, a recreational complex in southeast Gainesville.
The Alachua County Commission approved a residential and agricultural development at its Tuesday meeting, passing it to the state for review. The commission also requested information about alleged data sharing by Flock Safety cameras in the county.
If you ask about local politics in Gainesville and Alachua County, many will likely describe the area as a “blue dot in a sea of red.”
In June, the Florida Legislature passed the "Save our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” joint resolution, a proposal to amend the state’s non-school homestead tax exemption from $50,000 to $150,000.
Gainesville City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker speaks at a community meeting in East Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Solutions by The State News
