The Right Time to Buy?
After looking at five houses in the past several months, Matt and Carrie Geiger made an offer on a home in the Ashton neighborhood in Gainesville a day after it came on the market. They were motivated to buy in the neighborhood near Carrie Geiger's job at Talbot Elementary School and wanted a neighborhood with less traffic after having their second child. The seller was motivated to sell after getting a job transfer. The sale closed a week and a half ago for $340,000. Matt Geiger, who works in the Alachua County Tax Collector's Office, figures they bought the house at about market value - it appraised for $345,000 - but still below the $360,000 to $370,000 that houses in the area were selling for a year or two ago, he said.
Click Here>>
 
Tax Breaks Attract Business
Property tax rebates approved by the voters and adopted by the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners have helped attract significant businesses to the area, said Lake City-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jim Poole. "It's the least costly incentive for the biggest bang," Poole said. While the county taxing authority provides some enterprises with property tax relief through rebates, property taxes levied by the School Board, the Lake Shore Hospital Authority and the Suwannee River Water Management District are not rebated, according to the Florida law that created the incentive for business growth.
Click Here>> 
 
Customers Bracing for Progress Rate Hike
When James McAlister stopped working for General Motors and planned his retirement before moving to Florida, he knew the cost of living would increase. He anticipated his food bill would go up, as well as the cost for clothing and the cost to maintain his Lady Lake home. But some costs are getting to be far greater than the former Michigan resident said he ever predicted before moving here four years ago: namely the cost of electricity. Next month, the 73-year-old McAlister will brace to learn whether the Florida Public Service Commission agrees to Progress Energy's request to hike monthly rates an average of $15.87 to cover its increasing fuel expenses and environmental improvements that it's making to its existing power plants.
Click Here>> 
 
Business Leaders Meet to Discuss Local Economy
Business diversity is needed to bring Marion County out of its economic slump and prepare it for the future. To do that, however, requires development of industrial property and better communication between government and industry. That was the consensus of the 100 business and government leaders who attended Wednesday's economic summit sponsored by the Ocala/Marion County Economic Development Corp. The summit was called to address Marion County's 8.5 percent unemployment rate and the faltering local economy.
Click Here>> 
 
Munroe Makes Tax Move
In hopes of eventually getting public money to help pay for its operations, the Munroe Regional Medical Center's board and the Hospital District's Board of Trustees on Monday night voted to ask the Legislature to amend the special act that governs the hospital to make Munroe independent of the county. The vote was for a procedural change that could open the way for taxes to be levied to support the hospital, which is struggling financially. The vote did not deal with any possible tax that could be levied in the future to fund the hospital.
Click Here>> 
 
Commission Gives Positive Review of Employees
Alachua County Manager Randall Reid got largely excellent reviews but also some criticism in evaluations presented Tuesday by the County Commission. Neither Reid nor County Attorney Dave Wagner, who also got his evaluation Tuesday, got a raise. Instead, they will get the same $500 bonus that was given to all county employees in lieu of raises because of budget cuts.
Click Here>> 
 
Natural Gas Rates to Drop Next Month; Electric Rates Unchanged
The rates for natural gas will decline at Gainesville Regional Utilities next month, but electric rates will remain the same. GRU adjusts the fuel charge rate on utility bills monthly to reflect the market rate for natural gas and coal burned in the power plants. The monthly savings for natural gas will be $2.50 for a typical customer who uses 35 therms of natural gas. However, while the price for natural gas has declined, the cost of coal has remained high. About 70 percent of the electricity produced by GRU comes from burning coal; thus, the electricity fuel adjustment rate will remain the same in November.
Click Here>> 
 
Do Lake's Growth Leaders Have Clear Vision?
A recently completed audit of Lake County's Department of Growth Management faulted the department for lacking a mission and vision statement, criticisms denounced sharply by the county manager. In the report, Internal Audit Director Dennis Grey suggested the lack of a strategic plan places the county at risk, especially in difficult times such as now when national and local economies have slowed dramatically. "Management's inability to look to the future and respond in a coordinated manner promotes inefficiency, provides a catalyst for uncertainty, and potentially loss of revenue or a decrease in necessary programs," Grey wrote. "Winds blow from different directions but we need to be able to keep on track, pressing forward, and determined on the direction we're heading in order to achieve a visionary future."
Click Here>> 
 
Home Sales Increase In Lake County
After a tough year in the housing market, realtors say sales are picking up slowly but surely. Realtors said sales are up this month by 12 percent. They said the reason is because more people are taking advantage of the housing slump. Officials said it's become more affordable, especially for first-time homebuyers, to buy a house because prices are lower than they've been in years. However, many in the area are still facing foreclosures, and county officials said they want to try and remedy that problem soon.
Click Here>> 

 

BANCF Calendar of Events
Click Here>>