The City of Gainesville is located in North Central Florida, and is the county seat of Alachua County. The City was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1869. It encompasses an area of about 54 square miles, and is a home to 117,754 residents, according to the 2004 population estimate by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida. Gainesville is a beautiful and progressive city, a leader in promoting intelligent, sustainable growth. A dense canopy of trees justifies the description of Gainesville as a “city in a forest.” For the 21st consecutive year, the National Arbor Day Foundation honored Gainesville as a “Tree City USA.” Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the State’s leading research institution, and Santa Fe Community College, a provider of excellent professional and vocational education. Gainesville has one of the largest medical communities in the Southeast that includes Shands Hospital and North Florida Regional Medical Center, and is a center of commerce, art and culture in North Central Florida. The City of Gainesville has been operating under a Commission-Manager form of government since 1927. The City provides its residents with a wide variety of municipal services, including police and fire protection, comprehensive land use planning and zoning services, code enforcement, neighborhood improvement, parks and recreation, cultural affairs, and community redevelopment. Cultural opportunities, nature trails, parks, and recreation programs that include a championship golf course help make Gainesville one of the most livable cities in the nation. Gainesville provides refuse removal and recycling services through a contract with a franchised commercial operator. The City owns and operates a regional electric, water, wastewater, natural gas, and telecommunication utilities system. Gainesville also owns and operates a regional transit system that serves city residents, the University of Florida, and a portion of unincorporated Alachua County.  As of fiscal year 2005, the City of Gainesville has about 2,000 employees with an annual operating and capital budget of $203 million, excluding Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU). For more information about Gainesville, please visit our web site at www.cityofgainesville.org.