Strategic Guide

On Sept. 9, 2025, the Alachua County Commission approved a new Strategic Guide. It guides how the county allocates resources, makes decisions, and measures progress on the issues the commission has identified as most important. It features 10 focus areas with actionable objectives.

The Strategic Guide is the product of a months-long effort led by the County Commission with the support of county staff. Through strategic planning workshops, departmental reviews, advisory board input, and community engagement, the commission established a clear vision for the county's future. While the Strategic Guide may receive minor updates over time, major revisions typically occur every 5 to 10 years, making this a lasting framework that will guide county operations into the next decade.

Why This Matters

The Strategic Guide is an important reflection of Alachua County's values, specifically accountability and communication. Here's what it does:

• Budget priorities - Resources will be allocated based on the priorities established by the commission.
• Measurable progress - The county will track and report on specific goals in each priority area.
• Transparency - The public plan allows residents to hold the county accountable for results.

How the County Engaged the Community

In addition to two community workshops, over 545 residents participated in a community survey in April 2025, and the input helped shape the County Commission's decisions. The top priorities identified were:

• Transportation - Better roads, traffic solutions, and connectivity (64% of respondents).
• Emergency Services - Continued excellence in fire, rescue, and emergency response (46% of respondents).
• Parks and Recreation - Maintaining and expanding our natural spaces and recreational opportunities (40% of respondents).
• Environmental Protection - Preserving what makes Alachua County special (38% of respondents).

We also heard about community concerns with affordable housing, community services, and sustainable growth management.

What's Next

The creation and approval of the Strategic Guide is just the first part. Now there must be follow-through with an implementation process. Over the course of the next few months, departments will identify the specific projects, services, and deliverables for advancing the County Commission's strategic priorities. Part of these activities will include establishing clear measures to track progress, enhance public reporting, and ensure accountability - feeding into continuous internal and external feedback loops.

How to Stay Involved

This process requires ongoing communication, which is why we are establishing a feedback loop:

• County staff will present updates to the commission, which allows both board feedback and community feedback through the public comment process.
• Visit the Community Engage Hub to learn about the various activities aligned to the Strategic Guide and sign up for notifications on any of the pages of interest.
• Sign up for the Alachua County Mailing List to be notified about engagement opportunities and other community-related information.

The goal is to continue refining the process to achieve long-term positive change.

Have questions? Contact us through the Contact Us page.

The Transparency Portal provides a link to published performance measures for county departments.