Some residents on the east side of Gainesville are one step closer to becoming city residents ... rather than county.
Most of the people opposed to the idea had two issues with their land belonging to the city: The inability to have a more rural lifestyle and the possibility of higher taxes.
Now city officials say one, if not both of those problems, aren't really problems at all.
Commissioners passed the annexation ordinance in a second reading.
It will be on the November 10th ballot for voters in that area to determine if they want to become city residents.
City officials say the ballot will be mailed out to residents in the designated area... They say they'll begin an educational campaign to inform residents about the benefits to both living in the county and the city.