Key Points
Gainesville’s referendum over utility control drew 7,588 votes heading into the final day of voting on Tuesday.
The votes came from early voting (3,523) and vote-by-mail (4,065). It represents a 9% turnout, according to the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office (SOE).
SOE also reported that 5,267 of the voters were registered with the Democratic Party, versus 1,241 with the Republican Party, 954 with no party affiliation and 126 listed as other.
In 2024, the Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) referendum totaled 54,256 votes, with 72% in favor of returning control of the utility to the City Commission. It was also an election year, which typically boosts turnout.
Tuesday’s voting will happen at all precincts within Gainesville’s city limits. Polls will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
While a judge denied a temporary injunction last week, GRU officials plan to file an Emergency Writ to Preserve Jurisdiction after the election finishes Tuesday night.
If approved by the Florida First District Court of Appeals, the motion would keep the GRU Authority in charge until the courts settle questions raised during the first referendum, like whether the City Commission has the power to issue a referendum that undoes an action by the Florida Legislature.
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In DeSantis’ Florida, how many times does the will of the voters get thwarted?
The voters elected time and time again an irresponsible city commission who wrecked the financial health of the GRU
The only thing that stands between insolvency of the GRU is state control.
WHY AM I NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE FOR THIS BECAUSE I RESIDE OUTSIDE GNV MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES? NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! I PAY OVER 500 USD IN UTILITIES AND 150 USD IS ACTUALLY ELECTRIC AND WATER. THE REST TAXES, SURCHARGES, ETC. THIS SHIT HAS GOT TO STOP.
This issue was decided, and now we pay more to decide again? Thanks Flori-duh. Corrupt leaders are turning legitimate, clearly decided votes into a country song: What Part of No Don’t You Understand? P.S. they don’t understand yes either, until the boss says so. No guts, no glory, no democracy. Bye Felicia.
You’ve got to hand it to the GRU Authority — they’ve managed to do what no one else could: make a public utility go viral. Between record-setting CEO salaries, vanishing employees, and social media posts that make you check twice it’s not a parody account, you’d think someone slipped a Netflix camera crew into City Hall. Meanwhile, the folks actually keeping the lights on are being told to “do more with less,” (actual quote from many internal meetings with leadership) while the top brass seem to be doing “less for more.” You can’t make this stuff up, though someone clearly tried. Now the big question was: did we want our power company run by people who think “engagement” means arguing with citizens on Facebook, or by the people Gainesville actually elected to represent us? The only shame is, what might have been a positive change with the GRU Authority is being lost in the noise created by the lame horse they hitched their wagon to. That lame horses name was Ed. Either way, maybe someone should start metering the ego output… It’s clearly the hottest energy source in town.
At least GRU is completely managed now
Under the control of Hsi Seville the child line local politicians used it as their piggy bank to fund pet wasteful projects and indulged radical delusional ideas about clean energy that repute on a billion dollar wasted unworking facility