by Susan Bottcher
As you’ve heard, there will be a Special Election this coming November to repeat the GRU governance referendum from last year. Everyone thought that this was a done deal, and it should have been. After all, a historic turnout (70%) of voters for that city referendum issued the mandate (73% Yes) that we demand to retain control of our locally owned public utility.
The Authority board and newly minted CEO of GRU, Ed Bielarksi, were shaken at the prospect of losing their power (and in Bielarski’s case, losing his $300K/year salary – the largest of any city employee in history, but I again digress) so the lawsuits began to fly.
Long story short, several back-and-forth legal maneuvers later a judge agreed that the city has the right and ability to amend its charter. He however also ruled that in his view the ballot language of the 2024 referendum was misleading. This meant we could re-do the referendum provided we correct the ballot language.
So, with strong public support, your city commissioners again decided to hold another referendum vote and to do so quickly. The ballot language was amended, and we now have a Special Election this coming November 4. You can make your voices heard again: Abolish DeSantis’ Authority board and return GRU to local control.
The task ahead of us is clear, but we still face challenges. Here is what you can do: First, mark your calendar for this Special Election on Nov. 4. This referendum will be the only item on your ballot.
Second, decide now on whether you will vote on Election Day, show up during Early Voting (EV) or Vote By Mail (VBM). If you want to vote on Election Day you will vote at your usual precinct polling place.
If you chose EV, note it will only be for three days: Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and 2. That’s it. There will only be two EV sites: Supervisor of Elections (SoE) office 515 N. Main Street and the Millhopper Library on NW 43rd Street.
If you’ve been a regular VBM voter, make sure you request to get a Special Election ballot. You must do that by going to VoteAlachua.com and click on Vote By Mail link. It will then open a red link to Sign Up to Vote By Mail. Then navigate to the window that allows you to choose your VBM ballot for the Special Election. If you have problems or questions, call the SoE office at 352-334-5252.
Finally, consider contributing to our campaign. Unfortunately, this is the nature of the beast that is campaigning. The opposition never fights fair so we must have the resources to correct the record and ensure Gainesville voters get to the polls. Please visit our website KeepGNVLocal.com and donate online at secure.actblue.com/donate/localpublicutilities
You can also request a yard sign or sign up to volunteer for this campaign.
We greatly appreciate everyone’s tenacity and support over the years as we fight again to keep GRU local. We won’t back down! All over Florida and the U.S. we are seeing the brutish overreach of the Republicans as they trample peoples’ rights and attempt to dismantle norms and institutions. We refuse to roll over on this local issue. We know we can and will win this third round with GRU as long as everyone stands with us, for this third time, as we tell Ron DeSantis and the Florida Republicans, “No!”