Commission directs attorney to draft charter amendment to seek voter repeal of Article 7, moving to restore local control of GRU

The Gainesville City Commission on May 20 voted 6–1 to direct the city attorney to draft proposed language for a charter amendment that would remove Article 7—which created the state‑appointed Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority—and return governance of GRU to locally elected officials. Commissioners said the step responds to a circuit‑court order that found the ballot language for last year’s referendum contained a drafting flaw.

Janice Gary of the League of Women Voters of Alachua County opened public comment with a summary of the recent legal and political history: the 2018 local ballot defeat of a state authority, the 2023 state law creating the board, votes in November 2024 reversing the authority, and subsequent litigation in which a judge upheld the city’s home‑rule power but found last year’s ballot language misleading in one respect. “We ask you today … to begin the process of sending a referendum with edited language to eliminate Article 7 from the city charter,” Gary said.

Several community groups urged the commission to act quickly. Maryvonne Devinsky of the Sierra Club and leaders from labor and local civic organizations urged a special election this year. Dr. Bobby Murmur of the Alachua County Labor Coalition cited the circuit court order and asked the commission to place a corrected referendum on the ballot as soon as possible.

Commission debate considered timing and risks. Some commissioners preferred holding a special election this fall to give voters a prompt opportunity to reaffirm their earlier vote; others expressed a preference for aligning the measure with a higher‑turnout November election in 2026 to maximize participation. City Attorney briefed the commission on the court order: the trial judge granted the city summary judgment on its home‑rule argument but found the 2024 ballot language flawed because it did not explicitly say that authority appointees were “appointed,” a fix the judge noted would have cured the problem.

After discussion, Commissioner Bristol Eastman moved to direct the city attorney to draft an amendment deleting Article 7 and amending language consistent with the judicial ruling. The motion, as refined on the floor to allow staff scheduling flexibility to work with the supervisor of elections, passed 6–1 with Commissioner Chestnut opposed.

Mayor Harvey Ward said the action would restart the city’s formal process to return control of GRU to locally elected leaders should voters approve the amendment. City staff told the commission they will coordinate quickly with the Supervisor of Elections to determine schedule options and provide draft language for the commission’s review. Several speakers urged the commission to move promptly and said they would again campaign to inform voters.

What’s next: The city attorney will prepare draft ordinance language reflecting the judge’s guidance and report back to the commission; the commission must pass any amendment ordinance twice before placing it on a ballot. Staff told the commission the supervisors of elections office indicated an early June deadline for language to appear on a November ballot if that schedule is chosen; commissioners also discussed the option of a special election earlier than November.