June 15, 2024

Dear Members,

I love being the bearer of good news. And there’s plenty to share. For starters, on May 23, we had an energizing and fun in-person Annual Meeting. Then, on June 5, we had an informative, dynamic presentation and conversation about county elections and the question of at-large or single-member districts.

A sterling ad hoc committee is weighing the information to decide how the League will communicate the choices to the public if the matter is approved for the November ballot. If you would like to hear their report, attend the June 25 board meeting at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Just send me an email and I’ll add you to the notification list. There’s been good news on the public utility (GRU) referendum, too.

City commissioners voted unanimously to put an ordinance on the November ballot to allow voters to decide whether a governor-appointed board or local elected officials should govern our utility. After a technical glitch, the ordinance must go through the process again, but another unanimous vote has put us a step closer. The final vote comes on June 18. Per Commissioner Bryan Eastman, the commission received “tons” of emails supporting the referendum. This is what democracy looks like.

Finally, I am thrilled to tell you that we have a new chair for our Voter Services Committee: Dillon Boatner. Dillon takes the position with several years of League experience and deep knowledge of voting processes. I can't imagine a better person to guide us through this election season. Congratulations to Dillon! Scroll down for details.

Please set your calendars to check the Action Alert page on the League website each Tuesday. We will be posting brief bits of information and actions to take on important issues through the election season. Additionally, scroll down for what the League is doing and how you can help.

Please also note, the Board of Directors will take the customary summer break. There will be no board meeting in July.

info [at] lwv-alachua.org