Welcome, community! If you did not read the Action Alert from 4/22/24, please do so now. It will give you the background on the public utilities (GRU) referendum that the LWV of Alachua County supports wholeheartedly.
The first of two required readings of the ordinance to repeal Article 7, which created the GRU Authority, will happen at the city commission meeting on May 16 at 1:00 p.m., in City Hall. To approve the ordinance and place it as a referendum on the November 5, 2024 ballot, six of seven city commissioners must vote in favor. To get those votes, it is important for the city commissioners to know that the community supports the referendum. This will allow the voters to decide. The LWV has a strong stance that home rule is served when local officials govern our local utility. Some may disagree. Either way, the voters can decide in November if the referendum is on the ballot. Ask the commissioners to vote “yes” on the ordinance.
The actions for this week follow:
- If at all possible, attend the May 16 city commission meeting at 1 p.m. in City Hall. You do not have to speak. Being at the meeting speaks for itself.
- Write to the mayor and commissioners with CityComm [at] cityofgainesville.org (this address) and let them know that you are in favor of a “yes” vote on the ordinance and letting the voters decide on the November 5 ballot referendum.
- Using the buttons at the top of this article (see screenshot below), send this Action Alert page to five friends or a group. Maybe a book club, a pickleball group, a neighborhood association, or friends and family. Ask them to set a reminder on their calendar to check the Action Alert page each Tuesday through the election season.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. Thank you for participating.
Janice Garry
LWV of Alachua County President
