GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gainesville's mayor and the head of the city’s utility company debated late Tuesday on who should control GRU going forward, ahead of an election next week that may settle the matter.
The election on Tuesday will decide whether to abolish the state-appointed Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority, established by the Republican-led Legislature to operate it. The move in 2023 took control over the utility away from the Gainesville commission, made up entirely of Democrats. GRU – made up of five board members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis – controls rates and how much money is sent from the utility to the city’s coffers.
Voters last year overwhelmingly approved a measure 72-13 to return control of the utility to the city, but a judge threw out that election in a challenge over the language on the ballot.
Only utility customers who live inside the city limits can vote in Tuesday’s election though it serves some customers outside the city’s boundaries.
The debate pitted Mayor Harvey Ward against the chief executive of the utility authority, Ed Bielarski, who lost the 2022 mayoral election 57-43 to Ward. The arguments were civil between the men and stayed away from any personal criticisms.
Bielarski, who is registered as a voter not affiliated with any political party, said he believes the utility should continue without city control. The mayor was adamant that control over the utility should belong to the city, a progressive college town home to the University of Florida where Republicans have struggled for years to win elections.
The five members of the utility authority are appointed to four-year terms. In Gov. DeSantis’ last election, in 2022, Alachua County was one of only five of Florida’s 67 counties to vote for his Democratic rival.
The mayor said it was easier for voters in Gainesville to influence elected members of the local city commission than appointments by the governor in Tallahassee.
“ You don't get any say in hiring and firing of the GRU authority,” the mayor said. “That doesn't make them bad people, but it means you don't have any choice in who governs your property.”
The Legislature voted to take control of the utility after years of complaints about its mismanagement, excessive debt and high electrical rates, which have been among the highest-priced in the state.
Bielarski, appointed by DeSantis, disputed the mayor’s arguments that the State of Florida was running the utility.
“ I don't know the governor, never talked to the governor. There's very little state involvement,” he said. “The only thing that I've gotten involved in is whoever they've appointed to the board.”
Bielarski said his main goal was to make the utility a “customer-first” business.
“ We're No. 14 in the state,” he said. “We're within $4 or $5 from having the average electric price be at the middle of the state.”
Bielarski said Gainesville’s rates were cheaper than prices charged by nearby utility Clay Electric Co-Operative, which serves some parts of Alachua County outside the city’s limits. But rate sheets published by both utilities show Clay Electric was slightly cheaper per-kilowatt hour for residential customers.
The mayor also complained about high prices for water service charged by the city’s utility since it’s been under state control.
“ Your water bill just went up. We talk a lot about electricity, I think a lot more about water,” he said. “Somebody will sell us power. If our water system goes bad, we’ve got a problem.”
One person in the audience asked how Bielarski will manage differently than he has in the past. He cited lowering prices, which he said he would be unable to do under the city’s control.
“ We've had a mandate which has resulted in us being able to go from $156 a month to $137,” he said. “We've also been able to explore options we couldn't under the commission.”
Ward said moving control over the utility back to the city commission would be good for Gainesville in the future.
“ This should not be about today,” he said. “What we need to be thinking about is what do you want the governance of this utility to be tomorrow and five years from now and 10 years from now, and 50 years from now for 100 years or more?”
Mail ballots have been available for Tuesday’s election since last week. Early voting starts Friday and runs through the weekend.
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