The Gainesville City Commission voted to hold a special election over the GRU referendum, install new red light cameras and discussed Citizens Field at a meeting Thursday.
The GRU referendum
The Gainesville City Commission voted 6-1 in favor of a November special election.
The GRU Authority, which consists of members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, has managed the city's utility since 2023. In June 2024, the Gainesville City Commission approved an ordinance that placed a referendum on the November 2024 ballot.
Referendums allow citizens to vote on single political issues. The commission voted to create a referendum amending the Gainesville city charter, allowing them to circumvent the state ruling.
The referendum passed in November, with 72% of residents voting to return control of the utility to the city.
It was later blocked by a judge on April 2, who ruled the referendum could be misleading because the bill’s language was unclear.
Thursday’s vote wasn’t originally on the agenda, but after over a dozen citizens urged the commission to draft a new referendum during public comment, the commission decided to vote.
Members of local organizations, including Gainesville Residents United and the Alachua County Labor Coalition, attended and voiced support for a new referendum. One was 37-year-old Gainesville resident and Gainesville Residents United president, Bobby Mermer.
“Last year, this commission said that they would always act and work to ensure that the people of Gainesville have a voice,” Mermer said. “Honor that sentiment from last year and vote to put another referendum on the ballot.”
Nearly a dozen citizens offered public comment on the GRU authority board, including David Hastings, a 68-year-old Gainesville resident. Hastings said the majority of voters he spoke to wanted the city to control the utility, citing increased accountability because commissioners can be voted out.
“The City of Gainesville has owned their utility for over 100 years,” Hastings said. “Rather than the profits for that utility going to investors, instead it comes back to the city.”
Many commissioners supported a new referendum, but some were concerned about the cost of a special election.
Mayor Harvey Ward said he was concerned about the potential cost of a special election and voter turnout.
“I don’t like off-cycle elections,” Ward said. “Having more people show up to vote is a good thing.”
Ward said he believes they needed to vote on the issue again, but he would rather it be placed on the ballot in Fall 2026 to open the issue to as many voters as possible.
Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut seconded Ward, saying she also preferred the vote take place during an election cycle for cost efficiency and voter turnout.
“I support putting the issue back on the ballot, but the issue is when,” Chestnut said. “My concern is with the special election at a cost of about $200,000 to $225,000.”
Commissioner Chestnut was the sole opposition to the motion for a special election.
The commission will now need to draft the new referendum and approve its wording before November.
Red light cameras
The City of Gainesville will soon have red light cameras in two prominent locations after an ordinance was passed unanimously.
Red light cameras will be installed in two intersections: Northwest 23rd Avenue and Northwest Sixth Street, and Northeast 39th Avenue and Northeast Waldo Road.
City Commissioner Ed Book said some citizens were concerned a revenue-producing company would be in charge of enforcing violations, but Book said the system would require an independent employee within the Gainesville Police Department to determine what constitutes a violation. Book said public safety is the primary goal of the ordinance and didn’t want citizens to think they’re being installed for revenue.
The cameras are aimed to address concerns of rear end crashes by adjusting light timing. He hopes citizens see it as a safety improvement to major intersections, he said.
“This is used specifically for the violations that are going to occur that could cause loss of life, hurting pedestrians, hurting our bicyclists,” Book said.
There is no immediate timeframe for when the cameras will be installed, Police Chief Nelson Moya said. Once the first two sets of cameras are installed, they will be evaluated for their effectiveness, and additions to more intersections will be considered.
Citizens Field redevelopment project
The Gainesville City Commission also discussed the potential redevelopment of Citizens Field.
The Alachua County School Board expressed its intent to redevelop Citizens Field at its May 6 meeting.
The commission discussed a potential new leasing contract for the field, which is owned by the city. Alachua County Public Schools previously had a 40-year lease agreement with the city from 1984 until 2024.
The length of the next contract was a point of contention.
Roxy Gonzalez, the director of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, said she doesn’t recommend another 40-year contract. Instead, she recommended moving toward a five-year contract — something Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker said she appreciated.
With changing staff and commissions, Duncan-Walker said the city can be more attentive to issues at the site under a five-year contract.
“We have big issues at the stadium that, had we paid attention a lot sooner, we might not be looking at a stadium that’s in the condition it is right now,” she said.
The school board and the city are currently under a two-year contract that will end in 2026.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @LoganDMcBride
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Summer 2025 city commission reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
