Judge denies temporary injunction against GRU referendum
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Today, Judge George Wright denied the GRU Authority’s emergency motion for a temporary injunction to prevent the City of Gainesville from taking over governance of GRU if the November 4 ballot referendum passes.
The GRU Authority had filed an emergency motion for a temporary injunction on several counts of the lawsuit they previously filed in August in an attempt to stop the City of Gainesville from holding a second referendum on GRU governance. If Judge Wright had granted the motion, the City would not have been able to act on the results of the referendum until the case was settled on the merits.
A temporary injunction requires four elements: 1) lack of an adequate remedy at law; 2) a likelihood of irreparable harm; 3) a substantial likelihood of success on the merits; and 4) consideration of principles of public policy. Today, Judge Wright ruled that the GRU Authority did not have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of the case.
A year ago, Judge Wright granted a temporary injunction in response to a motion in the GRU Authority’s first lawsuit, prohibiting the results of the 2024 referendum from being enacted until the 2024 case was decided on the merits. Since then, however, Judge Wright ruled that the City can change their charter with a ballot referendum, and that case is being appealed. On September 30, 2025, responding to a motion in the second lawsuit, Judge Wright denied a motion to prevent the City from holding the Special Election, ruling that it was premature because the ordinance could not be enforced (i.e., the Charter cannot be changed) until after the referendum.
So….what now? Will/can the current board appeal Wrights latest decision? Does the state law creating the GRU appointed board have supremacy over a local referendum? If the city ultimately prevails, will they implement the utility increases they already passed through 2027? What’s the odds that the city will rescind the 1 mil tax increase because they lost the GRU funds?
Our utility rates will go up; likely the first week of December. Merry Christmas!
1. Almost anything can be appealed.
2. 🤔 Depends on who’s presiding.
3. Of course they will. Then the people who voted for turning the 🗝️ back to the fiscally incompetent idiots will start 😢 again.
4. Zero…zilch…nada.
The serfs & slaves will vote for it, that’s what their rulers have told them to do. Too bad that’s the only societal obedience they adhere to.
The Authority will not longer exist, ergo no plaintiff and the appeal is moot.
So there is no supremacy clause where state law would supersede a municipal referendum that is in direct conflict with HB 1645?
Does that mean ergo no longer a company, no longer any employees so no longer any legal financial obligations to pay out your likely $300k+ contract buyout?
I mean, I would hate to know we’re getting new ownership strapped already for cash, knowing all of sudden we have another debt that needs to be settled before the ink is even dry.
GRU would still exist as it is. The Authority which governs it would no longer exist, so governing would revert to the City Commission. Ergo, all employees would still be employees as they are employed by GRU and not the Authority. The City Commission would also still be liable for any contracts entered into by GRU (the Authority did not enter into any contracts, GRU did under the Authority guidance).
When that would start is not certain as I believe that GRU would appeal this decision and ask the appellate court for an injunction against the implementation of the referendum…I’m not a lawyer.
If only, but if true that would be great news.
The cost of untimely legal action will be steep.
That’s sadly my take too, Jim.
The city commissioners will go back to ruining GRU if they win the election. Typical Democrat destruction. It is unbelievable that people will vote for the commissioners corruption.
The city owns GRU DLH, not the state GOP, and the city is run by the elected board of commisioners. That’s how it works in democracies.
Are you new to America?
When will criminal proceedings start on the 2.1 billion dollar wood burner criminal actions???
Jazzman, are you new to America? We’re NOT a democracy. We’re a democratic REPUBLIC. There’s a monumental difference between the two. If they allowed our Pledge of Allegiance or taught actual Civics in schools still, this wouldn’t be such a surprise nowadays, but apparently people no longer understand what their own country is anymore and it shows.
M W, republics are a type of democracy, not basically different since both express the will of citizens through their votes. Your argument is a favorite by right wingers who fail both civics and simple logic.
So this judge waits until a couple of days before the election for something that was brought to court in August in order rule in the City’s favor? Seems pretty prejudicial to me. Can the board ask for an emergency injunction at the next level?
I taught one of his kids 🙄 it doesn’t surprise me!
I’m leaving Gainesville if the City gets control of GRU again. It’s clear that nobody around here is interested in having responsible homeowners. They just want renters that destroy neighborhoods. I’m tired of paying taxes for schools that had to be taken over by the state. I’m tired of paying for woke crap and automatic trash cans (only for downtown!) while the east side of town looks like a dumpster fire with massive potholes in the roads, dilapidated houses, and trash strewn everywhere. Enjoy your higher utility bills, renters! Responsible homeowners will pay taxes elsewhere.
Maybe they should have asked for an injunction until all of GRU’s rate payers have a vote and not just those within the City limits. Afterall we are forced to use the GRU utilities also.
Because it is a special election, the usual suspects [students] may not show up to skew the vote. We have a chance. VOTE NO.
Then the City will just put it on next year’s ballot. They’ll keep trying until they get what they want.
Let people vote and then accept the outcome. Period. In all likelihood, the authority is going away as it should because Tallahassee has no business telling cities what to do. Don’t like it? Revoke home rule.
Agreed. Now if the city and county would stop telling me what trees I can and can’t cut down or what days I can water my lawn.