Local residents file lawsuit against City, Mayor Harvey Ward, and GRU Authority Chair Craig Carter

BY JENNIFER CABRERA
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Local residents Kristen Young and David Hammer filed a Petition for Writ of Quo Warranto today against the City of Gainesville, Mayor Harvey Ward, and GRU Authority Chair Craig Carter.
In the complaint, Young and Hammer, represented by Attorney Joseph Little, argue that HB 1645, which established the Governor-appointed GRU Authority as the governing board for Gainesville Regional Utilities, is unconstitutional. The petition asks the City to justify the existence of the Authority, asks Ward to justify his authority to swear in the members of the Authority, and asks Carter to justify his authority to serve as Chair of the Authority.
“Facts” similar to some of those listed in the complaint, including arguments that rate-setting, bond issuance, and acquisition of property are legislative functions under Florida law, were previously dismissed by Judge Angela Dempsey, who wrote, “When there is a conflict between a general law and a special charter provision, ‘it is well settled that the special charter provisions will prevail.'”
The petitioners also argue that their freedom of speech under the Florida Constitution is violated by HB 1645 because “The right to vote is pure political speech,” and HB 1645 created a legislative body that is not elected by Gainesville residents.
In addition to the requests that the judge ask each respondent to establish their authority to act under HB 1645, the complaint asks the judge to order that HB 1645 is unconstitutional, that the GRU Authority has no legal existence, and that Carter has no legal standing as Chair of the GRU Authority.
Parasites with a lawyer.
Typical Democrats…looking for a free meal ticket.
Too bad they don’t do that bodily harm thing for the good of the community; they could call in the preeminent civil lawyers for a nice settlement.
Here’s what’s really happening.
Being post Oct. 1, the board has been seated and is progressing. The community has forgotten about Gainesville Residents United – and has moved on. Were moving forward.
This is all about keeping their names, grievances, and fundraising in the news. Meanwhile, work with the new board will continue.
I have to ask people that are behind these frivolous lawsuits why do they not want GRU saved? Would they rather sell GRU ? Then the GRU kickback totally goes away and they will not get enough to pay off their massive ,obscene debt. That will shove Wokesville right into Bankruptcy where they belong.
Carlos, are you the auditor named “Carlos” who was fired by the GNV commission?
If it cost the city almost a 1/2 million dollars how can people afford to file a lawsuit I smell a rat
These others have asked the DEC for donations, they city is having to fund its own part, but all these others are fundraising for the funds as well as using their own elite funds. Seems they are trying to be totalitarian to me.
Those dirty, rotten, filthy scoundrels, AKA the “DEC” have instigated and caused every bit of the mess the last 10 years. Liars and cheats at their core, they have put up and funded these reckless spend-a-holics who seek to get star liberal status (like hero Andrew Gilum LOL) by breaking state law and doing idiot things average citizens wouldn’t believe…i.e. sanitary napkins in men’s rooms, eradicating single family homes, etc! The DEC should go away and never come back!
Must live near downtown. Just saying.
” their freedom of speech under the Florida Constitution is violated by HB 1645… because HB 1645 created a legislative body that is not elected by Gainesville residents”. If this logic prevailed, what about customers _outside_ of Gainesville city limits who have ALREADY had their freedom of speech violated by being locked into a single utility provider and having no representation?
Exactly, seems they thing that our voices do not matter! Everyone’s voices matter.., but I will never forget the elite voice that said if we don’t like it we can move, I guess that elite voice of the certain state rep forgot those that are poor and cannot afford to just pick up and move like she can, I say if she and the rest of the elite don’t like it leave!
It is SOP that utility companies are not run by the customers, but in this case the City of Gainesville – most of GRU’s customers – created and own GRU.
So according to you, the citizens, inside of Gainesville, who are customers of GRU and owners agreed to these ridiculous rate raises they do, and the amount of money the city draws each year as in 68 million more than what GRU made in the last 4 years
It’s called representative democracy. Maybe you’ve heard of it if you live in the US.
There is one way to waste a lot of money. Good luck to ya, you’ll need it.
Tues Oct 24 County Commission meeting consent agenda item 1a
“Request to Appoint Kristen Young for Citizen at Large to the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee with a term ending September 30, 2026 – 23-00661”
Same person. She has been on a number of advisory committees over the years.
Hmmmm, very interesting
Seems the only advice she gives is bad.
Lefties doing more damage.
Typical liberal Joe Little. He must be bored.
All they get is a headline.
Roll them over in their cribs and they’ll go to sleep soon…..
All GRU ratepayers have a right to intervene and protect our right to improved governance of our utility.
How do we do this? There is a certain filing we will have to do am I right… claiming we are not a party to the case but being directly effected by these suits?
But DEC radicals (botcher, lauri poe, ward, Hinson, hyphen-hayes, other unqualifieds) won’t have a deep pocket piggy bank! OMG, COVID 2 will kill us, immigrants need food, money and ballots, homeless non-workers need free homes, and the sky is falling! Any we have no GRU piggy bank!’ What on earth will we do? Joe B: Please help with free $$$$ ASAP!
Yeah, but a hostile takeover capped off with an illegitimate and unrepresentative board answerable to no one except maybe the hostile governor isn’t that. What is wrong with you?
No, they don’t. Where are you getting this nonsense?
This is too funny. I hope the court puts this in the same trash basket as the city’s went. Otherwise, let Harvey Ward squirm some more. The Utility Board won’t let him pass this garbage off to GRU, either.
Gee, just outrageous that the owners of a utility company who’s control was taken by political enemies of those chosen by the owners to lead it would sue to reclaim their property. What, do they think ownership is legally enforceable?
So if DCF ie the State steps in and takes a child away from an abusive parent that would be illegal? The child belongs to that parent no matter what?
Fred, there is no child involved, nor is there precedent for this BS anymore than there was for the Disney board takeover (highest tax payer in the region), the New College takeover (5th best public college in the nation behind Naval Academy, West Point, AF Academy, and VMI), or the takeover of the DA’s offices in Orlando and Tampa, which by the way had declining violent crime rates under the DA’s removed. GRU had a higher credit rating than FPL until the GOP got a hold of it.
None of that matters in a court of law. Try sticking to the topic. Maybe go read some of the bond docs while you’re at it. They’re the one who really own GRU and are calling the shots here and all they care about is continuing to get paid.
You implied the city of Gainesville was like an abusive parent, a value judgement based on the accusations of it’s partisan attackers. The most recent downgrading of it’s credit is due to uncertainty created by the hostile takeover and uncertainty about it’s “board”. Like the other hostile takeovers by the Governor and his GOP goons that I listed above, the cogent feature of all isn’t their failure – far from it – but their designation as political enemies and therefore targets of this autocratic state government.
Give it up, Jazzman. The city was like mentally incompetent, drug addict parents who spent the kids’ food money on woke crack, trips around the world, and catered meals for themselves. That’s wonderful you are a fancy man with a lovely wife and kids or whatever you said before, but there are plenty of real people (who actually live in the city, no less) who are actually struggling as a result of the way GRU has been looted and mismanaged. You continue to appear crass and undignified by not considering these people.
When you take your Utility company that’s worth less than $500 Million and load it up with almost $2 Billion in debt and did not invest in new equipment to replace your aging fleet of generators, you’re a dismal failure. Don’t blame the people who since the Biomess Plant was a glimmer in Pegeen’s eye, tried to talk sense to the City Commission.
I heard the infamous Austin Texas Biomess got shut down and sold for scrap. Pennies on the dollar. Poedunk and Hanrahan’s debacle is worth 10k at the most, plus disposal. What shallow minded leaders and voters. How did they get the EPA to sign off on the toxic tower?
Kristen Young was on the county charter review committee. There were dozens of items to be reviewed and the citizens showed up to speak about the items that they cared about. The only issue that was spoken about by the citizenry was “Single Members Districts” KY killed it as an issue as chair of the committee. One board member publicly resigned in disgust and protest to her blatantly partisan tactics. She is ideological to her core and horrible person.