Instability and shifting budget numbers continue to flow from the Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) Authority, but Mayor Harvey Ward said the city will continue to perform its duties to a high caliber.
“There’s also no animal quite like the GRU Authority,” Wards said. “It isn’t a thing that is like other governing boards for utilities.”
Ward called the recent switching of positions, with Chair Ed Bielarski transitioning to general manager, a unique situation.
Bielarski held the general manager position before being fired by the Gainesville City Commission just over two years ago, and Ward made the motion to terminate at the time. He said Bielarski has tremendous experience with utilities, but Ward also has the same concerns as in 2022.
“I was very clear three years ago,” Ward said. “I think all those things continue to be the case, but he’s had a lot of time to work on stuff, too, so.”
Ward added that he’d love to have a conversation with anyone who worried about stability under the city commission, pointing to the number of Authority members who’ve been appointed in the last year.
In February, the GRU Authority voted to send less money to Gainesville’s general government than planned for in the budget. The city adjusted its operations with contingency funds.
This week, the GRU Authority approved another motion that could see further funds cut from the current budget.
“I don’t think that’s particularly responsible,” Wards said, referencing cuts to the current budget. “Not trying to be provocative. I just have not seen such a thing—anywhere.”
The Authority has also voted on how much the general services contribution (GSC) fund should be next year, but the numbers haven’t been confirmed. Ward said he’d feel better having a firm number for the GSC to allow the city to plan.
The GRU Authority must send its budget to the city by July 1.
A Wednesday motion from the Authority said it would seek $3 million more for the IT services it provides the general government. General Manager Tony Cunningham said at the meeting that the utility might get those funds by reducing the amount of GSC funding it sends to the general government in the coming monthly transfers.
Ward said some of the instability with the GRU Authority is a result of the board’s new nature and also the forced timeline. He noted that some members in October were told on the day of the swearing-in ceremony that they would join the board.
The most recent iteration of the board, seated in May, will have five weeks to wade through a budget with hundreds of millions of dollars in the rows and columns.
Ward said, if the November referendum fails and the Authority remains for future decades, he hopes the GRU Authority will get a system in place to on-board new members and provide stability.
Gainesville’s city attorney and the attorney for the GRU Authority have different views on whether the city commission can hold November’s ballot referendum.
“I would be surprised if someone didn’t sue,” Ward said. “But I would also be surprised if the Court said that. . .. the people were not allowed to vote on this.”
Ward said his stance since March 2023 has been to allow the people of Gainesville, who own the utility, to vote on the issue. Once they’ve spoken, he said the matter will be resolved.
General government have prepared two budget scenarios in presentations on the next fiscal year—one anticipating a $15.3 million GSC and another anticipating no funds from the utility.
Ward said even now the city doesn’t know—though the Authority has signaled it will maintain the $15.3 million GSC minus a $6.8 million cut per year for the next decade. That would put the annual GSC at $8.5 million.
A June report shows that the city of Gainesville expects a $5.1 million surplus by the end of the fiscal year, mostly from personnel savings and using less overtime than expected.
“For a town that is well known as being a liberal, progressive island, we take fiscal management very conservatively, and we always have,” Ward said. “So, the benefit is that we have reserves that we can pull from, but we don’t want to stretch those reserves either.”
In the midst of the “weird sideshow” of the past months, Ward said the city will continue with the everyday issues presented, filling potholes, creating parks and hosting Juneteenth events.
He celebrated the recent opening of SW 62nd Boulevard, a project that finished ahead of schedule, and future roadwork on NE Ninth Street. In August, Ward also anticipates the opening of UF Health’s urgent care clinic off Hawthorne Road.
“We’re out here getting just regular everyday stuff done in an excellent way, and it’s easy to miss that with all the flashy conversation that goes on,” Ward said.
Ward is delusional: “We take fiscal management very conservatively, and we always have,” Ward said. “So, the benefit is that we have reserves that we can pull from, but we don’t want to stretch those reserves either.” Those “reserves” come from ARPA, the still excessive GFT and temporary Grants for pet projects that get “repurposed”. He has no clue and obviously has forgotten the audit issues that are not clearly resolved to this day. He needs to go join Poe and travel the world recruiting “immigrants”. Looks like the next election is another reason to stay home. Why don’t we get quality candidates?
The City Commission has proved it has no capacity to oversee GRU. Keep Ward away from GRU.
Mr. Ward – You are not accustomed to balancing the city’s wants versus needs (I hated that as well when I was a younger man) so I get it; however, the article quotes you as struggling: “…This week, the GRU Authority approved another motion that could see further funds cut from the current budget. “I don’t think that’s particularly responsible,” Wards said, referencing cuts to the current budget. “Not trying to be provocative. I just have not seen such a thing—anywhere.” …….”. Fiscal responsibility is not painless, Mr. Ward, but it will get better in a few years after you have (out of necessity) trimmed the Gainesville city budget fat. I assume you will be re-elected (as Gainesville has never exceeded a 20% turnout) but we who live even mere feet outside the city now have hope that we will someday see an improved and more efficient GRU and that will spillover to the city. Brain fart: Perhaps you should SUPPORT Ed Bielarski and hitch a ride on his coattails as the UTILITY prospers. You could then even take some credit simply by not getting in the way, sir. Win-win Mr. Ward, right? But who am I to be so suggestive? After all – I’m just a simple taxpayer.
Ward is just upset that he and the other clowns on the Gainesville City Commission are going to lose their personal piggy bank. Unfortunately, I fear Ward & his comrades will whine and whine and the County Commission will yet again pick up the slack for their pie in the sky projects and do nothing non-profits.
The Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) Authority is the delusional, brain fart element in this equation. They don’t know what they’re doing.
Seems to me that the adults in the room are Ward and Mr. B. I’d like to think they can work together for the benefit of all concerned. There’s no call for anybody to be throwing spitballs at reps of either the City or GRU. Time’ll tell if this works. Time’ll also tell if the City can take back control of the utility we own. Because, frankly, it isn’t the Governor’s