(Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.)

City of Gainesville residents for the second time in a year voted decisively on Nov. 4 to remove the article of the city's charter that created the GRU Authority, effectively dissolving the governor-appointed board and removing the utility's chief executive.

With 30 of 32 precincts reporting, the referendum to return control of the city-owned utility to the City Commission was set to pass with 75.53% of the vote.

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward told The Sun while the ballots were still being counted, that no matter what happens with the results or how legal challenges end up, GRU's operations will continue.

"Their lights are still going to work. The water is still going to flow and the people who work at GRU, all their c

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