GRU Fight: Commissioner Eastman Vs. General Manager Bielarski
Over the past few days, Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman and Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) General Manager Ed Bielarski have been going back and forth on Facebook in an argument about the utility.
On Wednesday, Eastman posted the following video on his Instagram and Facebook accounts.
(FlaBryan Instagram)
Friday morning, Bielarski posted the following statement on his Facebook account.
In the comments section, local man Mark Nordman asked Eastman if he would debate Bielarski.
Eastman said it would be “inappropriate” to debate Bielarski and said he would “have a discussion” with any members of the GRU authority, which was appointed when the state took control of the utility.
Nordman replied to Eastman, saying ratepayers deserve “real discourse.”
Bielarski replied to Eastman, calling his actions “inappropriate” and saying his information was wrong.
Eastman replied to Bielarski, saying he got all his information from GRU documents. The two went back and forth in the comments.
Friday evening, Bielarski made another Facebook post to promote his Alachua Chronicle article where he responds to what he calls a “misinformation campaign being waged by Commissioner Bryan Eastman and Gainesville Residents United President Bobby Mermer.”
Eastman told Bielarski, “Just be transparent… that's all anyone wants. No smoke and mirrors, no divisive culture war rhetoric, no narcissistic calls about how you're the sole savior of the utility. Just transparency. Hopefully you'll use this opportunity to do that.”
Saturday morning, Bielarski made another post that was critical of Eastman, which he did not respond to in the comments. However, Bielarski did receive a response from city employee Marie Mercer, who said, “I've been trying to stay quiet, but..... Ed, you seem to be putting the cart before the horse or counting your chickens before they hatch. There has not been a definitive ruling in the long-term governance of GRU and yet you are spending rate-payer's funds to set up separate HR and Legal departments… IF the City at some point regains control of the utility, most of these separation tasks for you, headaches for General Government AND all costs associated with them will be for naught. Major changes and their associated costs should have been delayed until after the governance of GRU was definitively decided.”
Saturday afternoon, Bielarski made a post to respond to Mercer’s statement.
Mercer and Bielarski went back and forth in the comments section, with Eastman chiming in.
On Sunday, Bielarski made multiple posts of what he refers to as “The Lyin‘ Bryan Challenge.”
Eastman responded to the first few posts Bielarski made Sunday, but not to his more recent posts.
This article may be updated if Eastman and Bielarski continue arguing on social media.
