A grassroots group called “Dump Duke” has filed paperwork to put the question of the city’s electric utility future directly before voters, bypassing a St. Petersburg City Council that has yet to make its own decision.

The filing kicks off signature gathering for a ballot measure asking residents whether the city should abandon Duke Energy in favor of a government-run utility.

The push comes at an awkward moment for city hall. Duke Energy’s franchise agreement with St. Petersburg technically expired this month, yet the company is still delivering power to homes and businesses across the city—a sign that the underlying policy question remains unresolved even as officials weigh their next move. Meanwhile, the city is sitting on the results of a feasibility study examining whether a municipal-run utility would actually work, financially or logistically, without offering residents a timeline for when that decision might come.

If the measure qualifies for the ballot, the choice would shift from an appointed council to the people who actually pay the electric bills — a structure that gives ratepayers direct leverage over a decision with real consequences for their monthly costs, rather than leaving it to a handful of elected officials to sort out behind closed doors.

Organizers have not detailed what a city-run alternative would cost to build, staff, and maintain, or how quickly rates might change under municipal control — details voters will want before signing on, given that government-run utilities elsewhere have a mixed record on cost efficiency compared to established private providers.

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