Mayor Lauren Poe, who is seeking re-election for his second term as mayor is facing challengers Jenn Powell, Jennifer Reid and Marlon Bruce. All of them said Tuesday they had nothing to do with the call.

Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe appears to be the target of a “dark money” robocall being made a week before Election Day.

A mass robocall began making its way to Gainesville voters on Monday and again Wednesday, telling listeners that Poe and the Gainesville City Commission “want to take GRU even deeper into debt and increase your GRU rates.”

City spokeswoman Shelby Taylor said the commission’s office was inundated with roughly 40 to 50 calls over a two-hour period. Wednesday, she said calls have been coming in nonstop for at least one hour.

The commission has yet to make a decision on GRU rates, though the city utility has proposed a 4 percent electric base rate increase, which commissioners will vote on during summer budget talks.

Poe took to Facebook to address the mysterious call.

“We are 7 days from election day and once again dark money is trying to influence our city’s elections,” he wrote. “Yesterday an illegal robo-call went out to Gainesville residents spreading lies about GRU and attacking our city. These dark money tactics have already cost us Kayser Enneking's state senate bid and the opportunity to put Andrew Gillum in the governor's mansion...”

According to state law, an electioneering communication is defined as any communication that is shared by TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, direct mail or by phone which refers to a candidate seeking office without “expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate, but that is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate.”

Law also defines an electioneering communication as one made within 60 days of an election for office sought by a candidate and targeted to the voters in the geographic area the candidate would represent.

Poe, who is seeking re-election for his second term as mayor, is facing challengers Jenn Powell, Jennifer Reid and Marlon Bruce. All said Tuesday they had nothing to do with the call.

The robocall didn’t use a disclaimer, as campaign materials require, and the source of its funding is unknown.

The Sun obtained a recorded version of the call that references GRU’s $1.6 billion debt — which breaks down to $19,617 per customer — and says a credit downgrade will cost GRU customers millions in more debt. The call then tells people to press “1” to be connected to City Hall.

Gainesville resident Bruce Blackwell said he received a call Wednesday and that it runs counter to the purpose of a democracy.

"It wouldn't bother me if I knew who was doing it," he said.