THE GABELLI UTILITY TRUST
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
May 11, 2020
PROXY STATEMENT
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Trustees (the “Board,” the members of which are referred to as “Trustees”) of The Gabelli Utility Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Fund”), for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund to be held on Monday, May 11, 2020, at 9:10 a.m., local time, at Westchester Country Club, 99 Biltmore Avenue, Rye, New York, 10580 (the “Meeting”), and at any adjournments or postponements thereof. A Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials will first be mailed to shareholders on or about April 1, 2020.
As part of our precautions regarding the coronavirus or COVID-19, we are planning for the possibility that the Meeting may be held at the Fund’s offices or virtually solely by means of remote communication or via a live webcast. If we take this step, we will announce the decision to do so in advance, and we will provide details on how to participate in a press release and on our website at www.gabelli.com. Any questions should be directed to CEFProxy@gabelli.com.
If you desire to attend the Meeting in person, please note that the Westchester Country Club enforces a strict dress code. The Westchester Country Club may deny entry to their facilities to any person who does not conform to their dress code. If the Westchester Country Club denies you entry to their facilities, you will be unable to attend the Meeting in person and, if you have not submitted a proxy in accordance with the instructions contained herein, you will not be able to be present at or vote at the Meeting. The Westchester Country Club's dress code is as follows: All men's shirts must have collars. Short shorts, cut-offs or tee shirts are not permitted. Please no tank tops, cargo pants, hats worn by men, bare feet, rubber beach flip flops, bathing or gym attire. Blue denim clothing, and denim jeans, designer or otherwise, are not permitted.
Additionally, the Westchester Country Club has an electronic device policy that there be “no noise” with the use of an electronic device, including a cell phone, except in designated areas. If you are admitted to the Westchester Country Club's facilities and violate this policy, the Westchester Country Club may remove you from their premises and you would not be able to attend the Meeting in person.
In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, officers of the Fund and officers and regular employees of Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (“Computershare”), the Fund’s transfer agent, and affiliates of Computershare or other representatives of the Fund may also solicit proxies by telephone, Internet, or in person. In addition, the Fund has retained Morrow Sodali LLC to assist in the solicitation of proxies for an estimated fee of $1,000 plus reimbursement of expenses. The Fund will pay the costs of the proxy solicitation and the expenses incurred in connection with preparing, printing, and mailing the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials and/or Proxy Statement and its enclosures. If requested, the Fund will also reimburse brokerage firms and others for their expenses in forwarding solicitation materials to the beneficial owners of its shares.
The Fund’s most recent annual report, including audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, is available upon request, without charge, by writing to the Secretary of the Fund, One Corporate Center, Rye, New York 10580-1422, calling the Fund at 800-422-3554, or via the Internet at www.gabelli.com.
If the proxy is properly executed and returned in time to be voted at the Meeting, the shares represented thereby will be voted “FOR” the election of the nominees as Trustees as described in this Proxy Statement, unless instructions to the contrary are marked thereon, and at the discretion of the proxy holders as to the transaction of any other business that may properly come before the Meeting. Any shareholder who has submitted a proxy has the right to revoke it at any time prior to its exercise either by attending the Meeting and voting his or her shares in person, or by submitting a letter of revocation or a later dated proxy to the Fund at the above address prior to the date of the Meeting.