Since 2007, Vero Beach has cut some 25 percent from its General Fund budget while laying off approximately 20 percent of its workforce. Figuratively speaking, the city’s government has dropped 25 percent of its body weight, and now has a waistline resembling that of a runway model. Pushing for additional budget cuts in the coming fiscal year of nearly 11 percent, Councilwoman Pilar Turner, with at least tacit support from Tracy Carroll and Craig Fletcher, is essentially proposing to start chopping off limbs.


It is long past time for the COVB “leadership to learn that accounting ledgers have TWO sides. Concentrating only on spending will not solve the possible revenues problems on the horizon, if and when, the electrical service operations are sold to FP&L in 2015 or 2016.