MARK SCHUMANN
Vero Beach City Councilwoman Tracy Carroll filed papers with the City Clerk today, making official her intention to run for re-election. Carroll first ran for a one-year term in the fall of 2010, and was re-elected in 2011.
Carroll became active in local politics in January 2010, as one of six who applied to fill the one-year term vacated when Charlie Wilson was removed from office by court order. From the field of six applicants, the Council chose Ken Daige to fill the position vacated by Wilson.
The following October, Carroll, along with Jay Kramer and Pilar Turner, was elected with editorial endorsements from the Press Journal and Vero Beach 32963, and with strong support of Operation Clean Sweep, a group vigorously supporting the sale of Vero Electric to Florida Power & Light.
One of Carroll’s opponents in the Nov. 5 election will be Brian Heady, who in Oct. 2010 submitted a letter to the editor of the Press Journal endorsing Carroll. Heady wrote, “Affordable light can be found in the campaigns of Tracy Carroll for the one-year seat and Jay Kramer and Pilar Turner for the two-year seats.”
Today, Heady is one of Carroll most vocal critics, though he must now take his place in line with others, including the editors of Vero Beach 32963. Recently, the island weekly criticized Carroll for her “arrogance,” but more specifically for her and her husband’s challenge to the City’s long-standing prohibition against short-term rentals in residential area.
Glenn Heran, president of the Taxpayers Association and head of a political action committee known as Citizens for a Bright Future, has control of nearly $30,000 in Florida Power & Light money left over from last March’s referendum. If Heran use his war chest for Carroll’s benefit, she may be difficult to beat, despite the apparent ill-will the Vice Mayor created when she supporting turning over a popular dog park for development as a boat house, assailed Humanists in the now infamous comments she made during the June 4 City Council meeting, and now her involvement in the short-term rental issue.
Indian River Guardian 
Yes I did endorse her. At the time I believed she was the best choice. The mask she hid behind painted a pretty picture of how she would serve the people of Vero Beach. I was wrong; very wrong. After removing her campaign mask an arrogant, abusive public servant emerged. The attractive candidate morphed into an elected official who has spent three years serving herself and her own self-interest. Residents of Vero Beach deserve better than the hostile, malevolent vice mayor we are now burdened with.
She may have Heran’s money, but she does not have the support of people like me. Who can forget her attempt to get rid of the doggie park. As I recall she was out voted 4-1 by the council. She has not made many people happy with her short term rentals on the barrier island, either You can add obstinace to her arrogance which all adds up to problems for her . This will be a clear fight between those who do not want short term rentals and her self serving practices and votes that are not in the best interest of Vero Beach. We must defend our homes and neighborhoods by not re-electing her.
Every once in a while we need a reminder on how to select the right candidate. Carroll is that perfect reminder! We don’t want bias or bigotry; we need to keep our canines happy, healthy and safe, and we need to have concerned candidates that would never strong arm appointed committees for their own self-gain! If I lived in the city I would vote for Brian Heady. He is all business as well as being “brutally” honest and reliable! This election will be an opportunity for the voters to make Vero a better place to live and work!
Lest we forget, less than a month ago, 817 people of the City of Vero Beach (proper) signed my recall petition to remove Ms. Carroll. Last election year was a presidential election year bringing out more voters than usual. Mr. Heran may have $30,000 of FPL campaign money to help her cause but he does not have enough to buy all of the people whom have seen through her smoke screen. Her arrogance is just one of her down falls. She moved from West Palm amidst of foreclosures there and brought her problems to the banks of Vero Beach and now wants to change every neighborhood with the changing of the codes to suite herself and her husband with less than 30 day rentals in our neighborhoods. In a few months we will see how the voters of Vero feel about changing this beautiful city and arrogant, non complying , self serving council members.
Greed will result in her defeat in November. Does she have any foreclosures here in Vero ?
Wow, 817 people who signed her recall petition . Just think of all the people who want her removed , but did not sign the petition. There are lots of them, I am sure.
If Glenn Herring gives her money ,it will mean that he and the TPA agree with her short term rentals and her attack on Vero’s quality of life.
I see an election tidal wave coming to Vero. . .
Tracy Carrol haa a lot of chutzpah to even declare herself as a candidate. Has there ever been a political official who was so devoid of understanding that the people of this community do not support the kind of bigotry and arrogance that has been the hallmark of her tenure?
Vero voter apathy combined with the ongoing FPL push will assure her re-election. Anyone who has witnessed her childish behavior during a meeting will not vote for her but way too many city voters neither vote or bother to watch or attend a city council meeting. We do not live within the city limits and cannot vote in this election but we have many family members and friends who do. They will vote and they will not vote for Ms. Carroll. Their prior apathy is one of the reasons we have a person of her character on the council.
She and Pilar Turner are definitive proof that anyone, in spite of the absence of any noticeable governing ability, can be backed into the city council. I hope that the voters of Vero Beach will be able to recognize that and at least give the appearance of being awake for this upcoming election.