“Out on the campaign trail, Carroll claims her commitment is to represent businesses and families. Well, lately it seems she has been preoccupied looking out for the interest of her business and her family.”
COMMENTARY
MARK SCHUMANN
Just when you might think Tracy Carroll had demonstrated as much arrogance as any one person could possibly be capable of, and just when you might find it inconceivable that she could cause any more harm or embarrassment to the city, the Council’s most abrasive member had yet another surprise.
By participating in last night’s Council debate on appealing a Code Enforcement Board ruling involving her and her husband, Carroll revealed a complete lack of concern for maintaining any semblance of propriety.
It wasn’t enough for Carroll that she and her husband, John, have created deep divisions in the community by seeking to overturn a long-standing protection against short-term, transient vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods.
Never mind that Carroll was willing to turn a popular island dog park over for a boathouse. Set aside her shocking display of intolerance in refusing to sign a proclamation for Humanist Recognition Week. And forget the heavy handedness with which she presided over a recent Council meeting in the Mayor’s absence.
Carroll’s display of indifference to propriety last night bordered on unmitigated gall. For any reasonable, thinking voter this should be the last straw. Out on the campaign trail, Carroll claims her commitment is to represent businesses and families. Well, lately it seems she has been preoccupied looking out for the interest of her business and her family.
Participating as a Council member in a debate over whether to appeal the Code Enforcement Board’s 3-2 decision in favor of her and her husband, a debate from which any fair-minded person would have recused themselves, Carroll put on a shameless display of disrespect for City staff, a former Council member, and even the public.
Waving the City Code book around in the manner of a Bible thumper, no longer addressing her fellow Council members, but rather playing to the crowd and the television audience, Carroll said, “There’s a lot of stuff in it. There is codes on stuff from disorderly conduct. What is disorderly conduct? Well, if you want to know, it’s in this book. If you want to know what kind of clothing to wear to sell alcohol, you can be in touch with an “R” rated section of the code, because, Mr. Daige, you’ve probably read that part, right?”
Before insulting Daige, though, and before disparaging the work of Planning Director Tim McGarry, Carroll first took a jab at City Attorney Wayne Coment for cautioning her about her potential financial conflict of interest in the case.
Coment: “Tammy (Vock) probably spoke to you about any conflict.”
Carroll: “Why don’t you tell everyone about that?”
Coment: “Because you potentially have a financial conflict, you would not be able to vote.”
Carroll: “You have a conflict, also. Is that correct?”
Coment: “Well, I have a conflict, because I represent the Code Board.”
Carroll: “Right.”
Because Coment represents the CEB, he cannot also represent the City Council in its appeal of the CEB’s decision to the circuit court. But the City Attorney was well within his rights and responsibilities when he reminded Carroll that she would have to recuse herself from any vote on whether to appeal the CEB’s decision.
Carroll’s potential financial conflict of interest didn’t prevent her from attempting to use her seat at the dais to influence the outcome of the vote. It was a sad display of disregard for propriety and was an affront to the public trust.
In advance of the coming election, some of the most ardent proponents of the Vero Electric sale may still be inclined to support Carroll. According to the City’s transactional attorney, though, the deal now faces smooth sailing and is well on its way to being concluded.
In Council members Fletcher, Turner and Winger there are clearly three votes for continuing to fund the attorneys and for pressing forward with the sale. Quite simply, Carroll is not longer indispensable to the sale.
Perhaps after Carroll’s performance at last night’s Council meeting voters will conclude the public’s business should not be entrusted to people who display such self-serving arrogance.
Indian River Guardian 
What a horrid crack about Ken Daige, you’d think MacBeth was on the floor! Put into a corner, they just can’t lash out enough. Ugh.
All I can say is when Mrs. Carroll and hubby decide to leave Vero Beach, I’ll help them pack. It’s the neighborly thing to do. There has been enough turmoil and strife here in the last few years to last us for a while. And all in the name of making things better? And cheaper? Sure……
What can anyone expect from a low class person of her caliber. Her personal attacks on many occasions have left a bad impression of her ,and those impressions are re-enforced at almost every council meeting. Last night was a new low even for her. Besides her low class behavior she is bringing Vero Beach down to a level we do not want to go. Stop the transient rentals Tracy.
What an amazing display of hutzpa! Tracey Carroll is in a league of her own. She did not shut me up – she deflected my statement to the City Manager. I bet she could have answered it herself – she is so comfortable with FPL. My remarks were concerning the Municipal Bonds owed by our Electric Utility, which will have to be paid off before any transaction can close. Since there will be so little profit from the sale, I was inquiring where the $44,130,000 will come from. This debt cannot be assumed by FPL because the sale is from a Municipal Electric to an Investor-owned Electric, and there are serious tax consequences – the IRS would only allow this under very special circumstances, which I do not believe exist in this transaction. More – after I’ve spoken with the City Manager. Caroline Ginn Not so incidentally, I always provide back-up to the Council every time I appear before them.
And I’ll carry their bags!!!! Mr. Schumann couldn’t have expressed my sentiments more eloquently!
The headline is being kind. She appears to be full of something else. I was actually embarrassed for the city last night. Ms. Carroll certainly made it obvious who she is representing and it is not the people of Vero Beach. What a freaking self-centered chatterbox . . . to be broadcast via internet around the world. Truly a person with no shame whatsoever.
I think the mayor should have turned off her microphone and left Brian Heady’s on.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. When you are losing an argument, you sometimes feel you can win it by mocking the other side. This only points out how desperate you truly are.
I watched the COVB meeting on TV because I could not stand to hear one more word about Syria as I watched TV last night. However after watching the arrogance of Ms. Carroll in yet another public dislpay, it appears that she might be a better fit in a government in the Middle East than in Central Florida.
Finally ,the real councilwoman Tracy Carroll has begun to emerge with her true low class actions typified with her rudeness and arrogance coming to the forefront. What we have been subjected to is a disgraceful display of arrogance, avarice and cheap ,vulgar behavior unbecoming an elected office holder here in Vero. There is no place in our government for people like her!
I couldn’t believe my ears when she insulted former councilmember Ken Daige with her remarks about his reading the part of the Code re sex. Really??? And flailing the Code like it was a bible to be thumped. Vote her out! She is mean-spirited, cruel, selfish, greedy, and appears to have delusions of grandeur.
Spot on!
Please remember this come November 5th, election day. Let us all watch as the next few months play out and Ms. Carroll shows her true RED, White, and BLUE.