COMMENTARY
MILT THOMAS
Several weeks ago, Glenn Heran, representing the FPL-funded electioneering communications organization, Citizens for a Better Future, Inc. (not to be confused with his previous PAC, Citizens for a Brighter Future, Inc.), sent an email to all five candidates for Vero Beach City Council. Heran’s email asked each candidate to sign a pledge in support of the Florida Power & Light purchase of Vero Electric as follows:
“As a candidate in the November 2013 Vero Beach City Council election, I pledge to support the sale of the city run electric utility system to FPL and uphold the will of the voters.”
First of all, “the will of the voters” is really more of an enthusiastic wave of indifference. Only one-third of Vero’s registered voters actually cast ballots. Add to that the 22,000 Vero Electric customers who had no vote in the referendum and it is difficult to find a will.
Regardless, it is safe to say that selling Vero Electric is popular to many people for one reason and one reason only – the promise of lower electric rates. At one point, there was also the promise of a cash windfall from the sale of Vero Electric. Heran himself threw out a number of $156 million at one point. Now that number has shrunk to near zero. It’s kind of like owning a Maserati and trading even for a Fiat because it gets better gas mileage. The problem is that saving 25% off your electric bill is real money for most folks. The $156 million was funny money that people will never see in their checkbooks.
That is all beside the point. It’s a done deal, right?
If so, why is FPL and its representative in Vero Beach, the Taxpayer’s Association of Indian River County, so concerned that there might be at least one new face on City Council after the November 5 election?
Why would the Taxpayer’s Association stage a candidate forum, then as a warm up act, have a representative from FPL tell the audience it is important to keep the current City Council in office?
Could it be they are afraid of some unpleasant surprises that will surface by the time we get to a closing on the deal – unpleasant for the taxpayers of Vero Beach?
FPL and Heran deny that any such surprises are forthcoming, that the deal will not result in any more of a negative impact on the City’s finances. But if Glenn Heran was so suspicious of the City Council candidates’ support for the sale that he asked them to sign a pledge, should Vero Beach taxpayers be any less suspicious about FPL’s promise of a positive financial outcome?
So, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander as they say. On behalf of the taxpayers of Vero Beach, I am sending a pledge to the executives at FPL and asking them all to sign it. Here it is:
“As an executive of Florida Power & Light, I pledge to uphold the will of the voters of Vero Beach and that the final signed agreement between the City of Vero Beach and FPL will not have any further negative impact on the City’s finances.”
Signature: ___________________________________________________________________________
Print Name: __________________________________________________________________________
Title: _______________________________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________________________________________
Below is the pledge Tracy Carroll signed committing to sell Vero Electric to FPL. By signing the pledge, Carroll committed to complete the deal, regardless of how the terms might change. In light of her unqualified pledge of allegiance to FPL, and considering the tens of thousand of dollars FPL is spending to aid Carroll in her re-election effort, it is difficult to see the Vice Mayor as anything other than a candidate beholden to the state’s largest investor-owned utility.
Indian River Guardian 
Unbelievable. We talk about the problem of corporate influence in national politics. Eisenhower warned against the military industrial complex, which he created during World War II, when he left office.
Here we have the clearest example of a corporation interfering in local politics for their own benefit and the outright buying of a candidate. How can Tracey Carroll possibly say she is looking out for the interests of the citizens of Vero Beach versus the interests of her corporate benefactor.
If it came down to showing clearly that the sale, as proposed and approved, would be detrimental to the City of Vero Beach and its residents, I assume this pledge of support could and would be reversed by all members of the City Council. Right? I don’t believe that I have a right to insist government leaders sign an oath to support ONE only item. When they became City Council members, they were sworn in. It does not seem right that they should be bullied by anyone at this time–not me, not Mr. Heran, not FPL, not the Tea Party, not the Neighborhood Association, not the Taxpayers’ Assoc…..not the PTA or anyone else. But I also believe all of them should abide by our codes and regulations until or if they are changed and not put themselves above those codes and regulations.
The fuller story, of course, is that even after receiving at least two warnings, Vice Mayor Carroll made no effort to seek clarification from the City Council on its desire regarding short term rentals. Rather, Carroll continued to violate the Code as interpreted by the City’s Planning Department. When she and her husband were finally issued a citations, they appealed to the Code Enforcement Board. By a vote of 3-2, the Board ruled the City’s code is too ambiguous. It should be noted that the three board members who voted in favor of the Carroll’s all served a number of years on the Board with John Carroll.
At no small expense to the City’s taxpayers, the City Council is now appealing the Code Enforcement Board’s decision to the circuit courts.