Is Vero Beach for sale?

COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

“Whether Carroll can be bought is a personal decision she must make. Whether the City of Vero Beach is for sale, is a decision voters will make when they go to the polls Nov. 5.”

Last year, Florida Power & Light spent more than $400,000 to get its way with South Daytona Beach voters. The state’s largest utility giant then contributed nearly 90 percent of the $110,000 raised by Citizens for a Brighter Future in its successful push to secure voter approval for the sale of Vero Electric.

FPL is now the financial force behind a campaign to re-elect Vero Beach City Councilwoman Tracy Carroll. As of its last financial filing, Citizens for a Better Future, a new group formed by Glenn Heran, reported that 99 percent of its money has come from FPL ($10,000 out of $10,100).

FPL external affairs manager Amy Brunjes told members of the Taxpayers’ Association this week news of FPL’s effort to buy Carroll’s re-election is no “reporting scoop.” Yet, the story has not appeared in the Press Journal. Amy Brunjes’ husband, Bob, is the Press Journal’s publisher.

Brunjes told the Taxpayers’ Association FPL began pouring money into Citizens for a Better Future’s bank account, at the group’s request. What seems more likely is that the “community group,” an electioneering communication organization, may have been set up by Glenn Heran in order to give FPL a means of legally funneling unlimited contributions to Carroll’s campaign.

At this point, it is hard to see how Carroll is anything other than beholden to FPL’s executives and shareholders. Whether Carroll can be bought is a personal decision she must make. Whether the City of Vero Beach is for sale, is a decision voters will make when they go to the polls Nov. 5.

11 comments

Is there no one in our massive government who takes issue with this behavior? FPL is a public utility. Are they really allowed to throw their weight around like this?

If not, where is the cavalry … would someone please call them!

Could it be that FPL has already bought and paid for everyone of importance – even in government…which is why no one is delving into the legality of their actions? Then there is the morality – or lack – of what is going on.

$400,000 is a small price to pay for control of Vero Beach via the Town Council, not unlike the big $ which control our Federal government.

that makes it ok?

Tracy Carroll has been bought and paid for all ready by FPL. She is in too deep to consider the morality of it. The Public Service Commision needs to decide if this violates their rules that FPL can not be predatory.