Editor’s Note:  City Councilman Richard Winger made the following comments after being chosen by his fellow Council members to serve as mayor for the next 12 months.

“I look at the people that are up here and I am really pleased to serve with all of them.  This is probably the smartest and most educated group that, in my time, we have ever had.

“At least three of these people are probably headed for bigger things and I think that’s wonderful.  There are four mayors up here now.  Just think of the experience that brings.  There are three from the island, and two from the mainland.  We represent a wide range of political views and we certainly won’t always vote the same, but I have every belief we will reach wise decisions and move the city of Vero Beach forward, and give the people what they want in the most efficient manner.

“As I look down the row here, Ms. Graves represents something great, someone young, with new views, something particularly great, too, she is a fifth generation Vero Beach resident, which I think is important.  People who govern this town should either be from the town or have a great love for it built upon time.

“Mr. Fletcher has served five terms.  He’s been mayor twice.  His father was mayor. He was born here.  He probably has more institutional knowledge than the rest of us put together, and I think it is just wonderful to have him here.

“Mrs. Turner is a gracious lady.  She was a great mayor.  She is going to be a great member of this Council.  She has taken the lead in much of the work that has been done on the electric, and I am hoping she will continue to do that.  She has absolutely been in the lead on one of our most important issues, perhaps the most important issue, the Lagoon.

“And of course, Mr. Kramer, beside me.  I don’t think it is any secret that he helped me early on.  I’ve learned a great deal from him.  He has two interesting characteristics, and one is that he is a very creative individual.  He has original ideas.  He thinks of new approaches, things that would be good for the city.  He is probably also the best analytical person among us.

“I hope we look back in a year as say we have done you people a good job.  But I have to challenge the five us that we are going to have to work hard to do that.  We won’t always agree. But as we have witnessed in the past, we will have consensus a good deal of the time, and we will debate some, and I think we will seek a course that’s the right one for the city.”