MILT THOMAS

County Commission Chairman Peter O’Bryan is both a businessman and a leader in protecting Indian River County’s natural assets. In some quarters, that might be a contradiction, but in this county it is a blessing. He was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, graduating from the University of Miami cum laude with a degree in marine science and a minor in economics. Another seeming contradiction.

He moved to Vero Beach in 1984, working first as a biologist in conjunction with the Harbor Branch Foundation, then the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory and then the Indian River Mosquito Control District, where he worked for the next 14 years. He married his wife, Susan, in 1992 and they started a family. “Making a living took center stage at that point, so I acquired a Series 7 securities license and worked as a financial consultant for six years.”

O’Bryan’s extensive community involvement included serving on the Environmental Learning Center and Audubon Society boards as well as involvement with business and professional organizations. Again, that dichotomy of interests

But it would all come together when he was elected to the Board of County Commissioners starting in 2006. He was chairman in his second year and is now chairman again in his second term. In a recent interview on the Inside Vero radio show, O’Bryan said, “My time in office began during the peak of the building boom, fell into the recession and there are strong signs we are now pulling out of it. The tax rolls have stabilized and should grow going forward. Tourist tax revenues have been out of the ballpark the last few years. Regaining the Historic Dodgertown designation thanks to Peter O’Malley will certainly help attract business as a multi-sport facility.”

In the battle over spending, O’Bryan is a realist. “When times are good, we tend to get a little fat, but then comes a downturn and you have to trim expenses. It is politically easy to say yes to the wants of the community, but we need to focus on the community’s needs and try to match the two as closely as possible.”

Sounds fiscally conservative, but how do you factor in the pending costs of saving our Indian River Lagoon?  “That is a priority this year. The south lagoon gets all the attention, but our county north is in serious trouble.”

Does that foretell a battle between Libertarian-leaning conservatives and environmentalists? O’Bryan, who is comfortable on either side of that equation, says no.  “The entire County Commission is focused on the lagoon issues. We have a number of projects in place and planned including pilot programs at Summerplace and on the Sebastian waterfront to work out converting septic tanks to sewer where the lagoon is most vulnerable. Out in the western ends of the county, we have created a football size field  called the Egret Marsh to absorb polluting nutrients before they reach the lagoon. A second Osprey Marsh will serve the same purpose.”

O’Bryan acknowledges it will ultimately take a broad approach and must be coordinated with municipalities and other counties to be successful. “My second priority this year is to hold monthly meetings with city managers and mayors of the municipalities to solve these and other problems. We are looking at the cost to determine how we can move forward, because our future depends on it.”

So, it is clear that Peter O’Bryan’s education and career choices, while seeming to be contradictory are actually complimentary, giving him a unique perspective on the issues we must face to maintain our quality of life.