Editor’s note:
The following email was sent to members of the FMPA by Glenn Heran, introducing himself, although he probably needs no introduction. In this case, he is exchanging his anti-FMPA hat (the FMPA is “an institution of inefficiency that should no longer exist”) for a private citizen hat. That would be difficult since up to now he has been an unabashed volunteer lobbyist for FPL. Although he says he has lived in Vero Beach for 23 years, he is not a resident of the City of Vero Beach. This email was sent in advance of a previously arranged and well-publicized meeting Wednesday between City of Vero Beach officials and representatives of the FMPA. City officials found out about Heran’s “citizen diplomacy” after they arrived for the meeting.
Undoubtedly you are aware of City of Vero Beach’s effort to sell its Electric Utility to Florida Power & Light Company.
You also may be familiar with me and how I, along with others, have been active in helping our community with this issue since 2008. I want to reach out to you directly and let you know why I am passionate about this issue for my community.
I have lived in Vero Beach for 23-years. My wife Jeannie and I are both CPA’s, we’ve been married for 16-years and we have three children. We also have owned rental properties which supplement our family’s income. We became involved in the electric issue when we saw many of our tenants struggling to pay high electric bills from Vero Beach. This and this alone is my financial motivation to take such a strong leadership role with the electric issue.
For years I have been continually asked by prospective tenants, “Is the house on FPL or Vero Electric?” When I tell them Vero Beach, the response is either a sigh of disappointment, while some just simply hang up. Consequently, the property my family owns which is on Vero Beach electric rents below market. Nor would it sell as comparable properties that receive electric from FPL. This affects the welfare of my family.
But, it’s not just me and my family. This issue is much bigger, because many people are financially and emotionally stressed and they are suffering.
I am asking for your help. Vero Beach, like your own community, wants local control. We have no interest in harming, or telling our FMPA sister cities what to do. It would not be appropriate.
However, we need your help and understanding, so we can fulfill our community goals by selling our utility to FPL. Our voters have already weighed in twice, with voters overwhelming approving a lease and a sale to FPL.
If in the future, should your community decide it may want to sell its utility, you need to perverse (sic) your own local rights.
Please contact me with any questions you may have. I look forward to talking with you soon.
Sincerely,
Glenn Heran
Indian River Guardian 
Life is so unfair, isn’t it? If it isn’t one thing (electric provider), it’s something else to complain about. In some cases, I’m sure turning off the lights in an empty room, setting the AC a degree or two higher, making sure doors and windows are good, and limiting things like lawn sprinkler system would help. Right now, we’re trying to limit our gasoline use. Sorry, Mr. Heran, but maybe our City Council can work a little magic and find a way to reduce the charge again. Thank goodness the residents of Vero will not be called upon to repay $26 million to FPL, though we may find our property tax rate increasing in the future. Of course, you can simply increase the rents on your properties to cover that.
There are many problems and errors in Mr Heran’s cry for help. . As pointed out ,he is not a resident of the city of Vero. Surely Mr Heran was aware that his properties were not within the city when he bought them. After all he is a intelligent man and a CPA and had to know going in what the electric situation was and is. Mr Heran failed to mention in his email his close ties to FPL, in fact he should have mentioned his PAC supporting Mrs Carroll last year. Where did the bulk of the money come from? We all know the answer. He says he wants local control,but that is what we have now, and about to lose if the sale is completed Was it a slip of the “tongue” when he wrote PERVERSE? Maybe and maybe not.. .