Editor’s Note: To date, Vero Beach City Council candidate, Randy Old, has raised nearly $30,000 in campaign contributions.  Those Old is a newcomer to politics, his base of support appears to be broad and growing.  Inside Vero first published associate editor Milt Thomas interview with Old May 21.  An video interview with candidate Old is also available on line.  See: Video interview with City Council candidate Randy Old

MILT THOMAS

Long-time Vero Beach resident, Randy Old, recently announced his candidacy for one of the three Vero Beach City Council seats to be contested in the November 4 election. InsideVero interviewed him Tuesday.

Old has lived in Vero full time since 1996, after coming here as a visitor since the mid-1960s. A native of Concord, Massachusetts, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Far Eastern Studies from the University of North Carolina and went on to pursue a career in international banking with Chase Bank, living in Singapore, Tokyo and Amman, Jordan. More recently, he and his wife, Jody, returned to college and both earned an MS degree in Herbal Medicine. They have a practice here in Vero Beach.

Old also has a long history of community involvement. He is currently chairman of the Old Vero Ice Age Sites Committee, which is finishing up the first stage of what could become one of the most notable archaeological sites in North America. (see story: Digging up our past is producing results)

He is also the immediate past president of the Riomar Country Club and currently serves as an alternate member of the Vero Beach City Finance Commission. His decision to run for elected office is his first foray into local politics.

“There is a host of crucial issues facing the city now and in the near future and this is such a great place to live, if I can step up to do something and help keep it that way, I would like to.”

Old attends all Finance Commission meetings and says the current focus is working toward a budget. “We are trying to figure out ways to cut back on utilities expenses. If the sale is still pending or doesn’t happen, there are other ways to cut back and reduce rates.”

He recognizes that the city has endured serious budget cuts over the past three years and while there are always opportunities to reduce costs, he feels we should not look to cut more employees. “I’ve talked with (City Manager) Jim O’Connor and (Director of Finance) Cindy Lawson, who both said if we cut any further there will be a noticeable impact on city services. In terms of employees we’ve lost, it’s been a lot. There are other ways to become more efficient.”

Overall, Old feels the city is being run well. “I haven’t gone everywhere yet, but I am very impressed by the people, management and operations, and the level of competence I’ve seen so far. They are proud of what they do. That is so important because it is people that make this city work.”

The electric sale is a prime focus for the city right now. “It is a complicated deal involving private and public companies with existing contracts that must be honored, so in spite of the time, money and effort put in to it, the deal may not be possible to complete. It’s good that we have begun exploring other options to achieve the lower rates everyone wants without creating legal or financial distress down the road.”

The Indian River Lagoon is another key issue, one that the city cannot solve alone. “I lived in Annapolis, Maryland by the Chesapeake Bay, which has had serious pollution problems. I’ve found the best way to approach it is to keep chipping away at them. But the Lagoon is such an important factor to our quality of life here in Vero Beach, we must take definitive action.”

The strict summer fertilizer ban is a good first step, but unless all other counties institute the same ban, it cannot be effective. The same is true with All Aboard Florida. According to Old, “As a community we don’t have much leverage. We need for all the affected communities to work together. We are being referred to as a ‘donor’ county, allowing them to pass through without getting anything in return, at least that’s the way a lot of people perceive it. The arguments in favor of it are weak for us, but maybe not to people in Miami and Orlando. Maybe there’s some way to mitigate the effects so it doesn’t hurt us if we don’t have the clout to stop it.

On another subject, Mercyhurst University, lead archaeology group at the Vero Man site, is wrapping up for the year. Old says, “The analysis of what they found could take several months and it’s really up to them when they will announce results. They are planning to come back next January, assuming the financing is in place. Dr. Adavasio, lead archaeologist, said the school works on digs all over the country, but the community support on this dig and all the activities were the best he has ever seen. Nobody goes about it like we do. The relationship between our OVIASC committee, Mercyhurst , the city and volunteers couldn’t be better. More than 550 people contributed financially to the project and 250 people worked on it.”