COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

In its efforts to comply with Florida Power & Light’s strategy for attempting to acquire Vero Electric, the City of Vero Beach has racked up legal bills that are sure to top $2 million.

It is now clear to everyone but FPL executives and their surrogates, namely a few outspoken and misguided utility activists, that the City’s contractual obligations simply cannot be set aside to satisfy the wishes of the state’s largest investor owned utility and its political operatives in Vero Beach.

To be sure, FPL has active, aggressive and outspoken supporters working on its behalf. Pro-sale utility activist, Glenn Heran, for one, has run a political action committee and an electioneering communication organization, both largely funded by FPL.

In the spring of 2013, Heran made good use of some $100,000 in FPL money to push for voter approval of a contract that was premature, incomplete and which simply cannot be executed.  Last fall, Heran used FPL money in a failed attempt to convince Vero Beach voters to re-elect Tracy Carroll, FPL’s most strident and combative supporter.

Heran has also worked closely with the County Commission in devising legislative strategies for pushing through the sale of Vero Electric and for supporting four utility bills introduced by State Rep. Debbie Mayfield, legislation clearly intended to force the City out of its electric and water and sewer utilities.

E-mail correspondence between Heran and County staff and commissioners reveal it was he, FPL’s most vocal supporter, who advised the County Commission to hire a Tallahassee-based lobbying firm that also represents FPL.

Now the pro-sale crowd seems set on supporting FPL’s latest strategy, as the company digs in its heels in what is an apparent plan to hold the City and its 34,000 ratepayers hostage until the contract expired Dec. 31, 2016.