COMMENTARY
MARK SCHUMANN
When lawyers representing the Indian River County Commission moved to defer their petition before the Florida Public Service Commission, all indications were they planned to submit a revised request by early this past week. As of the end of business Friday, no such revised petition has been filed with the PSC.
Why is the County dragging its feet in submitting an amended, narrowed request to the PSC? Could it be the County plans to abandon its approach, after causing great expense to City and County taxpayers? Will the County instead join the Indian River Shores Town Council in its lawsuit against Vero Beach? After all, the County and the Shores are both seeking the right to force Vero Beach to abandon its out-of-city electric customers so they can hand the business over to Florida Power & Light.
The island weekly, more aptly described as the “John’s Island Weekly,” reported that the City’s tentative agreement with the Orlando Utilities Commission would bind Vero Beach to purchasing a minimum of 85 megawatts of power form the OUC, even in the exceedingly unlikely event the City should be forced by the courts to surrender its 22,000 out-of-city customers. This is just more misreporting from the “John’s Island Weekly.”
The five predators on the Indian River County Commission continue to seek ways to force Vero Beach to hand over its waters and sewer utility to the County. In an effort to weaken the City’s system, the County wants to take over service to the south barrier island. The move would require to County to bore under the Indian River Lagoon to connects its mainland-based utility infrastructure to the south barrier island.
Despite the fact that City has already agreed to charge its south barrier island customers the same rates they would pay as customers of the County, a representative of the County went before the Treasure Coast Legislative delegation yesterday asking for assistance from the FLorida Legislature in forcing Vero Beach to turn over its south barrier island water and sewer customers.
The Shores’ misguided lawsuit, the County’s addlebrained PSC filing and the County’s continued attempt to weaken the City’s water and sewer system, all point to an orchestrated approach to drive the City of Vero Beach into disincorporation. As I have said before, with friends and neighbors like these, who needs enemies?
Indian River Guardian 
Why would the county officials try to have the city disincorporated ? Are they envious of what the city has and provides , or it all about high rises on the ocean and other areas of the city? Is it about taller buildings ? The city of Vero MUST fight every effort by the county officials to take over our great city. These ravenous political predators Must be stopped if Vero is to remain a viable city.