MARK SCHUMANN
At a meeting of the Finance Commission yesterday, Chairman Peter Gorry said he believes a sale of Vero Electric’s Indian River Shores customers would result in higher rates for the remaining customers, including those in the unincorporated areas of Indian River County.
According to Gorry, Shores residents make up just 8.6 percent of the total customer base for Vero Electric. Within the Shores, 94 percent of the City’s electric customers are residential, compared to 80 percent system wide.
Gorry explained that because the average monthly electric bill for Shores residents is higher than Vero Electric’s system-wide average, and because such a high percentage of Shores customers are residential and not commercial, a sale of the Shores customer base would result in a drop in revenue of significantly more than 8.6 percent.
According to Gorry, with a sale of the City’s Shores customers, Vero Electric would see revenue decline far more than costs; and a disproportionate drop in revenue, he said, would result in higher rates for Vero Electric’s remaining customers.
Addressing the Finance Commission, City Manager Jim O’Connor said one of the challenges in negotiating a partial sale will be meeting the City’s objective of not leaving customers outside the Shores paying higher rates as a result of the sale.
Commission member Dan Stump said he believes Vero Electric’s remaining customers would be willing to pay higher rates to enable Shores residents to be served by Florida Power & Light.
“Are you serious?,” O’Connor asked Stump.
Indian River Guardian 
At some point a loss of customers, therefore less power requirements should enable to shut down the Vero power plant.,
Mr Stump is totally wrong when he says others would be happy to pay more. NO WAY! If he runs for city council again I am sure someone will remind voters of his wrong headed anti city statements. Does he really believe that Vero Electric customers would be happy to pay more or is he trying to please FPL and his friends in Indian River Shores at our expense. Again NO WAY!
Dan Stump needs to be taken off that commission. He obviously doesn’t have the best interest of the citizens of Vero Beach. That is one of the dumbest statements I have ever heard. We should pay more so that they can pay less. Priceless!!!