“If July’s total charges of $47,228 from Holland & Knight, the Radey Law Firm and Curely & Pynn are any indication of work done in August, then the cost to Shores taxpayers for pursuing legal action against neighboring Vero Beach is now well over $600,000.”
MARK SCHUMANN
According to information received from the Indian River Shores Town Clerk’s Office, through July the Shores Town Council had spent just over $585,000 pursuing a legal challenge to Vero Beach.
If July’s total charges of $47,228 from Holland & Knight, the Radey Law Firm and Curely & Pynn are any indication of work done in August, then the cost to Shores taxpayers for pursuing legal action against neighboring Vero Beach is now well over $600,000.
Last week, Shores officials took action they claim will give them the authority to dictate Vero Electric’s rate to Shores customers, but only if the Town looses its current lawsuit. That litigation legal seeks to force Vero Beach to abandon is Shores customers when the franchise agreement between the Shores and Vero Beach expires in 2016. In opposition to the Town’s legal arguments, lawyers for the Florida Public Service Commission have sided with Vero Beach.
In a letter to Vero Beach City Manager Jim O’Connor, Shores Town manager Robert Stabe wrote, “…if the City is going to demand the right to serve within the Town after the expiration of the Franchise, the Town intends to regulate the City’s rates in a fair and lawful manner pursuant to the Ordinance.”
According to Vero Beach officials, they have no intention of abiding by a dictate from the Shores Town Council. It would seem, then, that if the Shores loses its current lawsuit against Vero Beach, and if the Shore attempts to force Vero Electric to charge rates deemed “fair” by the Shores Town Council, another expensive lawsuit may well be on the horizon.
Indian River Guardian 
Well I guess they have plenty of disposable income and need a project. Lol
Sooner or later the taxpayers of Indian River Shores will say,” STOP,it’s costing too much.” Probably will not happen until the lawyers” bills reach $1,000,000.
Brad Marshall
And it is not about the power
rates!
It is about politics and the county trying to bankrupt the city into submission. This so the city becomes part of the county. If this should happen, it will be time to up root and leave this great place to live. Why do builders send campaign cash to certain council candidates? We all know the reason, don’t we.
John, I think you are right about the larger motivations behind divesting Vero Beach of its electric and water and sewer utilities. The end game is disincorporations of Vero Beach, followed by unified government. Just look at the support pro-sale candidates receive form the Indian River Tea Party, which is really little more than a political arm of builders, developers and Realtors.