MARK SCHUMANN

Through the end of September, three Vero Beach City Council candidates, Laura Moss, Lange Sykes, and Norma Wells, received some $20,000 in campaign contributions from residents in Indian River Shores.  Shores contributions to their campaign accounts represents 75 percent of what the three candidates have raised collectively.

The wave of generous contributions to Moss, Sykes and Wells appears to be a direct response to fundraising efforts on his behalf by Shores residents Bill Grealis and John McCord.  Grealis and McCord have sent multiple email solicitations urging their fellow Shores residents to contribute the Sykes campaign. 

One solicitation letter from Grealis and McCord read, “Now is the time we must take a stand,” Grealis and McCord wrote, adding, “There are 3 candidates who support this offer. They are Norman Wells, Lange Sykes, and Laura Moss. These candidates would join Harry Howle on the (Vero Beach) City Council to constitute a majority in favor of the (partial) sale. You can help to get the right candidates elected. We are asking each of you to donate $1000 to the Laura Moss Campaign.”

Shores leaders have encouraged their residents to make contributions of up to $1000 each for Moss, Sykes and Wells.  Shores Mayor Brian Barefoot recently introduced all three candidates as members of the “Shores team.” Indian River Shores and Vero Beach are locked in a lengthy and expensive legal battle that seems likely to wind up before the Florida Supreme Court.  So far, the Shores has spent some $1 million on attorneys.

Vero Beach and Shores leaders have discussed a sale of Vero Electric’s Shores customers to Florida Power & Light, a move that would resolve the dispute.  FPL first offered $13 million, then $30 million.  A team of five utility experts hired by Vero Beach estimated it will take $47 million, not $13 million or $30 million, to insure the proposed carving up of Vero Electric will not lead to higher taxes and higher electric rates for the people of Vero Beach and the customers of Vero Electric.

The three remaining Vero Beach City Council candidates, Sharon Gorry, incumbent Randy Old, and Tony Young have all said they could not justify selling at the lower price.  All six candidates have said they remain interested in finding a way to sell the full electric system to FPL.