The Indian River County Taxpayer’s Association has a long history

NEWS ANALYSIS

MILT THOMAS

Editor’s note: Terry Goff, longtime businessman and community figure, passed away this week. I knew Terry and here is an interview I did with him back in 2013 for this publication.

Terry Goff, former Vero Beach City Councilman and former president of the IRC Taxpayers' Assoc. — Terry Goff, former Vero Beach City Councilman and former president of the IRC Taxpayers’ Assoc.

Just about every lifelong Vero Beach or Indian River County resident is familiar with the Indian River County Taxpayer’s Association. Although its origins have faded somewhat into history, it was first chartered as a not-for-profit in 1933. That charter was voided in 1957 in favor of a new one that was handled by a young attorney, L.B. “Buck” Vocelle. (He would later become Judge Vocelle and the current county courthouse is named for him.)

Article II of the 1957 charter stated the object of the association. It starts with: “An association of taxpayers banded together to obtain timely information for its membership of any action which would tend to affect the property of the taxpayer through the workings of any civic body or the branches thereof.”

The charter was revised in 1980, with the objectives in Article II changed as follows:

1. The objective of the Association is to obtain timely information on matters concerning the properties of its members, particularly matters involving taxes, assessments, improvements and developments in Indian River County.

2. A further objective of the Association is to cooperate with National, State, County and Municipal Governments, and with all public officials, boards and commissions toward mutual understanding between officials and taxpayers on matters of common interest, and to promote efficiency and economy in the operation of public agencies.

President of the Association in 1984-85, was Terry Goff, a longtime CPA in Vero Beach, who is still active in his firm and in the community. Goff, who spent more than a quarter century in the association, has many historical records including a copy of that Vocelle letter. “Conservative spending was the basic name of the game. Our primary activity was to monitor all public meetings with elected officials and report back on how tax money was being handled, but we weren’t limited to that.”

Goff says one day back in 1968, several TPA members were in a car driving over the old Barber Bridge when they focused on The Spires, a new condominium that rose well above every other building on the barrier island. “Building height restrictions became a major objective of the Association. The Civic Association also formed in response to The Spires issue.”

The resulting three story height restriction became a key contributing factor in preserving the image and quality of life in Vero Beach. Both the Taxpayer’s and Civic Associations would become major political forces after that, even though this was a zoning issue, not a tax issue. Growth and development were also issues over the years, so the local TPA was always concerned about matters beyond the limits of taxes that were important to the community as a whole.

Goff wore many hats in his years with the Taxpayer’s Association. “I joined in 1980, served on the board 28 years, as treasurer for about eight years and president in 1984-85. I also served on the Vero Beach City Council and was appointed mayor at the same time I was president of the Taxpayer’s Association.”

A number of elected City Council members over the years also served with the Taxpayer’s Association, a natural relationship in a largely conservative community. Goff says, “At my first budget meeting after taking a seat on the Council, each department’s budget included $60,000 expense under ‘miscellaneous.’ They would just take their prior year budget and add this to it.”

It was a problem tailor-made for the Taxpayer’s Association. During Goff’s time on the City Council another issue came up that could have had an impact on the community. Marriott wanted to build a resort on the ocean south of Jaycee Beach. “I was personally against it and thought I might be the deciding vote when it came before City Council. I spent some sleepless nights worrying about it, but it turned out I wasn’t the deciding vote at all.”

This was one of those key issues over the years that could have become a turning point in the future of Vero Beach had the Council voted another way. Preserving the community’s unique quality of life was just as much a concern of the Taxpayer’s Association. In addition to the group’s efforts reacting to The Spires was their position on the police department. According to Goff, “Our police department was a great source of pride in the community and maintaining a two minute response time was important. Obviously, that takes lots of people and costs money, but the Taxpayer’s Association supported that goal and the expense of maintaining it.”

However, Goff says he doesn’t recall the association taking a position against the franchise fee for Vero Beach Electric customers outside the city limits. “The power plant contributed about six million a year that helped us afford the kinds of services city residents grew to expect.”