By Ian Love, VeroNews.com Managing Editor
VERO BEACH – Despite predictions of a high turnout based on anger over ever-climbing utility bills, polls closed Tuesday for the two open Vero Beach City Council seats with indications the final tally would be tepid at best. In a typical off-year year election, voter turnout is usually between 17 and 24 percent meaning about 2,000 ballots would be cast for the election.
Seven candidates, including incumbents Debra Fromang and Bill Fish, were in the running to join Mayor Sabe Abell, Vice Mayor Tom White and Kevin Sawnick on the Council. Also on the ballot were former council member Ken Daige, Brian Heady, Jack Shupe, Susan Viviano and Charlie Wilson. The candidates met in a number of forums and faced citizens who wanted to know why their electric bills started soaring this summer and what the candidates intended to do to provide relief. How the candidates answered that question to the satisifaction of the voters may well determine the outcome of the race.
Should there be no special call meeting prior, one of the first orders of business for the new council on Nov. 17 will be whether to vote for a 12.5 percent base-rate increase for electric utilities.