VERO BEACH — One candidate running for the Vero Beach City Council has dropped out, while another joins the race.
The number of candidates still stands at 10.
Candidate Dean Heran, who pulled the papers to run for the council decided late this week that he would not file the papers after all, citing family reasons. He had designs on running for the one-year term seat currently held by Councilman Ken Daige.
Candidate Tracy Carroll, who initially announced she would run for a two-year term seat, has instead filed her paperwork for the one-year seat and will challenge incumbent Vice Mayor Sabe Abell. Abell has filed for the one-year seat.
Long-time Vero Beach resident David Fromang, husband of former City Councilwoman Debra Fromang, has filed to run for a two-year seat on the council.
“I’ve been thinking about it all year,” Fromang said Friday afternoon. He said he attended the candidate forum Friday morning and heard five of the candidates speak on various issues, prompting him to make a bid for a seat at the dais.
Fromang said he has 57 years worth of knowledge in Vero Beach and that he wants to share that knowledge with the four other City Council members.
He believes he can work to gain a consensus amongst the members on the issues the city faces, including the growing pensions, the increasing costs of delivering services to residents, and working with the county and the state.
As for the electric issue, Fromang said it is “not as simple as some people would believe.”
He expects a potential sale to take years of negotiations and study before the Public Service Commission can make a decision as to whether “the marriage is even possible.”
Fromang joins fellow candidates running for four seats on the city council, including Al Benkert, Tracy Carroll, Craig Fletcher, Richard Kennedy, Jay Kramer, Michael Thomas, and Pilar Turner.
Incumbents Mayor Kevin Sawnick and Vice Mayor Sabe Abell have also filed to run. Councilman Tom White has announced he will not be running for another term on the council.
Councilman Ken Daige, who was appointed to fill ousted Vero Beach City Councilman Charlie Wilson’s seat, has pulled the paperwork to run in the election, according to City Clerk Tammy Vock, but has yet to file it.
