VERO BEACH — Former Vero Beach City Councilman Brian Heady has been removed from his seat on the city’s Utility Commission for uttering a word the City Council deemed inappropriate at the May 8 committee meeting.
During an exchange with Utilities Commission Chair Scott Stradley, a local CPA, Heady got frustrated and said what was going on was “bull****.”
Councilwoman Tracy Carroll said Stradley told her he was upset by the exchange and that she had received numerous calls and some correspondence from unnamed people who were “extremely upset” about Heady’s behavior.
Vice Mayor Craig Fletcher said the removal was a matter of principle.
“I think we need to stand up and take action on this, it was totally inappropriate,” Fletcher said.
Councilman Dick Winger suggested some type of rebuke short of removal “because the individual does really have the ability.”
Councilman Jay Kramer sided with Winger and ultimately voted against the removal. He said the council members who appointed Heady bear a share of the blame.
“I like the idea of censure,” Kramer said. “I think you guys knew what kind of individual you were putting in that position.”
Fletcher retorted that he could not accept anything short of removal.
“You have to drive a stake in the ground sometimes,” he said.
After the decision, Heady, who had been at the council meeting but had left to watch the balance of the proceedings at home with his wife, was unapologetic.
“Thank you very much City Council,” he said with more than a hint of sarcasm.
Heady said that, in retrospect, he probably could have chosen his words more carefully, but that his vivid language accurately depicted what was going on at the meeting.
Since joining the committee in December, Heady said he had felt that Stradley had repeatedly “shut him down” during meetings. Over the past few months, Heady had complained that Stradley had also curtailed public comment before the committee.
At previous council meetings before being elected, Heady said he had expressed a similar sentiment but did not get in trouble because he said “bovine feces” instead of using the more earthy nomenclature.
