UPDATE: On Wednesday, Brian Heady filed paperwork and paid the qualifying fee to challenge Commissioner Bob Solari for the District 5 County Commission seat in the Aug. 14 Republican primary. Noon Friday is the qualifying deadline for county offices.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY —Former Vero Beach City Councilman Brian Heady announced on Sunday he is running for the 5th District County Commission Seat now held by Bob Solari.
“I don’t see a candidate in that race that holds views consistent with mine and with many of the taxpayers in that district,” Heady says.
“I have watched the votes Bob Solari has taken on the commission over the past four years and they are not consistent with what I believe. Tax dollars need to be spent by government authorities for governmental purposes.”
Heady cites Solari’s support of a $2.5 million expenditure for field expansion at the Vero Beach Sports Village in 2011 as an example of misguided spending.
The county owns the Sports Village but it was leased and operated by Minor League Baseball at the time of the expenditure.
“When the Sports Village came to the County Commission with their hand out last year because their business model wasn’t working out, Bob Solari supported giving them the money,” Heady says. “That is not what taxpayer money is for. If taxpayers want to support a private business, they can buy stock.”
A long-time government critic, Heady was elected to the Vero Beach City Council in 2009 despite raising no money for his campaign.
The main issue at the time was rising utility costs in the city, an issue on which Heady had been a harsh critic at City Council meetings and elsewhere.
“What got me elected were not glossy ads,” Heady said at the time. “It was people talking to people. And that is a good thing.”
Heady narrowly lost his bid for reelection to the city council last fall, after again refusing campaign contributions.
He ran as an unaffiliated candidate for the 5th District seat once before in 2008.
In that election, Solari won the August Republican primary and faced off against Heady in the general election in November.
Solari raised $84,388 to fund his race. Heady funded his own race to the tune of $2,950.
Solari won easily, attracting 43,341 votes to Heady’s 16,199.
This time around, Heady is better known and he is accepting contributions.
“I have people who have said they want to contribute and I plan to call on them for help with the $3,000 filing fee,” Heady says. “They know that contributing to my campaign won’t get them any kind of special treatment or exclusivity.”
Heady is running as a Republican this time, so, as of now, the three-way race will be decided in the Aug. 14 primary election.
Beachside Attorney Nicholas D. Thomas filed to run for the 5th District seat in April.
Heady says that prior to filing he sought a sit-down with Nicholas to hear his views and positions but was unable to arrange a meeting.
District 5 includes the Barrier Island south of SR 510 and the mainland east of U.S. 1 south of 45th Street, encompassing the city of Indian River Shores, much of the city of Vero Beach and unincorporated areas south of Vero.
Heady has until noon on Friday to file the paperwork and pay the fee to become a candidate.
