VERO BEACH — Saying he believed the chances of hammering out a deal with Florida Power & Light that meets the approval of a dozen or so different agencies before the end of 2016 were slim to none, Vero Beach City Councilman Dick Winger on Tuesday proposed pulling the voter referendum on the matter from the March election until matters that are in flux could be sorted out.
Voters, Winger said, need to go to the polls with a clear knowledge of what is at stake if the city sells the utility.
Winger who still stands by the concept of the sale, said it is his job to protect the taxpayers and residents.
He did not get enough support to pull the referendum.
Winger also tried without success to get council members Tracy Carroll, Pilar Turner and Mayor Craig Fletcher to consider delaying the Feb. 19 decision to sign the purchase and sales agreement with FP&L. In that case, he cited similar concerns.
Winger and Councilman Jay Kramer have consistently questioned the contracts and way the city has gone about negotiating the sale. Kramer was absent from the meeting due to a family emergency.
Aside from some public comment, there was little discussion on the matter.
The City Council will meet again on Feb. 12 to hammer out the FP&L deal as well as a number of issues that need to be sorted out before a sale could be done.
