INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Board of County Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday morning not to sunset an ordinance change allowing local taverns and restaurants to serve alcohol until 2 a.m., one hour past the previous 1 a.m. closing time.
The County had extended the time on a trial basis last year after the City of Vero Beach extended the alcohol service time within the city limits to 2 a.m., as county officials did not want business owners in the unincorporated county to lose revenue to those a few blocks away in Vero.
Sheriff Deryl Loar reported no significant uptick in criminal activity that could be connected to the extra hour of drinking, saying that his records show an 8 percent increase in traffic crashes and a 7 percent increase in DUI arrests overall, but no major negative effects on the public or on his agency.
“We didn’t have any major catastrophic evidence to prove it’s had any significant impact,” Loar said.
Commissioner Joe Flescher suggested that the changes seen are the same as with Daylight Savings Time fluctuation, but more permanent.
“Quite frankly, I think it does help the tourist trade and the community as a whole,” Flescher said.
Chairman Wesley Davis and Commissioner Peter O’Bryan joked that it doesn’t really make a difference to the men sitting on the dais, as their bedtime comes way earlier than 2 a.m.
“Does anybody out there stay up that late?” Davis posed to the audience in chambers and got a laugh in response.
Commissioner Tim Zorc voted against extending the time, as he did last year.