News Analysis
Political newcomer Aaron Vos would appear to be the only hope that today’s Vero Beach electorate – with many new voters – will not accidentally return to office a failed City Council member that voters booted from office over a decade ago.
Assuming that voters re-elect Council Members John Carroll and Linda Moore, as seems likely, to two of the three spots that are up in this November’s election, that leaves three candidates running for the remaining seat being vacated by Tracey Zudans.
The two oft-rejected candidates from the past seeking to replace her are former council members Ken Daige and Brian Heady.
Daige, 70, was elected to the City Council in 2006, but his term was dogged by controversy. When he sought re-election, he finished last in 2008, then lost again in 2009. And after a bizarre interim appointment to the Council in 2010, voters ousted him once more that November – and he has been out of office since.
Ironically, Daige was even topped in the 2009 election by Heady, a perennial candidate and long a disruptive figure, who rode a wave of voter discontent over sky-high Vero Beach Electric bills to victory in the only one of many tries for office where he was ever elected. Heady, was then turned out by voters in the next Council election two years later.
Heady, now 76, and Daige are both hoping to prevail for that third Council seat over new candidate Vos, a 63-year-old retired-but-still-working management and technical consultant for the RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon, a major defense contractor).
Vos, who moved to Vero from California five years ago and lives in Castaway Cove, has never held public office.
But in recent weeks, he has been busily educating himself on the operations he would oversee and issues he would confront if elected in November.
“I can’t do a proper job if I don’t know how the city works and have an understanding of the issues and challenges I’d be dealing with,” Vos said last week.
“Some people might think I need to serve on committees first, but I’ve always been a quick learner and I’m making sure I’ll be ready to hit the ground running,” he added.
Since deciding in August to seek a Council seat on the Nov. 5 ballot, he has been taking crash courses in city government, Vero Beach history and local politics, especially as those subjects pertain to current events.
Not only has Vos spent hours introducing himself to voters and engaging with representatives of local civic organizations – among them were the Indian River Neighborhood Association and Clean Water Coalition of Indian River County – but he said he also had met with all five current City Council members.
Vos said he has enjoyed several conversations with Mayor John Cotugno, but he had spoken only briefly with outgoing Council Member Zudans and hoped to meet with her again.
He said he planned to meet for a second time with Council Member Taylor Dingle earlier this week.
“I’ve also started contacting some previous council members, as I go through my history lessons,” Vos said, adding that he already had spoken with Rey Neville, who served two terms before leaving the dais last year.
“Move forward,” he said, “by drawing from the lessons of the past.”
To that end, Vos said he has not been satisfied to simply attend recent council meetings. He also has watched video replays of past meetings, going back as far as 2008.
This week, he will accompany City Manager Monte Falls as he meets with directors and department heads, “just to see how he runs his shop.”
As for venturing into the world of politics, Vos participated in a Taxpayers Association-sponsored City Council candidates forum last month at the Vero Beach Yacht Club – and he admitted his debut could’ve been better.
“The questions were appropriate for the big issues, but, being a rookie, I probably could’ve projected more when I spoke,” Vos said. “I’m used to talking in front of large groups that included high-ranking Defense Department officials, but then I was speaking with more depth and breadth of knowledge.
“This was my first time speaking as a candidate,” he added. “I was a little nervous. As I continue to familiarize with things, I’m becoming more comfortable and confident talking about them.”
To be sure, Vos supports the city’s plans to develop the Three Corners site on the mainland’s waterfront, relocate the municipal wastewater treatment plant to the airport, and revitalize the downtown core by increasing residential density.
He’s also concerned about the health of the Indian River Lagoon and embraces the city’s efforts to prioritize septic-to-sewer conversions, implement stormwater nutrient-elimination upgrades and improving re-use water management.
Another of his priorities is the city’s long-term financial well-being.
On his campaign website, Vos states he supports “promoting frugality while ensuring that critical maintenance, upgrades and safety investments are not overlooked,” adding that the city needs to work collaboratively with the county to address the impacts of residential growth and traffic.
Mostly, though, Vos’ interactions with the community have produced one constant refrain:
Preserve Vero Beach’s small-town feel.
“That message has come across loud and clear, which I completely understand,” he said. “And I agree with it.”
In fact, it was the community’s small-town charm and ambiance that attracted Vos and his wife, Pia, to Vero Beach.
Vos grew up in the Los Angeles area and, after spending four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and then graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in electrical engineering, he worked for Raytheon for three decades.
He retired in 2017, but he continues to work for the company, which merged with United Technologies in 2020 and was rebranded as RTX last year, as an independent contractor.
For the past six years, he has been traveling the country as a troubleshooter.
Last summer, however, Vos said he notified the company of his plans to reduce his workload to a few hours per week. If elected, he said he plans to dedicate his full attention to the city.
He said he never considered entering politics, but his neighbors here urged him to run.
“I don’t think of myself as a politician,” Vos said. “I’m running because my wife and I love Vero Beach, I want to give back to the community we call home, and I believe I can make a difference.”
Vos’ experience in the defense industry included overseeing a $1.1 billion program and a background that, according to his website, “is directly applicable to addressing civic issues, projects and financial challenges.”
He said his expertise in evaluating budgets, schedules, proposals and contracts for large and complex projects would prove valuable, especially as the city moves forward with the planned Three Corners development and relocation of its wastewater treatment plan off the lagoon.
“That’s the main reason I’m running: I know I can help,” Vos said. “I don’t know that any of the non-incumbents running has that capability. I also believe my background and skill set would complement those of the mayor and current City Council members.
“I think I’d fit right in with them.”
The mayor thinks so, too.
“He possesses the kind of experience and expertise we need going forward with several major projects,” Cotugno said. “I think he’d be a strong addition to the council.”
The biggest challenge Vos must overcome in his race against the two incumbents and two former council members is name recognition.
“The other candidates certainly have more name recognition than I do, but that can be a double-edged sword,” Vos said. “I’m getting out there, asking questions and listening to people, but if someone wants to talk to me about what my positions are and why, they can call me.
“The people who vote should know my positions on issues,” he added. “They also should know I will not waffle on principles. That said, I’m not afraid to change my position if someone provides compelling information.
“I view criticism as a learning experience.”