Council Structure and Composition
Sebastian's legislative authority rests with a five-member City Council that serves as the city's governing body. As documented by the City of Sebastian's official Council page, the Mayor and Vice Mayor are not directly elected to those offices by voters — rather, they are chosen from among the seated council members at a special organizational meeting held after each annual election. This internal selection process means the titles of Mayor and Vice Mayor rotate among council members following each election cycle.
The City Council also carries a second institutional role: by resolution, the full council serves as the governing board of the Sebastian Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), overseeing CRA projects and budgets in addition to the council's standard legislative functions. Day-to-day administration of the city is delegated to a professional City Manager under a Council-Manager form of government.
Current Officials
As of April 30, 2026, the five seated council members are Bob McPartlan, Fred Jones, Christopher Nunn, Ed Dodd, and Sherrie Matthews, as confirmed by the City of Sebastian's Council page and reporting by the Sebastian Daily. Bob McPartlan holds the position of Mayor; Fred Jones serves as Vice Mayor. Both designations were confirmed by the same sources as current through April 2026, superseding earlier reporting in which Jones was identified as Mayor.
Sherrie Matthews joined the council in September 2025, filling a vacancy, as reported by the Sebastian Daily. Her addition brought the council back to its full five-member complement. Paul Carlisle continues to serve as City Manager — a position he has held since 2018, as confirmed by the City Manager page and a Sebastian Daily report on his continuation in the role.
Roles and Responsibilities
Under Sebastian's Council-Manager structure, the City Council sets policy, approves the budget, and provides direction to City Manager Paul Carlisle, who oversees daily municipal operations. The council's legislative reach covers the city's full suite of direct services — police, public works, parks and recreation, the Sebastian Municipal Airport, growth management, and building services — as documented by the City of Sebastian's official website. Services not under city jurisdiction include fire and emergency medical services, water, and wastewater, which are managed by Indian River County, and electric power, which is provided by Florida Power and Light.
Because the City Council doubles as the CRA board, the same five members who vote on the general city budget also govern the Community Redevelopment Agency's project expenditures and annual CRA budget, per the Sebastian CRA page. This consolidated structure means decisions about downtown redevelopment and targeted infrastructure investment flow through the same elected body as general municipal legislation. The council convenes on a schedule published through the city's Meetings Calendar.
Recent Council Activity
Growth management emerged as a prominent council concern in 2025 and into 2026. Florida state legislators advanced bills that would override local zoning authority over building heights and residential density, a development the Sebastian Daily reported generated discussion at the Sebastian City Council about the city's ability to manage growth in response to resident concerns. A February 2026 WQCS report documented the council discussing options for limiting growth amid state-level pressure to reduce local land-use control.
The council also adopted Ordinance O-25-06 in 2025, an accessory dwelling unit ordinance that addressed the city's documented housing affordability gap. The city's 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, submitted to HUD, notes that a two-bedroom unit at 2024 Fair Market Rent levels requires a housing wage of $24.31 per hour — compared to a median hourly wage of $19.28 in Indian River County — as documented by the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan. On the infrastructure side, the council oversaw completion of Taxiway Golf at Sebastian Municipal Airport in January 2026, following the delivery of three new hangars in May 2025 and the rehabilitation of Runway 5-23 in Summer 2024, per the city's Infrastructure Improvements page.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Population (25,759), median age (57.6), median household income ($68,863), median home value ($281,700), median gross rent ($1,414), owner-occupancy rate (83.5%), labor force participation (51.4%), poverty rate (9.4%), unemployment rate (8.5%), educational attainment (16.9% bachelor's or higher)
- Sebastian, FL | Official Website https://www.cityofsebastian.org/ Used for: City services (police, public works, parks/recreation, airport, growth management, building); fire/EMS and water/wastewater managed by Indian River County; FPL as electric provider; city incorporation as Town of Sebastian
- Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge — About Us | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service https://www.fws.gov/refuge/pelican-island/about-us Used for: Establishment of Pelican Island as first federal bird reservation on March 14, 1903 by President Roosevelt; historical inhabitation by Ais people; designation as wilderness by Congress in 1970
- Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service https://www.fws.gov/refuge/pelican-island Used for: Refuge created in 1903 to protect last remaining nesting habitat for brown pelicans on America's East Coast; 5,400+ acres of protected waters and lands; location near Sebastian, Florida
- Pelican Island and the Start of the National Wildlife Refuge System — NPS/USFWS brochure https://npshistory.com/brochures/nwr/pelican-island-story.pdf Used for: Paul Kroegel's arrival in Sebastian in 1881; his role protecting nesting birds on Pelican Island; role of American Ornithologists' Union and Florida Audubon Society in establishing the refuge
- History of Pelican Island NWR — Pelican Island Conservation Society http://www.firstrefuge.org/history-of-pelican-island-nwr Used for: Indian River Lagoon described as most biologically diverse estuary in the United States; 1970 congressional wilderness designation
- Sebastian Inlet State Park — Experiences & Amenities | Florida State Parks https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/sebastian-inlet-state-park/experiences-amenities Used for: Over three miles of ocean-facing beaches; park activities including fishing, surfing, and beachcombing; park location (10 miles south of Melbourne Beach, 6 miles north of Vero Beach); park size (755 acres)
- Sebastian Inlet State Park | Florida State Parks https://www.floridastateparks.org/Sebastian-Inlet Used for: Description of park features; two on-site museums (McLarty Treasure Museum, Sebastian Fishing Museum); 1715 Spanish fleet historical context
- Economic Development at Sebastian Airport | City of Sebastian, FL https://www.cityofsebastian.org/382/Economic-Development-at-Sebastian-Airport Used for: City Economic Development Plan centered on Sebastian Airport; tax incentives available from city and county
- Infrastructure Improvements | City of Sebastian, FL https://www.sebastianpd.org/168/Infrastructure-Improvements Used for: FDOT/FAA Runway 5-23 rehabilitation completed Summer 2024; Florida DOT grant for three new hangars completed May 2025; Taxiway Golf construction completed January 2026
- About Sebastian Inlet District — Sebastian Inlet District https://www.sitd.us/about-sebastian-inlet-district Used for: Sebastian Inlet generates $1.1 billion annually to the regional economy per Balmoral Group commissioned study
- Frequently Asked Questions — Sebastian Inlet District https://www.sitd.us/frequently-asked-questions Used for: FY 2024-2025 ad valorem tax rate; assessments generated $5.9M in FY 2024-2025 in support of Sebastian Inlet District operations
- Annual Action Plan 2024-2025 | City of Sebastian, FL https://www.sebastianpd.org/DocumentCenter/View/2610/DRAFT-2024-2025-Annual-Action-Plan Used for: CDBG FY2025 allocation of $105,116; housing rehabilitation focus for low-to-moderate income residents
- 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan | City of Sebastian, FL https://www.sebastianpd.org/DocumentCenter/View/3066/DRAFT-2025-2029-Consilidated-Plan Used for: HUD 2024 Fair Market Rent requiring $24.31/hour housing wage; Indian River County median hourly wage of $19.28/hour; housing affordability gap documentation
- City Council | Sebastian, FL — Official Website https://www.cityofsebastian.org/266/City-Council Used for: Mayor and Vice Mayor elected from among seated council members at special meeting after election; City Council governance structure
- Sebastian Community Redevelopment Agency | City of Sebastian, FL https://www.cityofsebastian.org/246/Sebastian-Community-Redevelopment-Agency Used for: City Council designated as the CRA board by resolution; CRA oversight of projects and budget
- Meetings Calendar | City of Sebastian, FL https://www.cityofsebastian.org/369/Meeting-Calendar Used for: Riverview Park as venue for recurring public events including River Days Festival and other community gatherings
- Florida lawmakers advance bills potentially stripping local zoning powers — Sebastian Daily https://www.sebastiandaily.com/business/florida-lawmakers-push-housing-bills-that-could-override-local-growth-limits-in-sebastian-vero-beach-89928/ Used for: Mayor Fred Jones's response to resident overbuilding concerns; state legislative effort to limit local zoning control over building heights and residential density
- Salvage Crews Recover Over 1,000 Silver Coins From 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet Wreck — Sebastian Daily https://www.sebastiandaily.com/business/salvage-crews-recover-over-1000-silver-coins-from-1715-spanish-treasure-fleet-wreck-84591/ Used for: Ongoing salvage of 1715 fleet wrecks under state oversight and archaeological protocols; recovery of 1,000+ silver coins and five gold coins; state oversight context
- Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge became the first national refuge — Florida Historical Society https://myfloridahistory.org/date-in-history/march-14-1903/pelican-island-national-wildlife-became-first-national-refuge Used for: March 14, 1903 designation of Pelican Island as first national wildlife refuge; east-central Florida Treasure Coast historical context
- Celebrating Sebastian: A Big Small Town — Vero Beach Magazine https://verobeachmagazine.com/features/celebrating-sebastian-a-big-small-town/ Used for: Citation of local historian Ellen Stanley, author of 'Pioneering Sebastian and Roseland'; Sebastian centennial coverage (2024)
- Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge — Indian River Lagoon Encyclopedia https://indianriverlagoonnews.org/guide/index.php/Pelican_Island_National_Wildlife_Refuge Used for: Refuge supports important bird rookeries and fish spawning habitat; land purchase history beginning 1990; current refuge size approximately 5,445 acres