Sebastian City Government Guide

Sebastian city government is a five-member City Council that sets policy at Sebastian City Hall and appoints City Manager Brian Benton to run daily operations.

City Attorney James Stokes is the city legal advisor under the City Charter, and City Clerk Jane Garcia is the charter officer who serves as Clerk to the Council (City Attorney, City Clerk). Each Sebastian council seat carries a two-year term, and elections are non-partisan and at-large, with two seats chosen in even-numbered years and three in odd-numbered years (City of Sebastian City Council). Voters never pick the mayor directly. The council chooses its Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its own members at a special meeting after each election, so the titles can change every November. In October 2026 the council is Mayor Fred Jones, Vice Mayor Bob McPartlan and members Christopher Nunn, Ed Dodd and Sherrie Matthews, and its regular meetings fall on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month (City Council).

The City Manager is appointed by the Sebastian City Council and serves as the chief operating officer, running day to day operations; Brian Benton holds the job and his office answers at 772-388-8203 (City Manager). James Stokes is City Attorney at 772-388-8201, extension 8201 (City Attorney). Jane Garcia, MMC, is the City Clerk, a charter officer who serves as clerk to the council and as the city elections official (City Clerk).

Change is close. Two council seats are filled in even-numbered years (City Council), and the Indian River County Supervisor of Elections lists Election Day as November 3, 2026, with early voting from October 19 to 31 at Sebastian City Hall and three Vero Beach sites (Indian River County Supervisor of Elections). The newly seated council then elects a Mayor and Vice Mayor from its own members. The Sebastian elected officials guide lists each member with phone numbers and term years, the Sebastian city charter guide explains what the charter officers may and may not do, and the Sebastian council meetings guide covers agendas and special sessions.

Sebastian City Hall is at 1225 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed every day for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m.

The hours and the lunch closure are printed in the contact block on the City of Sebastian home page (City of Sebastian). The lunch hour catches people out: a permit question carried to the Main Street counter at 12:15 p.m. waits until 1:00 p.m. The Sebastian Police Department, home of the Code Enforcement Unit, is at 1201 Main Street, with a non-emergency line of 772-589-5233 (Sebastian Police Department).

Sources for the table: City Manager, City Clerk, City Attorney, Building / Business Tax and Code Enforcement. The Sebastian City Hall guide lists the other offices in the building, and the Sebastian city jobs guide covers Human Resources.

The City of Sebastian handles police, building permits, code enforcement and garbage service through WM, while Indian River County Utilities handles water and sewer accounts, the county Tax Collector takes property tax payments and the Board of County Commissioners is based in Vero Beach.

Curbside garbage became a required service for every City of Sebastian residence when WM began universal curbside collection on July 1, 2023, and the city took over garbage billing on October 1, 2024 (City of Sebastian garbage information). Water and sewer service applications and bills go through Indian River County Utilities, which keeps a Sebastian Customer Service Office in Sebastian Corners Plaza at 1921 US Highway 1, open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, phone (772) 770-5300 (Indian River County Utilities).

That same Sebastian Corners plaza on U.S. 1 also holds the Indian River County Tax Collector's Sebastian Office, which offers driver license and motorist services, property tax and local business tax payments (Indian River County Tax Collector). A Sebastian resident can settle a utility bill and a property tax bill in one stop without driving to Vero Beach.

County policy is made at the Indian River County Administration Complex, 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach, and the county lists general office hours of 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday (Indian River County Board of County Commissioners). The Sebastian guide to the Indian River County Commission explains how the commission works, the Sebastian Inlet District guide covers the special taxing district that maintains the inlet channel, and the Sebastian city departments guide sorts every remaining service by who provides it.

A Sebastian general building permit costs $90 for work valued at $3,000 or less, with a minimum of two inspections and $45 for each additional inspection, and the fee climbs by valuation tier above that.

The City of Sebastian schedule charges $90 for the first $3,000 plus $11.50 for each added thousand up to $50,000, $630 for the first $50,000 plus $8.50 for each added thousand up to $100,000, and $1,055 for the first $100,000 plus $5.50 for each added thousand up to $500,000 (General Building Permit fees). The Building Department takes applications through the MGO portal or by email and answers at 772-589-5537 (Building / Business Tax).

A 2026 state change lets some small Sebastian jobs skip the permit. House Bill 803 of the 2026 legislative session amended Florida Statute 553.79 so that certain single-family work valued under $7,500 can be exempted from a permit; the owner or contractor files the Single-Family Dwelling Exemption Request Form, and the city charges a $45 non-refundable review fee (City of Sebastian permit exemption). The exemption does not cover structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing or gas work, property partly or wholly in a Flood Hazard Area,, fences on properties with swimming pools, or anything other than a single-family home. Work valued at more than $5,000 still needs a recorded Notice of Commencement under Florida Statute 713.13, permit or not.

Business owners deal with the same Building Department for Local Business Tax Receipts. City of Sebastian receipts go on sale July 1, are due by September 30 and turn delinquent after that, with a 10 percent penalty for October and 5 percent more for each later month, capped at 25 percent of the tax (Local Business Tax Receipt Information). The Sebastian building permit fees guide prints the full fee table, and separate Sebastian guides cover inspections, roofs and shutters, fences, sheds and pools, solar panels, docks and seawalls, signs, tree removal, impact fees and home-based businesses.

The Sebastian City Manager prepares the annual budget, and on October 14, 2026 the city's Budget Information page still listed the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Approved Budget Book as current, beside a draft fiscal year 27 budget book dated September 8, 2026.

The City Manager's page describes Sebastian as a Council-Manager government with an annual budget of approximately $25 million, and lists budget preparation among the manager's duties alongside carrying out council policy (City Manager). The official record lags the budget calendar. Until an adopted 2026-27 book is posted, the September 8 draft on the City of Sebastian Budget Information page is the most detailed public picture of Sebastian spending.

The city rate is one line on the property tax bill paid to the Indian River County Tax Collector. Its Sebastian Office at Sebastian Corners, 1921 U.S. Highway 1, takes property tax and local business tax payments; the lobby closes daily from noon to 1 p.m., but drive thru service continues through the lunch hour (Indian River County Tax Collector). The Sebastian property taxes guide walks through the whole bill, the Sebastian city budget guide covers the General Fund and capital plan, and other Sebastian guides cover senior and veteran exemptions, tangible personal property tax, Value Adjustment Board appeals, tax certificate sales and the audited annual financial report.

A Sebastian code violation is reported to the Code Enforcement Unit of the Sebastian Police Department on the 24-hour hotline, 772-388-4436, option 1, and the person complaining must give a name and address.

The City of Sebastian states that Florida law prohibits anonymous complaints, that staff need the complainant's name and address before investigating, and that hotline messages are followed up by the next business day (City of Sebastian Code Enforcement). Complaints are public records under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, so a complaint filed through the Sebastian hotline is open to public records requests. Complaints can also be filed with the city online complaint form.

Most Sebastian code cases trace to a specific rule with its own guide. The Sebastian guides on boat and RV parking, noise and nuisance, backyard chickens, the fertilizer ordinance, vacation rental registration and accessory dwelling units each give the rule and the fine. Land use questions go to the Sebastian guides on zoning districts, planning and zoning, variances and conditional use permits, and public works questions to the guides on road paving, sidewalks and drainage projects.

Last verified: October 14, 2026, on the City of Sebastian website.