The computer IP address associated with Waechters redistricting survey submission also was the same as the IP address associated with the survey submission that included the Smith map. Two seemingly small proposed changes to Sarasota County School District policies caused a stir at Tuesday's School Board meeting, with several people opposing the changes because of safety concerns. The people of Sarasota County have now told you twice they want direct representation and accountability for county commissioners, Rounds said. Redistricting has been highly contentious, though, with critics accusing commissioners of seeking to redraw the lines for partisan and personal reasons, saying they want to gerrymander the districts in order to maintain total GOP control and ensure incumbents can get reelected. The county is redistricting because, per 2020 census data, theres too large a population gap between the largest and smallest district in the map adopted in 2019. ESPAOL: (833) 912-1316. APN. He served as Vice Chair in 2022 and is serving as Chair for 2023. 1660 Ringling Blvd., Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. They suggested hismaps were drawn with the intent of improving the odds that incumbent Commissioner Christian Ziegler, a Republican, retains his seat on the all-Republican board. Sarasota County commissioners are considering a new map that would drastically change the county's commission district boundary lines and make it easier for Commissioner Christian. Sarasota. Ive been against redistricting and Im going to continue to be against it,Ziegler said. In a meeting that lasted over three hours, the Sarasota County School Board convened Tuesday for . PHONE: (941) 861-8600 FAX: (941) 861-8609 ESPAOL: (833) 912-1316 Its not saying, I want this particular Democratic candidate to win. Its not saying, We want to have five Democratic commissioners. Its to give a chance for more diverse voices to sit on the commission.. Only Ziegler has voted against redistricting, saying the commission should wait until after the 2020 Census, when there will be better population estimates. The schemecould haveundermined Ramirez in a GOP primary by making it look like she supported Democrats. The county is advertising three maps for a Nov. 15 public hearing at which the commission intends to finalize new district boundaries. The Board of County Commissioners consists of five members who serve staggered four-year terms, and no commissioner may serve more than two consecutive terms. He also disputed that there was any attempt to punish Ziegler. When confronted by the Herald-Tribune with evidence that he was the mapmaker, Waechter first denied it. Morans daughter is the executive director of the Sarasota GOP. Waechter pleaded guilty to two crimes, a third-degree felony violation of election laws and a first-degree misdemeanor fraud charge. Sarasota, FL 34236 1660 Ringling Blvd., zambelli hydraulic . PublicComment@sarasotacountyschools.net. For additional information, call 941-861-5000. 0:05. MakingZieglersdistrict instead of Morans district the Democratic-leaning one likely would ensure total GOP control of the commissionuntil Ziegler is up for election in2022, buying time to get rid of single-member districts. If you made a vote-by-mail (absentee) request prior to the November 8, 2022 General Election, it has expired. Tax Collector, Sarasota County 0000005077 00000 n [5] District Court of Appeal Workload and Jurisdiction Assessment Committee, Final Report and . Sarasota County Commission District 4 Republican primary candidates Mark Hawkins and Joe Neunder. Applications must be submitted by March 10, 2023. The email complained that the countys redistricting survey which generated 2,000 responses and comments that overwhelmingly opposed redistricting was being manipulated by the Sarasota County Democratic Party, which had encouraged Democrats to fill out the survey. Both Detert and Moran pressed last week to have the Smith map included as an option for commissioners to consider going forward. Areal estate investor, Waechter has long been highly active in local politics and remains influential despite beingarrested in 2012 for a political dirty trick. After extensive talk about transparency in the redistricting process, the private discussions have rankled some community members. County Commission (BCC) - District 1 - Michael A. Moran District 2 - Mark Smith District 3 - Nancy C. Detert District 4 - Joe Neunder District 5 - Ron Cutsinger Watch County Commission Meetings Commission Calendar Commissioners Email (Public Access Email) Proclamations and Certificates of Recognition Citizen Opinion Survey Redistricting + From more than a dozen maps submitted by the public, the Board on October 26 narrowed down its choice to three. Former Venice City Council member Joe Neunder and home remodeling contractor Mark Hawkins. Moran and Maio did not respond to messages. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. The county intends to finalize the maps it will consider for adoption at the Oct. 26 commission meeting. With a 4-1 vote, the board voted to adopt Alternative Map 1-A, which was developed by the consultant. Local Candidates, Committees & Political Parties, Division of Elections Forms and Publications, Financial Reporting for Parties/Committees, Vote-by-mail requests are currently being accepted. Learn more and submit a new request. The first map adjusts the eastern and southern boundaries of District 2 while splitting most of the current District 4 into two separate districts, with Interstate 75 serving as the dividing line. In 2018, however, 59.9% of the electorate supported a charter amendment creating single-member districts which meant only residents within a district would vote to decide their representative. Note: Individuals with disabilities needing assistance to participate in any of the County Commission proceedings should contact Commission Services at least three working days in advance of the meeting date and time at 941-861-5344. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. Under the new system, commissioners say there is an urgent need to rebalance the districts so they have roughly the same number of residents. What we accept will ultimately tell the tale, not whats submitted or by whom.. Detert then mentioned the map created by whoever Mr. Smith is and noted it shared similarities with other maps submitted by the public. In 2020 in order to take out Atkins to run against Neal's flunky in District 1, three Sarasota County Commissioners (Nancy Detert, Al Maio and Mike Moran) in a 3-2 vote embraced one of the most blatant, racist acts ever seen in Sarasota. Property Appraiser They are appointed by a state commission. 0:57. The Herald-Tribune uncovered Waechters involvement in the Smith map by digging into public records and other clues. TTY: 7-1-1or 1-800-955-8771. The five-member Board of County Commissioners is the legislative and governing body of Lee County, Fla. Each County Commissioner is elected at large for a maximum of three, four-year terms of office. Moran linked the need for redistricting to a 2018 referendum creating single-member districts for the County Commission. Collins spoke at todays meeting and encouraged the county to prioritize fairness and logic during the redistricting process. If single-member districts didnt exist, we wouldnt even be mandated to do these gymnastics, Moran said. As long as hes a citizen of Sarasota County hes entitled to submit a map if he wants to; we dont do a background check on people who submit maps because the ultimate responsibility is ours, Detert said. Smith earned bachelors and masters degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology before returning to Sarasota with his family in 1990. For the latest redistricting effort, the county solicited online map submissions from the public from Oct. 1-11. Now, only voters who live within a district can cast ballots in that race. Sarasota County Schools is a public school district serving all of Sarasota County, Florida. How much are these districts really going to change?. Name Sarasota County Commissioner Suggest Edit Address 1660 Ringling Boulevard, # 2 Sarasota , Florida , 34236 Phone 941-951-5344 Fax 941-861-5338 Hours Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Map of Sarasota County Commissioner Spitzer is using Waechters map as a template for creating a fourth map showing alternative district boundaries. Florida Statute 668.6076. Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), Phillippi Creek Septic System Replacement, Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Proclamations and Certificates of Recognition, Transportation (Hurricane Evacuation Center), A Claim for Property Damage or Personal Injury, Commissioners Email (Public Access Email). A Herald-Tribune reporter received an email from sarasotafactum@gmail.com in 2017. He previously served on the boards of the Coastal and Heartland Estuary Partnership andSuncoast Continuum of Care Leadership Council. This division is notable for two reasons. County District Attorney Adams: Tania M. Bonnett (Ind.) The Democrat will challenge incumbent Commissioner and GOP leader Christian Ziegler. Call 311or941-861-5000 Additionally, Waechter noted his map resembles one submitted by Jono Miller, a Democrat and community activist who ran for the County Commission in 2008. County commissioners justified the 2019 redistricting by saying the previous district map, adopted following the 2010 Census, was out of date. He was one of the first people to fill out the countys online redistricting survey on Sept. 20, giving his real name, email account and phone number. Waechter said he did not draw his map to benefit Moran or Detert and did not speak to either of them or any other commissioner about it. Board members expressed a variety of reasons for rejecting resident submissions, with the most frequent being improperly balanced districts and boundaries that drew a sitting commissioner out of the district they represented. County staff did not respond to a request for comment on its interpretation of redistricting requirements. Although supporters of the 2018 referendum expressed hope that it would make commissioners more responsive to their constituents, the County Commission has expressed disdain for the change. North Sarasota County should be two districts, East and West, Waechter wrote. District State's Attorney Ansonia/Milford Margaret E. Kelley Danbury . Office of the County Attorney Sarasota County GIS Maps are cartographic tools to relay spatial and geographic information for land and property in Sarasota County, Florida. Spitzer then noted that some of the publicmaps have wildly different populations in each commission district and said the Smith version is one that would be easier to work with.. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. GIS stands for Geographic Information System, the field of data management that charts spatial locations. Waechters map, and maps submitted by Miller and others, also reshape commission districts in central and southern Sarasota County. He served as president of the Friends of Elsie Quirk Library and as a member of the Sarasota County Library Advisory Board. I dont want to put words in your mouth, are you suggesting that that bottom middle one would be the easiest I dont want to put words in your mouth on this are you suggesting that bottom middle one is the easiest one to get to zero or as close to zero? Moran said, referencing the Smith map and Spitzers assertion that it did the best job of evening out the population in each district. Single-member districts brought this contentious nature about, Moran said. Spitzer said he drew his proposal for new district boundaries in an effort to create adequate balance while still largely maintaining the 2019 map. Waechters map divides northern Sarasota County into two districts, with one covering coastal areas to the west (District 2) and another covering inland areas to the east (District 1). The public can offer public comment in person or by emailing comments to the following email address the day before and the day of the meetings prior to the Board Meeting. An active water sports enthusiast, Cutsinger enjoys scuba diving, fishing, boating and kayaking. Each November, the Board elects a Chairman who serves as its . Article does not exist or Permission Denied. SARASOTA OFFICE Terrace Building 101 S. Washington Blvd. FAX: (941) 861-8609 The county agreed to have consultant Kurt Spitzer and Associates draw alternative maps that sought to minimize disruption to existing boundaries. The county used a resident submission as the basis for the redrawn boundaries in 2019, though redistricting consultant Kurt Spitzer said the map did not adhere to traditional principles. Sarasota County commissioners are hoping to overturn the way the five-member local government board is elected, by only voters in the district where they live. We will be back here in 2023.. Waechters pairs most of North port with Englewood in District 5. But its also notable that Ziegler is not up for re-election until 2022, so the boundaries for that district could be changed again after the 2020 Census to make it more Republican. He represents the Commission on the Bay Park Improvement Board, Jewish Family and Children's Service of the Suncoast, Sarasota County Veterans Commission, Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership, and the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization. See the latest local and state politics news, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. North Port voters could be inclined to favorhaving afellow city resident on the board for the first time in years. Thats exactly the map that was submitted by Agood Citizen, aka Adam Smith. We were right to do it before, Detert said. The similarity between Waechters map, the Miller map and others submitted by the public could be seen as evidence that there were no partisan intentions behind the redistricting effort. Florida Statute 668.6076. ESPAOL: (833) 912-1316, PHONE: (941) 861-3760 Bike and Walking Routes; Environmental Permit; . Video is also available below following the meeting. We are now mandated to look at it every odd year. Sarasota City Commissioner Hagen Brody announced he's running for the District 2 seat on the Sarasota County . Sarasota Schools superintendent addresses gender guidelines, character program at board meeting. Your signature is used to check vote-by-mail ballots, petitions and other election-related documents that require a valid voter signature. During the process of considering new district maps for county elections Tuesday, the County Commission defended its controversial decision to redistrict ahead of the 2020 census and. When youre allowing anonymity that lacks transparency and allows people to question the motives behind the lines, said Gonzalez-Eilert. It turns out that its not the republicans at all that are the biggest utilizers of PACs in Sarasota, not by a long shot, wrote the individual, who identified himself as John even though Gmail also identified him as Adam Smith in that email. He represents the Commission on the boards of the Economic Development Council of Sarasota County, Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization, West Coast Inland Navigation District, Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, and Visit Sarasota. Code Enforcement (Development Services) Collection Sites (landfill) Compliance (and Ethics) Contact Center (one-stop for county information, 861-5000) The computer IP address a numeric designation that identifies its location on the internet associated with Waechters Herald-Tribune comment is the same as the IP address for roughly 20 other comments, most from an account that uses the sarasotafactum@gmail.com email address. When Sarasota County voters in amending the county charter moved last year from a system that elects commissioners countywide to one that only allows voters in each commission district to cast ballots in a race, Morans reelection prospects dimmed. Map to History Center. Although some commissioners have stood by the decision to adopt a new map in 2019, critics said the population imbalance reflected poorly on the choice to redistrict without detailed Census information. The map I came up with is balanced, fair and, with some minor adjustments, meets the criteria set out by commissioners, Waechter wrote. They selected this map over two. The adopted 2019 map was based on a submission from resident Bob Waechter, former chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota County another aspect of the previous redistricting effort that drew criticism. For Sale: 3 beds, 2 baths 1647 sq. 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