Florida's unemployment rate in June was 6.2, lower than the national unemployment rate or that of neighboring states. At the peak of the recession, Florida held one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. 

With two seats opened up by term limits, the Sarasota County Commission contests this year have drawn out a significant number if high-profile candidates, and the upcoming Republican parties are proving a lesson in contrasts.

In the District 2 race, Sarasota City Commissioners Paul Caragiulo and Shannon Snyder are both leaving their current jobs for a chance to succeed Joe Barbetta representing the region in the County Administration Building instead of City Hall. 

Caragiulo jumped into the contest early, quickly picking up Barbetta's endorsement and that of a number of establishment leaders. He is hoping his record both as a businessman and advocate of commerce interests will earn him the higher office. Through the season, he has stressed his history of developing relationships with leaders on other governmental bodies and among professional groups. "I've demonstrated I'm willing to meet and work with anyone," he said. "But I follow the this rule: if I don't piss you off at least once, then I'm not doing my job."

Snyder in contrast has stressed his willingness to speak his mind, along with his fiscally conservative credentials. He touts a history as the only member of the Sarasota City Commission today who never voted for a tax increase, and said his background as a sheriff's deputy and reputation for spotlighting problems within government matter at a point when ethics is top of mind regarding county politics. "It takes a certain toughness to watch money, and I have demonstrated that," he said. Dismissal of a county ethics officer and a perception that ethics is disregarded at the county level needs to be addressed immediately, he said, and he expects that message will resonate right now.

As for the District 4 contest, two regular players in county government are now seeking elected office. Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations President Lourdes Ramirez and former Sarasota County Planning Commissioner Alan Maio bye to succeed Nora Patterson.

Ramirez also feels citizens have shown concern about ethics. Her major focus as an activist in the past year, though, has been the reopening of the Sarasota County 2050 comprehensive plan, an issue she said there is surprising interest in among voters. "They are concerned about what is being proposed," she said. "They may not know all the details but they are concerned about over-development and who is paying for all of the infrastructure." She thinks voters are ready for someone new who will be out for the citizens first. 

Maio, of course, also feels he has the public's best interest in mind, but supports the proposed changes to 2050 on the grounds it will allow for positive commercial growth in the region. Some rules like fiscal neutrality have hampered financing for builders, he said."A developer or investor needs to know where he will stand," he said. He stressed developers will still cover much of the cost of products through impact fees and other measures. Maio said his experience, as a planning commission and also as a Gov. Jeb Bush-appointed member of the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council for two terms, give him the expertise to strike the right balance in rule making.

The Republican primary is scheduled Aug. 26 and open to Republican voters in Sarasota County. The winner of the Maio-Ramirez contest faces Democrat Ray Porter and no-party-affiliation candidate John Minder in November, while the winner of the Snyder-Caragiulo race will face nonpartisan candidate Alexandra Coe and two write-in candidates in November. 

New College of Florida continued a year of prominent accolades with its selection as a “Best Buy” college – one of just 44 in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom – in the respected Fiske Guide to Colleges for 2015. The Fiske “Best Buy” colleges must meet the guide’s criteria for a top four- or five-star academic rating, and be in its moderate or low-price groupings. The guide, founded by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, is in 31^st year. 

New College of Florida

Goodwill Manasota will open its latest store next week, Jul. 17, on the corner of 51st and U.S. 301. The 35,866-square-foot retail store with a 24-hour drive-thru donation center includes a boutique section and a unique “treasure island”, which showcases featured items. In keeping with the principles of green and energy-efficient designs, the campus will feature a variety of eco-friendly initiatives, such as electric car charging stations, a bike and scooter parking area and SCAT and MCAT transit stations. 

Goodwill Manasota

School grades for elementary and middle schools were released by the Florida Department of Education, showing that eighteen Sarasota County schools retained their A grades from last year and five schools rose from B to A: Cranberry Elementary in North Port, Garden Elementary in Venice, Gulf Gate Elementary in Sarasota, Imagine School at North Port and Venice Middle School. The Sarasota County School District maintained its overall A grade, one of only 10 of the 67 countywide school districts in the state to achieve the highest grade possible. It is one of only five Florida school districts that has received an A every year since 2004.  

Sarasota County Schools

Your misinterpretation of my letter is unfortunate because there are a few key components of your response that can be construed as an attack towards a particular group of individuals or demographic.

First, I appreciate the response because that was the very basis of the letter. Dialog with our young citizens of Sarasota who don’t necessarily have the time to be chanting in commission meetings and debating over every ridiculous debate that surfaces in our city. However, your letter is also insulting if you’re insinuating that our demographic (ages 21-40) doesn’t understand government and the importance of citizen participation. As a demographic, we represent many forms of leadership throughout this country both publicly and privately. Many of the businesses in Sarasota are ran by individuals demonstrating leadership everyday and because of their 60-plus work weeks, don’t have time to debate the various topics regarding Sarasota. Instead, they are looking to young leadership to be their voice in this community. 

I’m still pondering the notion that my organization, assuming you mean the Young Professionals of Sarasota, has close ties to the change of the city charter. Our organization has not and will not take a position on this particular issue. The goal of our organization is to begin dialog and engagement, no matter what side of the fence you’re on. Our members are far too diverse for our organization to take a stance on an issue. We believe we have a voice in our community and are simply requesting the opportunity to be that voice for our individuals that lack opportunity to sit with groups of people and share their thoughts.

Lastly, your suggestion that there’s a prejudice against our seniors in this community is despicable. If you recall in my letter, I openly state the importance of our older generation and the wisdom they bring to this community. However, I share the thoughts of many when I say how unsatisfied we are when it’s the same 5-10 retired individuals who have taken it upon themselves to be a full-time community activist because they have nothing better to do. Unfortunately, since we are working and managing families, we don’t have the manpower to sit in on “every” debate that affects Sarasota. We have many great individuals who serve as mentors to many members of our demographic, including myself and we take their wisdom, direction and understanding of life very serious.

The point of my letter was to engage us in a conversation on issues that affect the future of Sarasota and not consider us an after thought. 

Chris Laney, Sarasota, responding to the letter "Nay, Future is Only Concern" letter in the July 5 edition of SRQ Daily 

Join SRQ | The Magazine this Thursday, July 17 from 7:30am-9am at The Francis. Leaders in the regional giving and giving back industries, John Annis, Vice President of Community Investment, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Veronica Brady, Senior Vice President for Philanthropy, Gulf Coast Community, Sandra Frank, Chief Executive Officer, All Faiths Food Bank Foundation, and Bob Rosinsky, President and CEO of Goodwill Manasota will share their insights on the philanthropic dynamics of the community, resource development to meet new needs, and trends in the non-profit sector. 

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