I genuinely love living in the City of Sarasota. I love the people, the Arts, the Businesses, and our wonderful quality of life. However, we can make this better. We can improve our City Government and make this City the best it can be.

How do we do that?  With leadership and improved relationships with our partners in other Governments, our Neighborhoods, and the Business Community.

I am running for Sarasota City Commission because I have a proven track record of doing just that, developing deep meaningful partnerships that translate into improved government services for the people. That is why I have the endorsements of many of the current County Commissioners, past County Commissioners, the Sheriff, a former City Mayor, a past City Manager and past City Police Chiefs. These are people who know me well because I have worked with them closely on behalf of our community. I would like nothing more than to do it again. 

Right now, we have a City Government at odds with the County and with the Community. Accountability is missing at all levels. There is no ability to focus on these important relationships to solve important issues in the City.

Case in point is our stormwater problems, coupled with infrastructure deficiencies. The County controls our stormwater within the City. If elected, I will have the ability to work with the County Administration, Commissioners and Staff, who I know, to plan to resolve the flooding and also improve our water quality, which is so important to our Community. We cannot do that with back-biting and finger-pointing and constant bickering. 

There are some candidates in this race that do not want to talk about these important quality of life issues because they cannot deliver, they are completely unprepared and clearly unfamiliar with the issues. They would much rather distract you with innuendo and false character attacks.

My campaign started late in the cycle, yet we received tremendous support for which I am both humbled and proud and this is a good time to set the record straight. Of my 151 individual contributions to date, 42% are from retirees and homemakers, 37% from hard-working every day non-development related business owners and executives in the region. The remaining 21% comes from Real Estate Agents and Brokers, Property Managers, Architects, Land Planning and Legal Professionals, Construction Professionals and yes, Developers, seven of them to be exact. These are the people who either build or sell the very buildings in which you live, work, dine and shop.  

I urge you to take advantage of the excellent webpage the City Auditor & Clerk created specifically so citizens may see for themselves who are the people contributing to campaigns. 

After completing my second term on the County Commission, I began work as a Business, Legal and Not-For-Profit Consultant, which means I understand well what these folks are facing. This is an asset to providing a more responsive Government. We must get our City on the road to economic recovery.

I am particularly proud of my work with the County on the Community Park/Rowing facility and the Foundation supporting the facility. This regional attraction supports our tourism industry and our Community as a Regional Park and is a jewel in the County's incredible Park System. The Foundation has helped to bring improvements to the County-owned Park, and I am honored to have been a part of that. Thousands of families experienced what Sarasota has to offer because of the work on this Park.

I have lived in this community for over 37 years, the last 20 in the City of Sarasota. I have over 22 years in public service, 14 as a volunteer, unpaid Sarasota County Planning Commissioner and 8 years as a twice-elected Sarasota County Commissioner. Many of you know me, and you know I can deliver. 

Joe Barbetta is a candidate for Sarasota City Commission, District 2.