About the Author: Christian Casale | Suncoast Searchlight
Suncoast leaders see property tax cuts as a Tallahassee power grab
Local officials say an effort by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to cut property taxes could be a knockout punch amid efforts by the state to erode home rule, strip power away [...]
Smith defends record as Sargent seeks Sarasota County commission seat
For years, growth has dominated politics in Sarasota County. Residents have packed commission meetings to oppose condo towers, subdivisions and hotels. Candidates routinely campaign on promises to protect neighborhoods and rein in development. And developers [...]
DeSantis tax plan could cost Suncoast counties $380 million in 2 years
Local government officials are pushing back on a plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis to eliminate property taxes for many Floridians, saying the sweeping cuts would cripple basic services that range from classrooms to hospitals [...]
Sarasota Democrats struggle to field candidate in key county race
The last Democrat to win a seat on the Sarasota County Commission was a man named Bill Carey in 1966, when gasoline was 30 cents a gallon and "Last Train to Clarksville" by The [...]
Economist warns Sarasota commissioners of looming economic threat
Amid stubborn inflation, the surging cost of living and constant angst at the gas pump, Sarasota has not been immune to the national trends that have pushed the economy into a downspin. Sean Snaith, [...]
New Florida congressional map shakes up districts for Suncoast frontrunners
Three local Republican frontrunners in different congressional races will live in the same district under a new map drawn amid a push by Gov. Ron DeSantis to expand the GOP’s advantage. As part of [...]
Developer sues Sarasota County to build houses next to bird sanctuary
A long-running battle over a proposed subdivision next to Celery Fields has taken a new turn, with D.R. Horton walking away from arbitration and suing Sarasota County instead. The Arlington, Texas-based homebuilder had been [...]
Sarasota County voted against a development next to a bird sanctuary. The builder won’t quit.
Three times now, environmental advocates hoping to stave off a housing community proposed next to the Celery Fields bird sanctuary have seen huge victories in the Sarasota County Commission chambers. But a developer that [...]
As development booms, Sarasota County faces $1.7 billion transportation shortfall
Any driver who has sat through rush hour traffic on one of Sarasota County’s major thoroughfares has experienced the problem firsthand. As new real estate development has boomed in recent years, improvements to county [...]
Sarasota’s property appraiser is moving millions from AI moguls to support Byron Donalds
Sarasota County Property Appraiser Bill Furst chairs a political committee that has moved millions of dollars from wealthy supporters of artificial intelligence, including the co-founder of Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT, to Byron [...]
As development booms, Sarasota voters will decide fate of future conservation
For more than two decades, Sarasota County has had a single program to counter the suburban sprawl that has come to define the area’s recent development boom. In November, voters will decide whether to [...]
