About the Author: Derek Gilliam | Suncoast Searchlight
Sarasota school tax fight reaches Tallahassee as lawmakers propose fix
The ongoing fight between Sarasota County Schools and Tax Collector Mike Moran over millions in tax dollars is now drawing attention in Tallahassee, where state lawmakers are proposing a change that could clarify who [...]
Downtown Sarasota battle pits history against development
The fate of a more than century-old downtown Sarasota building could be headed to court following a last-ditch effort from a preservation group trying to stop it from being razed for luxury condos. Members [...]
Sarasota County vote on school tax punts long-term decision back to courtroom
Sarasota County commissioners finalized a plan this week to pick up the bill for more than $2 million that Tax Collector Mike Moran withheld from Sarasota County Schools to process a voter-approved referendum for [...]
‘You are playing games’: School tax fight erupts after Sarasota vote
Local officials thought a dispute over who would pay to collect a voter-approved school tax had been settled when Sarasota County commissioners agreed in a surprise vote this week to resume covering the millions [...]
Sarasota County backtracks after schools sue over withheld tax money
Just days after the Sarasota County School Board sued Tax Collector Mike Moran over millions of dollars withheld from a voter-approved school tax, county commissioners Tuesday voted to reverse course and resume covering the [...]
Sarasota County Schools sue tax collector over multi-million-dollar funding dispute
The Sarasota County School Board and two county taxpayers have filed a lawsuit against Tax Collector Mike Moran and the constitutional office he controls alleging “unlawful diversion” of taxpayer funds that were supposed to [...]
Massive Tatum Ridge apartment proposal underscores Live Local concerns
Dozens of residents gathered inside a quiet, gated subdivision off Tatum Road last week, many dressed in yellow golf shirts, to protest a plan they fear could transform their rural corner of east Sarasota [...]
Scientists to discuss Suncoast environmental threats at free Sarasota panel
One researches dolphin pods in Sarasota Bay. Another studies the impacts of pollution in area waterways. A third leads a consortium that strives to bring awareness to the work of local scientists. Those experts, [...]
Sarasota County blocks ‘Live Local’ law, risking clash with developers
In a unanimous vote that could set up a major legal showdown, Sarasota County commissioners this week moved to block developers from building large apartment complexes next to rural homes and farmland, rejecting applications [...]
Giving Challenge returns with 24-hour push for Suncoast nonprofits
For 24 hours every two years, local nonprofits get a chance to supercharge their fundraising, tapping into millions of dollars in donations on a single day. The surge comes from the Giving Challenge, a [...]
Golf deal fallout deepens divisions in The Meadows
Weeks after a controversial decision to lease its golf courses to Benderson Development Co., The Meadows is still grappling with the fallout. The dispute inside one of Sarasota County’s oldest and largest planned communities [...]
Sarasota erased downtown art without public notice, artists now seek damages
David Blanch labored for hours in the spring of 2024 painting a Sarasota sunset that transformed two sidewalk panels on Pineapple Avenue into a burst of pink, blue and yellow. It wasn’t a big [...]
