About the Author: Derek Gilliam | Suncoast Searchlight
Suncoast lawmakers hollowed out home rule. Do voters care?
On a late afternoon in May, Sarasota County’s statehouse liaison explained to a group of residents how a controversial state law required county staff to approve large apartment projects despite heavy opposition. It was [...]
Commission chair seeks to return $2.5 million to Manatee County Schools
Manatee County Commission Chairman Tal Siddique aims to resolve a simmering dispute by directing county administrators to reimburse Manatee County Schools more than $2.5 million that had been withheld to cover tax collection fees. [...]
School tax fix set to become law highlights different local approaches, outcomes
Sarasota County Schools clawed back more than $2 million that the county tax collector withheld as fees for collecting a voter-approved school tax. But other school districts, including Sarasota’s neighbor to the north, have [...]
District names new Riverview High principal following school allegations
Sarasota County Schools has moved the principal of Riverview High School into a district-level position amid controversy over a third-party review that alleged both school and district leaders mishandled complaints of teacher misconduct at [...]
Sarasota Schools overhauls HR after Riverview High investigation
Sarasota County Schools is restructuring its human resources department after a third-party investigation found leadership at Riverview High School and district investigators mishandled complaints of cheating, sexual harassment and misuse of school resources. The [...]
Sarasota County sued over efforts to block Live Local projects
Sarasota County's attempt to stop thousands of apartments from being built in rural communities is now facing the legal challenge the county attorney warned was likely all along. Two developers and a church have [...]
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 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 [...]
