All candidates appearing on the August ballot for these contests have been invited. Of the eight candidates vying for four Hospital Board seats, six have accepted the League’s invitation to date. Of the five candidates running for the two available seats on the School Board, only three candidates, Thomas Babicz, Liz Barker and Tom Edwards have accepted at this time.
According to the League’s website, lwvsrq.org, “All candidates are asked the same questions and asked to speak for themselves with no rebuttal.”
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A CANDIDATE? CHECK OUT OUR VOTER GUIDES!
Three candidates for the District 5 seat on the Sarasota County Commission address questions from the Argus Foundation on a variety of issues.
District 5 is generally the southernmost district, including much of North Port.
The candidates in alphabetical order are Ron Cutsinger (R), Chris Hanks (R) and Alice White (D). Argus executive director Christine Robinson asked the questions.
The zoom session has not been edited in any manner, but simply replays the video posted by Argus to YouTube.
Questions for District 5 Candidates from the Argus Foundation
BOARD of Sarasota County Commissioners POLICY AGENDA 2020:
Top Priorities
Future of County Administration Location j
Medical Examiner / Coroner / Emergency Services Building
Mote Funding: If, When, How
Affordable and Workforce Housing
Solutions to Ensure Wastewater at AWT Standards
Modern Mobility/Transit
High Priorities
• Bay Park Conservancy
• Sports Tourism Development Strategy: Goals, Best Practices, Report with Options, County Role and Direction
• Progress on Design and/or Funding for “Gap” Roads
• Road Resurfacing: Service Level, Direction and Funding Increase Decision
• Stormwater Policy and Management: Direction, Project Priorities and Funding Mechanism
Here [above] is the County Commission board policy agenda for 2020. This was set by the commission at their December 2019 retreat. Do you agree with this list? What do you think is the most important issue for the county and what would you specifically do to tackle that issue? What is the most important issue for your district and what would you do to tackle that issue?
Businesses have been shut down or severely scaled back due to COVID-19. Do you believe county government has a role in jumpstarting the economy when we open back up for business? Why or why not? If you do, what would you do to jumpstart the economy?
What is your opinion of CRAs (Community Redevelopment Agencies), and how well you think they have worked in Sarasota County? Would you expand this program in other areas of the county? If so, how many areas? If so, how would you make up for the loss in tax revenue to the general fund? If not, what can be done to help blighted areas of the county?
What is your opinion of the county property tax rate and what area of the county budget do you think we spend too much on, what area too little on?
Give the county a grade on their relationships with the municipalities? What would you do to further improve the relationships?
Water Quality. There are many aspects to it - Septic to sewer, stormwater run-off, advanced wastewater treatment, agriculture, old infrastructure, fertilizer run-off, sewer spills, red tide, etc. What area of water quality do you think the county should be focusing its attention and funding on and why?
Do you believe the county has kept its promises to North Port with the extension of the Legacy Trail? What would you do as a county commissioner to ensure that the Legacy Trail extension to North Port is completed expeditiously?
What is your opinion on growth? What, if anything, should be done to stop or control it?
According to the county, in fiscal year 2020, Sarasota County will spend $9,011,146 in budgets to Health and Human Services, 12th Judicial Court Administration and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for mental health and supportive services. Of the local mental health and supportive services Sarasota County funds, the county's contribution represents approximately 24% of the total $36,984,582 spent. The remaining funding is contributed by multiple partners, including Federal and State grants, local philanthropic organizations, private donors and insurance. What is your position on the proposed mental health care district in Sarasota County- would you create it, what should it look like, and would you increase taxes to provide more money for the district?
Transportation is an important issue in Sarasota County. The county is coming up with a modern mobility plan. What do you think of eliminating SCAT routes in favor of modern mobility?
The 2018 primary election that will conclude on August 28 will determine who will represent two political parties in the general election that will be held in November and it also will be the final election of many nonpartisan races. The primary may eliminate candidates you support unless they prevail, so this is a crucial election in which voters need to make their selections carefully and be sure that they exercise their opportunity wisely to participate in the selection among candidates.
Many are expressing concern about candidates who are shunning forums and failing to submit to dialogue with the voters. This marketing strategy has been used deliberately in the last two cycles now--by candidates who seek election without having to address issues raised in public dialogue. A one-way commercial marketing strategy may be fine for the sale of detergents, but it is not how our election process is intended to work. One readily may discard a detergent found to be undesirable and replace it rather quickly, it's not so easy with elected officials. Our election process is designed for candidates to submit to public dialogue and to address questions raised that might reveal the natures of the those competing for election.
Voters must resist efforts to corrupt that process and the surest way is to refuse to elect those adopting a strategy of avoiding the public process. The alternative is giving us public officials who then cater to those who enable the expensive one-way commercial marketing strategy that puts them into office for the benefit of their financiers initially, and eventually, to the personal financial rewards that await their selected officeholders down the road.
It takes engaged voters to make informed decisions now that we do not live in small, close communities with lifetime exposure to the character of those seeking to be our leaders. Granted, the process available to us now, is not easy, but without that effort-look at what happens!
We have posted links on our website to videos of our two primary forums featuring the county commission candidates who accepted our invitations and submitted to the public scrutiny our members expect. See the calendar on our meetings page. We represent the voters who live in all of the neighborhoods throughout the county, both municipal and unincorporated, and we are encouraged by our members to ask tough questions that provide insight into the character of the candidates seeking elected office. As noted by one of the candidates participating in our August forum, the voters recognize the disdain inherent in the behavior of candidates seeking election or reelection without having to engage in public dialogue--and they are angry.
Please review the videos and vote for those most likely to represent your interests on the county commission:
Several candidates from both parties responded to the invitation of the Nokomis Area Civic Association to answer questions at at forum held on July 24, 2018 in Nokomis.
Candidates for the Sarasota County Commission in attendance:
Wesley Beggs
Alex Coe
Mike Cosentino
Ruta Marie Jouniari
Lourdes Ramirez
Commission Candidates who did not attend:
Al Maio (incumbent)
Christian Ziegler
Candidates for U.S. House District 17 in attendance:
Tony Mowry gets up to answer a question at the Waldemere Fire Station l.to r.: Mowry, Linda Yates, Liv Coleman, David Shapiro, Jan Schneider
Five candidates came out to the Waldemere Fire Station Thursday evening, July 19, at the invitation of the Florida Veterans for Common Sense. They are:
On Monday, June 13, CONA-Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations will hold a forum for the candidates campaigning for the three odd-numbered district seats on the county commission. District candidates are chosen by all voters to represent the districts in which the candidates reside. The forum is free and open to the public.
Candidates seeking the seat for district one are Fredd "Glossie" Atkins, Frank DiCicco, and Mike Moran; for district three is Nancy Detert; and for district five are Richard C. Eaton and Charles Hines. Meet the candidates during the social prior to the meeting.
Using atypical question formats and timing, CONA makes an effort to provide its members and the public with a more thorough understanding of the positions of each candidate than usually achieved at candidate forums. A lively format allows for the coverage of many issues. Submitted questions follow as time allows.
Join CONA as we hold the third of our candidate forums for the state and local 2016 elections. This will be our last forum before the primary election in August because we and many of our members take vacations in the summer.
Our monthly meetings resume in the fall with forums for the general elections, so please reserve the dates of September 12 and October 10 as well. Since videos of our meetings are posted quickly to our web site and archived, all of our 2016 candidate forums will be available through the election in November.
