In The News

Read the latest articles about topics that are effecting our community.

Observer: When the boss doesn’t answer to anyone

Observer: When the boss doesn’t answer to anyone

On Aug. 25, Sarasota County commissioners unanimously voted to strip the annual public performance review requirement out of the contracts for the County Administrator and the County Attorney. They did it without placing the item on the public agenda. Commission Chair Ron Cutsinger knew, as he always does, that these reviews come due every October. He had the chance to put this on the agenda and let residents weigh in before the vote. He chose not to.

SRQ Daily: Argus Lifetime Achievement Awards to Honor Mike Quillen

SRQ Daily: Argus Lifetime Achievement Awards to Honor Mike Quillen

The Argus Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award honors prominent business and community leaders in Sarasota who make lasting contributions through their professional and personal lives. Established in 2002, the annual distinction recognizes individuals who build enterprises, generate jobs and support local philanthropy. This year, Mike Quillen, founder of Gecko’s Hospitality Concepts in 1992, Watershed Hospitality Concepts in 2019 and Cashiers Restaurant Holdings in 2023, is honored alongside the late Roland George Caldwell, founder of Caldwell Trust Company, who was recognized posthumously.

SRQ Daily: Keeping the Conversation on Academics: What This Year’s School Grades Show

SRQ Daily: The New Affordable Housing Boogeyman: 120% AMI

Read our latest column on affordable housing and what 120% Area Median Income (AMI) really means. “It is outlandish and very out of touch for any elected official or candidate to infer our nurses, teachers, deputies, and firefighters are having an easy time finding...

SRQ Daily: Keeping the Conversation on Academics: What This Year’s School Grades Show

SRQ Daily: A New Law, A Clear Obligation and a Cost Sarasota Cannot Afford to Ignore

Florida has a housing affordability crisis, and the state legislature did something about it. The Live Local Act is one of the most significant housing reforms in Florida’s recent history, written to cut through local red tape and give property owners a clear path to build affordable housing. It is not a suggestion. It is the law.

SRQ Daily: Keeping the Conversation on Academics: What This Year’s School Grades Show

SRQ Daily: Paying More to be Asked to Pay More

The county commission held a transportation workshop recently, walking residents through the community’s most pressing transportation infrastructure needs. The agenda covered capital improvement planning, unprogrammed thoroughfare improvements, and an overview of current and alternative funding options.