Read the latest articles about topics that are effecting our community.
Twenty-five years ago, the Sarasota School Board, at the behest of a widely disliked Superintendent, decided to sneak a special referendum on a ballot for July for an additional millage. The school system was on the verge of financial ruin and more money is all the School Board and Superintendent cared about.
Last month, we wrote a column thanking the county commission for focusing on stormwater, but we asked for a special meeting solely on stormwater maintenance. We were surprised at the strong community reaction to that column; many from all walks of life reached out to The Argus Foundation to voice their support for the column and their concern for hurricane season.
The Argus Foundation was highly concerned for North Port taxpayers and businesses as well as the overall financial health of the city when these referenda were placed on the special ballot so quickly. Our concerns centered on insufficient due diligence in understanding taxpayer costs and a lack of comprehensive long-term planning for critical city infrastructure.
Flooding has hit our community hard recently, beginning with Hurricane Ian in 2022 and then the trio of storms in 2024 of Debbie, Helene, and Milton. These storms brought unprecedented flooding to areas that never used to flood and hardship as structures, vehicles, homes, and belongings were destroyed or severely damaged.
We live in a wonderful place. The evidence is how many people have moved here from other places and how traffic has increased in the area. It’s one of the biggest complaints here, and when traffic is one of our biggest problems and not crime, or economic deterioration, or education, like you see in the cities where people are fleeing from, it really highlights how lucky we are, and it also means people will be passionate about our community.
