Single-member districts are bad for quality of life and business

The business community should pay close attention to the alarming County Charter amendment that will appear on the ballot to create single-member districts. It looks innocuous at first, but when you peel back the layers and figure out what this really does, it is dangerous and troublesome for our future.

There are five elected commissioners in Sarasota County. Each commissioner must reside in a district but are elected by the entire county. Residents currently vote for 3 or 2 commissioners every two years.

The amendment would mean that voters, who now vote for five county commissioners, would only vote for one county commissioner. Voters would give up their voice on 80% of the commission, electing only one every four years.

This bill of goods has been sold as a way of reducing the costs of campaigns and limiting the undue influence of special interest groups. The reality is that there is not an ounce of campaign finance reform in this charter change. What special interests can contribute now, they can contribute later if passed. Money would become five times more powerful and important since it is concentrated in a district.

Additionally, proponents of the amendment are touting their campaign as a citizen-led grassroots effort. In reality, their committee was funded by a handful of wealthy community activists.

It is imperative that you educate your friends and business associates of the devastating impact this amendment will have on our community.

Sarasota County and its cities have repeatedly been placed on every “best of” list under the sun. It is because of the vision, the collaborative look at our county and the collective review of the needs of the different communities within it.

That satisfaction is not just coming from publications. Our county’s own 2018 Citizen Survey shows that our residents also feel the same. An amazingly large number of people, 97 percent, feel that the quality of life is either excellent or good. Almost one in five thought Sarasota County faced no serious problems.

Right now, there is no parochial fighting among commissioners over projects. Instead, capital investment decisions are based on need. Water quality projects like the Dona Bay Watershed Management Program, the Phillippi Creek Septic Tank Replacement Program and the pursuit of the property known as Orange Hammocks are recognized for their value and necessity to the county as a whole.

Decisions like these are made with each commissioner having a vested interest in the entire county, not just their district. This has resulted in a tax rate that has either been lowered or maintained for almost 20 years.

If this amendment passes, life and business as we know it will change. Commissioners will fight for pork projects and we will lose the vision that has made the quality of life in every corner of our county great. A commissioner's success will be measured by how much bacon is brought to each district, whether they need it or not. Hang onto your wallets and cash registers, because you will be paying for it.

If passed, in will march the battles we see in Tallahassee and Washington, the us-versus-them mentality, and neighbors a few miles away from each other in the same county getting treated differently simply because of the district they live in. Our open-for-business climate will suddenly become less desirable to companies looking to relocate as they watch the bickering over projects.

Gone will be the unified economic visions, the open ear for all problems countywide, and citizens' ability to turn to all five county commissioners to fix problems and maintain a collective vision.

Join The Argus Foundation, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association, the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, the North Port Chamber of Commerce, the Venice Chamber of Commerce, the Sarasota County Economic Development Corp. and Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee and oppose this effort.

Don’t be fooled by this amendment. Encourage your contacts to vote “No” on single-member districts. Our high quality of life and economic vibrancy depend on it.

Christine Robinson is executive director of the Argus Foundation and was on the Sarasota County Commission from 2010 to 2016. Contact her at christine@argusfoundation.org.