LOCAL

Sarasota voters change date of City Commission elections

Nicole Rodriguez
nrodriguez@heraldtribune.com
[HERALD-TRIBUNE ARCHIVE]

SARASOTA — City voters have decided to change the date of their municipal elections.

More than 60 percent of voters in Tuesday’s general election supported the amendment to move Sarasota City Commission elections from March and May of odd years to August and November of even years to coincide with with federal, state, county and district elections. Current city commissioners will have their terms extended by nearly two years because of the change.

Supporters of the shift say it will increase voter turnout and save taxpayers about $100,000 each election cycle. The move also will increase voter participation from a 15 percent to 23 percent turnout to a 50 percent to 72 percent turnout, proponents say. The date change will also boost turnout among minorities and younger voters, co-chair and former Sarasota Mayor Suzanne Atwell of the nonpartisan Decide the Date campaign has said.

The campaign gained support from the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida, along with its local chapter.

Opponents, however, argued the change would minimize city races, reducing them to a smaller role on the ballot when added with higher-profile state and national races, as well as county-wide elections. They said the change may cause city issues to take a back seat while potentially driving up campaign costs as city candidates struggle to attract notice.

Opponents were especially suspicious of the campaign’s motives because funding and endorsements have come from outside the area and from local businesses and developers, including the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and the Argus Foundation, a nonprofit organization that seeks to bring together business leaders from diverse industries, its website states.

ELECTION RESULTS

See full election results at heraldtribune.com/electionresults.

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