Local Government

Crowded sandy beach with turquoise water, colorful umbrellas, and a lifeguard tower

Local Government

Lido Beach dune project to close stretches of shoreline starting Sept. 8

The City of Sarasota will begin a 60-day dune restoration project on Lido Key starting Sept. 8, temporarily closing portions of 1.2 miles of beach while crews build a 2.5-foot dune using Army Corps sand stockpiled from the New Pass dredging.

August 26, 2026 · 2 min read

Gold five-pointed star badge bearing the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office seal.

Local Government

Sarasota County jail earns national mental health accreditation

The Sarasota County Correctional Facility received national accreditation for mental health services from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, a voluntary designation that Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman said reflects his staff's commitment to quality care.

August 25, 2026 · 1 min read

Local Government

Sarasota County opens $100M administration center Wednesday

Sarasota County holds a ribbon-cutting Wednesday at its new $100.15 million, 121,160-square-foot administration center at 1 Apex Road, completing a years-long relocation from its flood-prone downtown headquarters.

August 25, 2026 · 2 min read

Local Government

Residents walk out of Sarasota parking open house, demand to be heard

Downtown business owners and residents walked out of Sarasota's Aug. 24 parking open house to protest a written-questions-only format, the latest flashpoint in a months-long fight over paid parking and the underperforming St. Armands garage.

August 25, 2026 · 2 min read

Palm trees and a green ornate street lamp line a sunny commercial boulevard with storefronts.

Local Government

St. Armands garage earns 28% of projections as $12.1M debt looms

Sarasota's St. Armands parking garage has averaged $212,000 in annual revenue against a $751,000 projection since opening in 2019, leaving $12.1 million in debt through 2038 and forcing $1.2 million in general-fund transfers — the financial backdrop as the city heads into two public meetings on parking policy Aug. 24 and Aug. 31.

August 24, 2026 · 3 min read

Woman with blonde hair in a dark blue top poses for an official portrait outdoors.

Local Government

Former teachers flip Sarasota school board to progressive majority

Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry won Sarasota County School Board seats by double digits on Aug. 18, flipping the board to a progressive 4-1 majority and ending four years of conservative control as the district faces a $45 million voucher gap and 259 job cuts.

August 24, 2026 · 2 min read

Front entrance and sign of a school building with palm trees and an American flag.

Local Government

Voters flip Sarasota school board; new majority faces $45M gap

Two former teachers won Sarasota County School Board seats Aug. 18, ending the conservative supermajority that controlled the district since 2022 and handing a progressive majority a board facing $45 million in voucher-related revenue losses, expired federal relief and 259 job cuts.

August 21, 2026 · 3 min read

Historic mansion with red tile roof and rectangular pool surrounded by palm trees.

Local Government

Sarasota home sales climb as inventory drops to 3.9 months

Sarasota County single-family home sales rose 2.9% in July with the median price hitting $493,500, while active inventory fell 23.4% to just 3.9 months of supply, according to new RASM data.

August 21, 2026 · 2 min read

Hundreds of audience members fill an outdoor amphitheater as an orchestra performs on stage.

Local Government

Composer Jaylin Vinson Wins 2026 Hermitage Prize, First to Receive Paid Commission

Composer Jaylin Vinson won the 2026 Hermitage Prize in Composition, the first year the Sarasota County retreat's annual award includes a $5,000 commission for a new work to be developed on Manasota Key and premiered in Aspen in 2027.

August 20, 2026 · 2 min read

Historic legislative chamber interior with rows of wooden desks and brass chandeliers.

Local Government

Buchanan wins SD-22 GOP primary, faces three-way November race

State Rep. James Buchanan won the Senate District 22 Republican primary on Tuesday, Aug. 18, with nearly 78% of the vote, setting up a November three-way race against Democrat Lew Wasserman and NPA candidate Martin Hyde for the seat representing all of Sarasota County.

August 20, 2026 · 2 min read

Local Government

DeNiro unseats Neunder in county commission primary; Smith holds District 2

Retired Sarasota Police Sgt. Jim DeNiro defeated incumbent Commissioner Joe Neunder in the District 4 Republican primary with 53.33% of the vote, while Commissioner Mark Smith held his District 2 seat against challenger Kristina Sargent in Tuesday's Sarasota County election.

August 19, 2026 · 3 min read

Low-rise municipal building with a 'City Hall' sign on its facade, surrounded by trees.

Local Government

Ahearn-Koch, Entler, Harshman advance in city commission primary

Incumbent Jen Ahearn-Koch, neighborhood advocate Flo Entler and commercial real estate broker John Harshman advanced from the five-way Sarasota City Commission primary on Tuesday, Aug. 18, eliminating two candidates and setting up a November general election for two at-large seats.

August 19, 2026 · 2 min read

The Sarasota Record

The Sarasota Record

The Sarasota Record