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Local Government

Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.

Local Government

Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.

Local Government

Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.

Local Government

Sarasota agenda targets brownfield rezoning, food truck rules

The Sarasota City Commission's Oct. 5 agenda included a final vote on rezoning the contaminated Marian Anderson site in Newtown for industrial use, a zoning code overhaul allowing food trucks in the Downtown Bayfront and more than $4.1 million in US 41 safety agreements with FDOT. Official results have not been released.

October 7, 2026 · 4 min read

A food truck with its service window open parked on a sunny waterfront promenade.

Local Government

Myakka River protection bill clears House subcommittee

H.R. 642, the Myakka Wild and Scenic River Act, cleared a House subcommittee hearing Sept. 2 after Rep. Greg Steube testified in support of federal protection for a 34-mile Sarasota County stretch of the Myakka River, backed by a broad local coalition including the Sarasota County Commission.

September 24, 2026 · 2 min read

Wide open freshwater wetland with sparse trees stretching to the horizon under a blue sky.

A flood-damaged ranch-style home with bare disturbed soil in the foreground and a blue tarp over a window.

Local Government

Sarasota judge reconsiders ruling in Laurel Meadows flood lawsuit

September 17, 2026 · 2 min read

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Local Government

Sarasota agenda targets brownfield rezoning, food truck rules

October 7, 2026 · 4 min read

Local Government

Myakka River protection bill clears House subcommittee

September 24, 2026 · 2 min read

Local Government

Sarasota judge reconsiders ruling in Laurel Meadows flood lawsuit

September 17, 2026 · 2 min read

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Local Government

Sarasota agenda targets brownfield rezoning, food truck rules

October 7, 2026 · 4 min read

Local Government

Myakka River protection bill clears House subcommittee

September 24, 2026 · 2 min read

Local Government

Sarasota judge reconsiders ruling in Laurel Meadows flood lawsuit

September 17, 2026 · 2 min read

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Thu90°F22%

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Local Government

Rise Above opens 'Into the Woods' in larger Siesta Key venue

Rise Above Performing Arts opens Sondheim's "Into the Woods" on Thursday, Aug. 13, in a 193-seat converted restaurant at The Crossings at Siesta Key, featuring what co-founder Brian Chinn calls the largest LED screen backdrop in Sarasota outside Bayside Community Church.

August 10, 2026 · 2 min read

Pink scallop-shell-shaped performing arts building with glass walls and angular folded roof against a blue sky.

Local Government

Sarasota commissioners reject freeze on six downtown projects, demand specifics before September budget vote

The Sarasota City Commission unanimously rejected City Manager Karie Friling's recommendation to freeze six major "generational" projects and directed her to specify which aspects of each can move forward before the September 2026 budget adoption.

August 6, 2026 · 3 min read

Mid-century modern brick building with City Hall signage and parked cars out front.

Local Government

Downtown Sarasota parking hours rolled back: what to know before you go

The Sarasota City Commission unanimously suspended downtown's controversial extended parking enforcement hours on Aug. 3, restoring a 10 a.m.–8 p.m. weekday schedule and free Sundays, though elevated citation fines remain; residents can weigh in at an Aug. 24 open house and Aug. 31 workshop.

August 6, 2026 · 3 min read

Local Government

Developer seeks to fill 3 acres of Sarasota Bay wetlands; public comments due Aug. 7

A developer seeking to modify the already-approved Aqua by the Bay project near Sarasota Bay wants to fill more than three acres of wetlands and build a gabion wall along the shoreline; the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program warns the bay's fragmented ecosystem cannot absorb more losses, and public comments are due by Friday, Aug. 7.

August 4, 2026 · 2 min read

Local Government

Sarasota secures $4 million in state funding for St. Armands evacuation routes, bayou dredging

The City of Sarasota announced $4 million in state funding for three infrastructure projects: $2.5 million for Whitaker Bayou dredging, $1.25 million for St. Armands Key evacuation route upgrades, and $250,000 for citywide ADA improvements, adding to a growing stack of resilience investments for the flood-battered commercial corridor.

August 4, 2026 · 3 min read

Black-and-white photograph of a narrow canal with gondolas and historic buildings.

Local Government

Ringling exhibit traces photography's fight to be called fine art

The Ringling Museum's "Evocative Lens" exhibition, on view through Sept. 16, showcases Pictorialist photography from the museum's permanent collection and traces the movement that first argued cameras could make fine art.

July 31, 2026 · 3 min read

Low-rise city hall building flanked by tall palm trees under a clear blue sky.

Local Government

Sarasota holds property tax rate flat despite $16 million in hurricane costs

The Sarasota City Commission voted unanimously July 31 to hold the property tax rate flat at 3.2730 mills for FY 2026-27, keeping rates steady as the city recovers from $16 million in hurricane costs and rebuilds reserves ahead of two September public hearings.

July 31, 2026 · 2 min read

Event flyer showing an adult helping children draw at a table, on a purple and blue background.

Local Government

Free arts celebration for families coming to North Sarasota on Aug. 29

The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation will host a free family arts event at Harvest House Family Center on Saturday, Aug. 29, offering hands-on activities, music, dancing, and free books and supplies for children in pre-K through fifth grade.

July 30, 2026 · 2 min read

Local Government

Sarasota Audubon joins two lawsuits to block D.R. Horton development near Celery Fields

The Sarasota Audubon Society has obtained intervenor status in two lawsuits involving D.R. Horton's proposed development at Smith Farm near Celery Fields, fighting both a rezone challenge and an 864-unit apartment plan filed under Florida's Live Local Act.

July 30, 2026 · 3 min read

Four people pose on a stage in front of a Destinations International Annual Convention 2026 backdrop, one holding a crystal award.

Local Government

Virginia Haley inducted into national tourism Hall of Fame

Virginia J. Haley, former president of Visit Sarasota County, was inducted into Destinations International's Hall of Fame at the organization's 2026 convention in Portland, Oregon, capping a 24-year tenure that grew the county's Tourist Development Tax revenue from $5.4 million to $40 million annually.

July 28, 2026 · 2 min read

Local Government

Florida Studio Theatre closes summer season with romantic comedy 'The Last Romance'

Florida Studio Theatre's "The Last Romance," a 90-minute romantic comedy about an 80-year-old widower finding love in a dog park, closes the summer mainstage season at the Gompertz Theatre in downtown Sarasota through August 16, with tickets from $25 to $46.

July 28, 2026 · 2 min read

Aerial view of waterfront park buildings with metal roofs under construction, surrounded by trees and a dock.

Local Government

Sarasota County maps 10-year plan for Snook Haven park ahead of November tax vote

Sarasota County staff has proposed a three-phase, 10-year concept plan for Snook Haven Regional Park in Venice, with improvements funded largely by a 0.25-mill property tax that voters will be asked to extend from 2029 to 2049 on the November ballot.

July 28, 2026 · 3 min read