Four years ago, Sarasota County voters decided to elect commissioners through single-member voting. A Tuesday referendum asks voters if they want to return to countywide voting.
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For more than 90 minutes Wednesday night, residents stood before the Sarasota County Charter Review Board and argued the merits of single-member districts.
About 80% of the evening’s 45 speakers were in favor of the districts and asked board members to keep the districts in place. However, board members pushed a decision to its next board meeting to comply with procedural bylaws.
Board members were reviewing single-member districts at the request of the Sarasota County Commission, members of whom wanted to discuss the potential of reverting to a system where county residents cast at-large ballots for commissioners.
Public opinion
Aside from the Charter Review Board examining single-member districts, county commissioners said they want a question placed on the 2021 Citizen Opinion Survey that will gauge voter opinion of the system.