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1 month ago Share Four north county athletic facilities will see major improvements at an estimated cost of $117 million over the next three to seven years.
Sarasota County leaders are hoping to take a cue from the “Field of Dreams” playbook as they look to revamp north county athletic facilities in the hopes of delivering a sports tourism home run.
Because failing infrastructure and a shortage of facilities, the county is planning a major overhaul of four recreational and youth sports parks. County leaders hope the new project will help fit into a master plan to improve the area’s destination sports complexes, destination playgrounds and sports tourism.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune Editorial Board
Really, how you feel about the Sarasota County commissioners’ call for the county to have control over recreational marijuana use within it boils down to one question: What do you believe is motivating the commissioners to seek county control in the first place?
If you believe the commissioners are genuinely motivated by good-government zeal, you can certainly embrace their suggestion that asking the Legislature to give Sarasota County flexibility in deciding on the legality of local recreational marijuana use – even if it’s legalized statewide – is simply about protecting the home-rule rights of communities across Florida.
Despite changes at the federal and state levels, Sarasota County officials hope to pass a resolution barring local sales and use of recreational marijuana.
In November, four states voted to legalize recreational marijuana, bringing the total to 34 states allowing either medicinal or recreational uses. In December, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.
Although Florida has allowed the use of medical marijuana, a constitutional amendment could be on the 2022 ballot to make marijuana available to all adults for personal use, and commissioners say a local resolution should be enacted as soon as possible.
Sarasota County leaders this year are hoping to resurrect a public referendum that would create a mental health special taxing district to help address treatment gaps throughout the county.
Commissioners first began discussing a potential special taxing district to support mental health organizations in 2019 after Commissioner Mike Moran brought forth the idea.
They were poised to add the issue to the November 2020 ballot but decided against it when financial uncertainties over COVID-19 arose in April.
“You’d be asking existing programs to take a hit while instituting new programs and I don’t think that’s a great position to be in,” Commissioner Nancy Detert said at the time. “If we delay it a year, I think people would understand.”