The issue is nuanced, with some seeing district representation as a way to address the influence of money in elections and a chance for more direct representation, and others saying that voters did not understand the ramifications of what they were deciding in 2018.
It is more complex and expensive for most candidates to run county-wide unless they are well-financed, proponents of single-member districts have said, and if commissioners were elected only by the residents of their district, as they were in 2020, some of the influence of money in elections would be diminished.
In 1992 the county tried the single-member districts system. That experiment lasted just two years before voters ditched it and returned to a countywide format. Opponents have argued that single-member districts promote extreme localism, instead of commissioners looking out for the overall well-being of the county. They also contend that all voters casting ballots for all five commission seats gives citizens
SARASOTA COUNTY After two years on the dais in the city of Venice, City Council member Dr. Joe Neunder has decided to run for what will be an open Sarasota County Commission District 4 seat next year.
The founder of Sarasota Spinal Mechanics, a chiropractic practice in Sarasota County, said in a news release that he wants to build upon the county s current momentum.
“Sarasota’s future is bright thanks to decades of conservative leadership at the county level,” Neunder said. “I’ll build on that legacy by keeping taxes low, protecting the natural beauty of the environment that surrounds us, supporting our brave law enforcement officers and first responders, and championing balanced, fiscally responsible budgets.”