All entries tagged with “Nora Patterson”

Detert Files For Sarasota County Commission

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Sunday Sep 27, 2015 9:59 am

State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, formally filed on Friday as a candidate for Sarasota County Commission in District 3. The office is currently held by Christine Robinson, whose term expires in November 2016 and who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. Detert's announcement, long rumoured, formally sets into motion what will be one of the most anticipated state Senate races in Florida as high-profile leaders line up to replace her.

Detert's Senate term doesn'e end until 2018, but Florida's resign-to-run law requires her to give up her seat in order to run for county commission, regardless of her political successes next year. Detert is expected to resign her seat effective November 2016, allowing a special election to succeed her to take place in the normal election cycle next year. Already, there are three Republicans raising money for the race: former state Rep. Doug Holder, R-Venice; former Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson; and state Rep. Greg Steube, R-Bradenton. (Until Detert officially resigns and a special election is held, the candidates are registered as state candidates for other seats and cycles for the moment, but are allowed to transfer campaign accounts at the appropriate time).

For the moment, Detert is running unopposed. North Post City Commissioner Jim Blucher filed but wthdrew earlier this year, citing fundraising troubles as everyone anticipated Detert's entry into the race.

Sarasota County Approves Fiscal Neutrality Change

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Wednesday Oct 22, 2014 8:00 pm

Sarasota County Commissioners just approved a change in fiscal neutrality that loosens requirements on developers. The board voted 4-1 in favor of the change. The change is the most prominent of amendments to the Sarasita County 2050 Plan under consideration tonight,

Developers have complained that the fiscal neitrality requirements as written make financing of projects impossible. The neutrality requirement requires a development to cover the cost of infrastructure demands associated with growth, and as originally written requires the requirement be met in each phase. The amendment approved tonight still requires long-term neutrality but allows costs to be spread over multiple phases.

"To use fiscal neutrality to stop a project after it has been approved prevents any large-scale development from getting financing," said Commission Chairman Charles Hines.

But Commissioner Nora Patterson, the lone dissenting vote, fears the change doesn't provide enough accountability. She said the original language probably needed some update to allow projects to get financing, but said the change is premature because a new proven methodology for calculating neutrality has yet to be completed. "I'm not going to be able to look at this transparent methodology," Patterson said, noting any process will be developed after she retires from the board in November.

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