State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, says you don’t have to look much further than local malls to see the impact of internet commerce. “The malls are getting creamed on the ground,” he says.

But he hopes changing Florida law to require e-commerce to charge sales tax the same as retailers serving customers at cash registers helps.

“It’s one of my biggest bills of the session, one of my top priorities,” he says. “I’m trying to create a level playing field for Main Street and everywhere else.”

Merchants in traditional brick-and-mortar shops for years have complained that internet giants like Amazon can both undercut costs by keeping overhead low and don’t have to charge sales taxes.

Graters notes, though, that a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in fact says consumers still owe tax even if it’s not charged at point of sale.

That’s why he argues charging sales tax on e-commerce doesn’t constitute a tax increase. Rather than try and hunt down consumers to shake down owed taxes, he wants it collected when purchases get made.

That already happens in states like New York, Illinois and Massachusetts, places that already charge more in taxes than Florida.

This isn’t the first year Gruters filed this type of legislation. It failed to get support last year, despite Gruters serving as chair of the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee. But he filed it as a revenue neutral bill before.

Now, he hopes to get the legislation through in part because his bill offers no direction on where to spend additional state revenue that comes in. That means an estimated $750 million could be raised in state coffers. Leaders in the Legislature could divert that to education, environmental spending or any number of other politically popular causes.

“It’s fair to the consumers and it’s making a convenience to the consumers to do the right thing on their behalf,” he says. 

Save the date for an authentic Napa Valley dining experience as GROVE Restaurant will welcome Cakebread Cellars for a five-course, winery-inspired pairing menu. GROVE will host The Cakebread Wine dinner on August 31 with a menu crafted by Chef Greg Campbell to pair with Cakebread’s award-winning, signature wines. With 40 harvests completed, Cakebread Cellars has become one of the most successful and respected wineries in Napa Valley. Here on the Suncoast, GROVE’s wine program is gaining notoriety itself as the Lakewood Ranch-based restaurant with a farm-to-table focus has been recognized with a 2019 Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator. With these two viticulture enthusiasts working in collaboration, the palate is guaranteed to be satisfied with what will be on plate, and in the glass.

The Cakebread Wine Dinner will begin with passed house-made hors d’oeuvres paired with the vineyard’s delicate Vin De Porche Rose 2018. The culinary journey continues with lobster-and-cornbread-filled clams to pair nicely with the floral, citrusy notes of Cakebread’s renowned Chardonnay. As the meal progresses, Chef Campbell will celebrate Cakebread’s more bold, full-bodied reds. Attendees will enjoy courses like a bison rillette and duxelle popover with a beef demi-glace while sipping on Cabernet Sauvignon from Cakebread’s 2016 vintage. The evening will also present wine lovers with an opportunity to dine with a Cakebread representative who will be onsite to speak about the winery’s innovative winemaking philosophies and estate-grown practices. Limited to just 90 seats, the Cakebread Wine Dinner will be a celebration of wine done in true Napa fashion—with no excursion to wine country necessary.  

Click here for Tickets. GROVE is a member of NOSH, SRQ magazine's content marketing program for local restaurants.   

GROVE | 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch | 941-893-4321 | www.grovelwr.com

Cakebread Winner Dinner

Supported by the office of the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, the Palmetto Historical Park, Manatee County Agricultural Museum and Manatee Village Historical Park have reopened after closing for month-long improvements.

During the closure, the artifacts at the Palmetto Historical Park currently not on display were organized and stored together on the air-conditioned stage in the Carnegie Library. In the future, the Palmetto Historical Commission plans to build a Preservation and Education facility to house the collection. Several artifacts have been transferred to peer institutions or relocated to the current storage area, including old newspapers, scrapbooks and Palmetto Historical Commission records. The schoolhouse received restoration work to its windows and walls, and the Cypress House Military Museum was outfitted with new insulation and the ceiling repainted. Once construction on the schoolhouse and Military Museum projects are completed in fall 2019, they will reopen to the public.

While the Manatee County Agricultural Museum was closed, all the preparation work was accomplished for upcoming programming, including “Make It Take It Tuesdays and Thursdays” program, the installation for the Florida Highwaymen Exhibit and updates to the hands-on Junior Agricultural spots. Manatee County Agricultural Museum staff also assisted the historic Duette School House and assembled five exhibit cases, and the Curator of the Manatee County Agricultural Museum reviewed, archived and cataloged artifacts and the records of the museum’s history. Also, the City of Palmetto installed drains to help eliminate future flooding.

Manatee Village Historical Park closed for cleaning, sorting and organizing of its collections. Four filing cabinets full of staff files from the 1980s and 1990s, such as press releases, event fliers, notes, ideas and research, were digitally saved and archived. The cabinets have now been replaced with shelving, providing much-needed space for its artifacts. Staff also completed the Religion in Manatee exhibit now on display in the Wiggins General Store. 

Manatee County Historical Resources

Sweet Sparkman Architects has announced that Michele Demperio has been named a Partner at the firm. Awarded the 2018 AIA Florida / Caribbean Firm of the Year, Sweet Sparkman Architects (SSA) has reported dynamic company growth in the last year, and credits the relationships Demperio has developed in her 15-year tenure at SSA as contributing greatly to this success. Constantly adapting to the changing needs of a growing company, she has encompassed every role from Office Manager to Director of Business Development, before finally culminating in Partner. A Sarasota resident for over 20 years, Demperio also currently serves on two boards: 96.5 WSLR / Fogartyville since 2012 and ACE Mentoring since 2018. She is also a recent graduate of the 2019 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute. 

Sweet Sparkman Architects

Allegiant Private Advisors, a fully independent, fee-based financial advisory firm based in downtown Sarasota, has hired Michelle Cross, CFP, CPA, CDFA, as a wealth advisor and Karyn Nantes as an operations specialist.
Having worked in the financial services industry since 2002, Cross’ role at Allegiant focuses on a holistic advisory approach, guiding client families through all areas of financial planning to help define and achieve their financial goals. She previously worked for Deloitte & Touche’s investment management audit group and spent several years as an audit manager at a large local CPA firm before becoming an independent financial planner. Nantes is responsible for processing money transfers, new account setup, account maintenance and handling client questions with the highest quality of service. Prior to joining the firm, she worked for Harvest Partners Private Equity in New York and Mallitz Investment Group in Sarasota. 

Allegiant Private Advisors

Sarasota attorney J. Allison Archbold of the Archbold Law Firm was selected by her peers for inclusion in the 26th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America 2020 for her work in Trusts and Estates in Sarasota. This is the fourth consecutive year she has earned this honor. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become widely regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence, and is compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. For the 2020 edition, 8.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in more than 62,000 leading lawyers being included. Archbold has been practicing estate planning, probate and trust administration in Sarasota since 2007, and is board-certified in wills, trusts and estates. 

Archbold Law Firm

Senior living center Arietta is introducing a new option for independent seniors in Sarasota with luxury à la carte, independent living. This lifestyle allows residents to enjoy the services and amenities they want without paying for the ones they deem unnecessary.

Located within five miles of Downtown Sarasota and close to Siesta Key Beach, residents can maintain their independence in apartments ranging from 940 to 1,492 square feet. Features include large windows for abundant natural light, full washer and dryer units, screened-in private balconies and modern kitchen appliances and finishes. Amenities include a newly remodeled clubhouse, indoor parking, outdoor pool, shaded dog park with a gazebo and a gated community entrance. Arietta also employs a full-time Resident Experiences Director who facilitates events and activities such as Tai Chi, social media tutorials, billiards tournaments, cocktail parties and trips to Selby Gardens. Transportation, an on-site hair and nail salon and a myriad of other conveniences are available, and residents only pay for the services they use. 

Arietta