The hospital board races in the region heightened anxiety over politicization of Sarasota’s most respected institution. Two years after what many saw as a right-wing takeover of arguably the best performing districts in the state historically, there’s now an anti-establishment slate of candidates trying to ride COVID fatigue into the takeover of a medical treasure.

This has agitated political arguments as three factions seek to take or retain control of Sarasota Memorial Hospital. But what this discussion should inspire is talk of reform and change to the systems that now put control of entities few feel should be subject to the whims of politics.

Florida leaders should look at ways to insulate hospitals from radicals who should probably be prescribed medication rather than be placed in charge of the dispenser. A few steps could be taken short of a complete overhaul that would help tremendously. Best of all, they all involve more democracy, not less.

First, limit the partisanship surrounding apolitical institutions. There’s been a push over the last decade to try and ascribe more party labels on elected offices in Florida. As just one example, a ballot initiative championed by state Sen. Joe Gruters appears on the ballot that asks to make school boards partisan again almost 30 years after Florida voters made clear they didn’t like parties controlling schools.

Voters should, and likely will, reject that. And state lawmakers should take that as a sign voters don’t want politics shaping those institutions we all rely upon regardless how we vote. The only reason hospital seats appear at risk in Sarasota is because they are just to partisan elections. Florida has closed primaries so only registered Republicans vote in GOP primaries. And most don’t. That allows a vocal minority within the party to sometimes take control of the process. That can happen in an open primary but requires a much larger swath of voters to demand a change if it runs counter to what moderates in both parties and those who affiliate with neither are all unified in opposition.

Second, close the write-in loophole. The same year voters made school board nonpartisan races, they also instituted a requirement that when primaries decide the election meaning only candidates of one party qualified — then all voters can vote. But long ago, party leaders learned to exploit a loophole. If a write-in candidate files, which doesn’t even require a qualification fee, the primary closes as voters theoretically select a nominee to face a blank space in November.

A public pressure campaign mounted right before qualification to urge Democrats to drop out of hospital board races. It wouldn’t have mattered if they had. Primaries would still be closed because a bunch of write-ins filed to close primaries just in case.

Finally, put these races in November. Just as when Sarasota moved its city elections to November, this will ensure a broader electorate, and one susceptible to chaotic inconsistency in its outcomes. Election winners will be the ones who appeal to the most voters, not simply who mobilize the most fanatics, regardless of what side they represent.

More than politics-free hospitals and schools, the true issue at hand in recent contests has been the looming  — and sometimes realized — threat of a political holding power despite representing a minority view of the world. That could be solved if policymakers focused more on expanding the power of voters rather than trying to limit the process and turn elections into a complicated game.

Jacob Ogles is contributing senior editor to SRQ MEDIA.

The Gulf Coast Builders Exchange (GCBX) has represented the Commercial Contracting Industry in the region since 1952. We build schools, hospitals, libraries, roads, firehouses, police stations, the places you go to work and the restaurants where you go to dinner. As an organization we have over 400 business members with a constituency of over 50,000 employees. These are your friends and neighbors that work in the construction industry and help support a thriving local economy.

As an organization, a strong local/regional economy is central to our mission of “Members Doing Business with Members.” Most importantly we believe that local tax dollars used for local projects are best spent with local contractors, so those dollars continue to strengthen the local economy. Additionally, we believe a strong educational system is necessary for economic development and to recruit businesses and good paying jobs to the region so they know they will have a pool of educated and skilled workers to support their businesses. We believe in good government that is fiscally conservative with your tax dollars, isn’t overly burdensome on business and supports economic development and opportunities for the future. We believe all of this is important to the quality of life we enjoy in the region and for a strong business community.

Therefore, we take positions on policies and endorse candidates running for office.

We are fortunate that the local economy is currently doing well (though inflation and lack of affordable housing continue to drag on the economy), but it seems like only yesterday we were figuring out how to survive during the Great Recession and then learning new survival methods through the pandemic. We should not wait until we are faced with a crisis to focus on economic development. The time to show that focus and support is now so we are better ready and able to handle the next economic crisis that comes our way. 

Additionally, one of the first things that businesses look for when considering a move to the area is the quality of the educational system. We are fortunate to live in a region with excellent educational systems and they deserve everyone’s support. Both Manatee and Sarasota County will have a referendum on the ballot to extend an optional local property tax to support the school district. Due to a change in state law, this is being done two years sooner than we are used to, but that should not change the overwhelming support these referendums have received in the past. This funding is critical for the school districts and GCBX has supported these efforts and encourage you to support them too.

Another important factor in creating a good quality of life in a community is the healthcare system. Again, we are fortunate to have Doctors Hospital and Sarasota Memorial Hospital in our community. By every metric our hospitals and healthcare system are at the top. Sarasota Memorial Hospital has expanded resulting in over a billion dollars in construction with an emphasis on ensuring that the local commercial contracting industry was awarded many of these jobs. Therefore, that investment in the hospital supported the local economy. Let’s continue our track record of success by supporting the following Hospital Board Candidates:

• At Large Seat 1 – Sharon Wetzler DePeters
• At Large Seat 2 – Kevin Cooper
• At Large Seat 3 – Pam Beitlich
• Central District Seat 1 – Sarah Lodge

We are fortunate to live in a community that is growing and thriving and where we enjoy a great quality of life. Let’s continue to support the issues that help make us great and individuals committed to public service and supporting excellence.

Mary Dougherty is executive director of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange.