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HOW WEALTHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO LIVE IN SARASOTA?
FROM SARASOTA MAGAZINE
Sarasota, once a sleepy Gulf Coast town, is now thick with transplants — many of them powerhouse CEOs and entrepreneurs — who have graduated well past the threshold of high-net-worth into the ultra-high-net-worth stratum: $30 million and up. For many, that’s just the starting point. According to IRS data analyzed by the Tax Foundation, Sarasota County gained more than $2.6 billion in net adjusted gross income from migrating households between 2021 and 2022, ranking it third among all Florida counties in total wealth inflow. But the paradox of Sarasota’s wealth is that, for all its abundance, many households and systems are under strain. Nearly 42% of Sarasota County households fall into the ALICE category, which stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.” About 50% of local public school students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Hundreds of children are on waiting lists for subsidized care for important services such as preschool.
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LOBBYISTS FOR A BILLIONAIRE AND A CHARTER NETWORK PUSHED FLORIDA LAWMAKERS TO EXPAND A SCHOOL PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM
FROM SEEKING RENTS
Records obtained by Seeking Rents show that billionaire hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin and New York City’s Success Academy charter network lobbied heavily for a new Florida law that massively expands the state’s “Schools of Hope” program, which gives charter operators grants and loans to open new schools. The measure — signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis — was drafted with input from Success Academy and advanced by Republican leaders, some of whom received millions in campaign contributions from Griffin. The law redefines “persistently low-performing” schools so broadly that the state’s list grew from 51 to 267 schools, including some rated A and B, allowing charters to open in far more places — even in affluent communities or inside existing public schools rent-free.
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THESE DOLPHINS LEARNED TO HUNT ALONGSIDE A FLORIDA ANGLER. RESEARCHERS STUDYING WHY
FROM TAMPA BAY TIMES
Over the years, Justin Dymond has built a special bond with a group of wild dolphins in Crystal River. Every night, as he flicks on his boat lights to go bow-and-arrow fishing, dozens of dolphins arrive and hunt alongside him. Dymond’s boat lights stun fish, making them easier for dolphins to capture. In turn, the dolphins push fish toward the shallows, helping Dymond and his clients catch them. Tampa Bay Times joined a recent boating trip as researchers work to learn more about this rare group of dolphins.
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YEARS OF FIGHTING SARASOTA RECYCLING PLANT OVER DUST, NOISE HAS RESIDENTS FEELING HOPELESS
FROM SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE
Sarasota’s Central Cocoanut neighborhood is renewing its fight against U.S. Recycling, a scrap yard residents say has long disrupted their lives with dust, noise, and heavy truck traffic. After years of frustration, neighbors are pressing city officials to take stronger action, with the Coalition of City Neighborhood Associations recently naming the issue a strategic priority and launching a new initiative to hold the company accountable.
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TENSIONS RISE IN BRADENTON'S HORSE POOP DEBATE AS COMPANIES AGREE TO PAUSE RIDES
FROM BRADENTON HERALD
Horseback riding companies have agreed to pause operations along Palma Sola Bay for a month after new DNA testing showed traces of horse bacteria in the water, though at levels too low to quantify. The move, suggested by the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, is meant to test whether horses are contributing to water pollution, but Suncoast Waterkeeper criticized the plan as scientifically flawed, arguing it won’t provide clear results during the rainy season. Business owners say the shutdown is a financial burden but hope it ends what they described as a years-long conflict with Suncoast Waterkeeper over whether horses are polluting the bay.
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BRADENTON SPILLS 1.7 MILLION GALLONS OF SEWAGE INTO MANATEE RIVER, REPORT SAYS
FROM BRADENTON HERALD
Bradenton’s wastewater plant spilled an estimated 1.7 million gallons of sewage into the Manatee River during a Sept. 8 overflow, the city’s largest spill this year, caused by heavy rain and equipment failure. Operators opened a bypass for more than five hours, releasing partially treated wastewater. The incident highlights ongoing pollution from the aging facility, which regularly exceeds state nutrient limits even as Bradenton is investing over $100 million in upgrades, including new clarifiers, pipe lining, lift station improvements and a deep injection well. The city remains under a 2032 deadline to stop discharges into the Manatee River, and, under the terms of a legal settlement reached with advocacy group Suncoast Waterkeeper, it must pay additional fines to support water quality improvement projects.
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LOCAL OFFICIALS IN FLORIDA WORRY THEY COULD FACE SUSPENSION IF THEY OPPOSE DESANTIS
FROM WUSF
Local officials in Manatee and Hillsborough counties say they’re afraid they could be suspended by Gov. DeSantis if they vote in ways that his administration opposes. The law allows the governor to suspend local officials for things like “malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform duties, or commission of a felony.” While historically mostly used in criminal or misconduct cases, some elected leaders and experts believe the threat of suspension is being used to stifle actions by local governments — for example over development rules, libraries’ book choices, or decisions seen as unsupportive of state policy.
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FORMER FLORIDA SURGEON GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST PLAN TO LIFT VACCINE MANDATES
FROM WUSF
Florida’s former Surgeon General, Dr. Scott Rivkees, is strongly criticizing a proposal by current Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo to end vaccine mandates for schoolchildren, arguing it risks a return of dangerous, preventable diseases. WUSF Rivkees, now with Brown University’s School of Public Health, warns lifting mandates undermines both child and public health, pointing to historical data on measles, chickenpox, and other illnesses; he also says the medical community (in Florida and beyond) and elected officials have “strongly criticized” Ladapo’s plans.
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EARLY SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS PASS, SPAWN RESIDENT CONCERNS
FROM VENICE GONDOLIER
The Sarasota County School Board voted to move some meetings from evenings to 10 a.m., sparking backlash from residents and students who say the change reduces public access and silences community voices. Board members Karen Rose, Robyn Marinelli and Bridget Ziegler argued morning meetings prioritize board business and safety, while critics — including retirees, parents, and students — countered that the shift excludes working people and youth most affected by board decisions. Although a few residents supported the change, citing security concerns and personal responsibility to attend, others questioned the board’s motives, with member Tom Edwards joining opponents in warning that trust and participation would erode under the new schedule.
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CITY REJECTS APPEAL TO BOTANICAL GARDENS GRAND TREE REMOVAL
FROM WSLR
Selby Botanical Gardens wants to break ground on a $61 million makeover that includes construction of a new conservatory it calls the “crown jewel” of its campus on the Bay. But that new conservatory will require the removal of 102 trees, including seven grand trees, which enjoy special protection under the City of Sarasota’s tree ordinance. On Monday, the Sarasota City Commission rejected a resident’s appeal, arguing she did not have legal standing. Still, Kelly Franklin’s appeal put Sarasota’s high-profile botanical garden in an awkward position, forcing it to make legal arguments why it should be allowed to cut down trees. Ultimately, though, Selby’s lawyer argued that Franklin lacked legal standing because the value of her home, half a mile from Selby, is not affected, and because she is not more affected than anyone else.
READ/HEAR THE STORY HERE
VOLUNTEERS PAINT PRIDE CROSSWALK AT HARVEST SARASOTA CHURCH
FROM SARASOTA OBSERVER
After the Sarasota City Commission voted to comply with state order removing crosswalk art, workers destroyed some 300 sidewalk murals of the Avenue of Art in Burns Court and the rainbow crosswalk in downtown Sarasota. But at The Harvest Sarasota church, new color was introduced on Sept. 14. Volunteers, including representatives and staff of local LGBTQ+ organizations like Project Pride and Equality Florida, worked together to create a new Progress Pride Flag crosswalk on the organization's property.
READ THE STORY HERE
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