Replacing them are Beth Mayberry and Megan Tennimon, no-nonsense former educators who will keep their eye on the prize of maintaining an A-rated district and achieving continued academic excellence. A run-off election for the remaining seat will be held in the general elections on November 3.

We sought out long-time former public school administrator and advocate Deb Hays for her thoughts on the changing of the guards.

Dear Bubbie: Why do you think the district had to go through all the distracting and harmful culture wars for so many years?

Deb Hayes: I guess, for me, addressing the culture wars forced the community to start defining differences in truth and theater. While those wars are not resolved, more people are thinking more deeply and challenging sound bites right now. That is healthy.

I think that the culture wars were perpetuated in order to keep the true problems of the district out of public view. While engaging in school board majority political drama, the community could remain divided and ignorant of the wolves at the door of public education. In the end, I think the community became more engaged in the issues and is developing a more holistic understanding that Sarasota was / is a training ground for up-ending public education at the local level.

It has been helpful to many to see that the funding problems at the district are part of a much larger effort to de-value public education. Dealing with this for several years may have hastened awareness in some members of the community.

DB: What was the ultimate result?

DH: What has happened over the past several years did result in a coalescence of thought around more focus on education and less drama and chaos in the school board. The Sarasota community has been in the national news for all of the wrong reasons until this past election. Now it is in the national eye for being, perhaps, a bellwether of change in the political landscape. Public education belongs to everyone and this election forced the community to define what it is looking for in a quality School Board and step out of stereotypical political alignments.

DB: Do you think the chaos was worth it?

DH: To have more citizens informed and involved in the support of public education is a positive. However, we have wasted valuable time and energy fighting needless assaults when the focus should have been taking the fight to the state for funding.

Certain students and staff in the district have been the victims of oppression during this chaos. We have seen that oppression can come, not always from aggressive action but also, from lack of affirmation of those who are marginalized. The fear and anxiety caused by needless culture wars, leave a stain on our district and its board leadership.

As fears were induced, we saw the subtle human control that became part of the culture wars’ temporary “wins”. Those impacts may never be completely remediated for some groups and individuals.

DB: Do you wish it had never happened?

DH: It was going to happen because of the national focus on perpetuating culture wars. Unfortunately, Sarasota was the canary in the coal mine in trying new distractions. I think we have learned a great deal about how skilled distraction can successfully take a community off-focus. But, in the process, many more community members of all political parties and those not affiliated with a party have come together to be part of regaining focus and fighting for public education. It is the human toll on students, staff and parents that, for me, is inexcusable.

DB: Any final thoughts?

DH: The community selected candidates that rejected culture wars and provided concrete solutions for helping the district regain board focus. The challenges ahead are daunting. With skilled board leadership and a committed populace, the district has a great opportunity to face those challenges with strength.

Dear Bubbie Note: In our blog It’s a Lousy THREE Against Thousands, we covered Bridget Ziegler’s Resolution that passed on January 20, 2026 to ‘Affirm Full Cooperation and Coordination with Law Enforcement Agencies, Including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’.

This unnecessary move that just repeated laws that were already in place frightened students, kept them out of school and drew protestors to the board meeting numbering close to 500 people. Was cruelty the point?

In practically another world, six days ago, Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts signed the Protect Act that pledged just the opposite. This law bans ICE from schools, churches and courthouses among other public places. Gov. Healey created a 16-page guideline that will help administrators (teachers, bus drivers. . .) protect students attending pre-school and public schools from immigration agents.

Thankfully, Sarasota never accepted cruel as the new normal, but voted for competence and kindness.

Upcoming event: In 2016, the Sarasota County Commission approved a housing development where the former Gulf Gate Golf Course stood. Now a beacon for wildlife, residents want the 48.9 acre parcel used instead as a park and stormwater diversion to avoid street, home and business flooding. The commission will be listening to the public on September 8 at 9 a.m. at 1 Apex Drive in the county administration building.

As a community activist, I’ve always touted the importance of showing up in person to present one’s cause at commission or school board meetings. When groups show up in matching t-shirts with their purpose emblazoned boldly across their chests, they’re going to be seen and heard by the powers that be.

I am proof positive that this works. . .almost.

A few weeks ago, at a Sarasota County Commission meeting I attended, I showed up in my Julie London for County Commission t-shirt and a pair of crisp white shorts. The meeting location was an hour away and began at 9 a.m., so truth be told, I barely had time to run a brush through my hair.

Still, my speech had to have been so impressive, so meaningful, that I had three different women contact me. Two wanted to take me shopping and the third wanted to donate her gorgeous clothes that no longer fit on her.

Over coffee, my good friend and advisor told me, “You don’t want to look like Grandma, do you?” I exclaimed immediately, “Yes! Yes, I do!”

Read more

On August 20, 2026, those in attendance at the Sarasota School Board meeting were brimming with an overflow of excitement. It was just two days past an election that saw a new board member, Beth Mayberry, voted in to replace Karen Rose. Rose had lost her election in 2024, but was returned to the dais with an appointment by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Small town values would now reflect a new changing of the guard. One of the most notorious board chairs in the nation, Bridget Ziegler did not seek re-election.

In another win, a former teacher and volunteer with a long ancestry in the Sarasota public school system, Megan Tennimon, will take over the seat of a board member that played ‘follow the leader’ during almost the entirety of her tenure.

The wide arc that Sarasota had experienced since the Covid era put this South Florida arts town on the map - and not in a good way. From the science deniers to Moms for Liberty members, they got their wires crossed as to the true definition of ‘freedom’ and ‘parental choice’. It was their way or the highway for parents who disagreed.

Ziegler, who would be forced to come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community (amid her husband’s dismissed criminal allegations of rape and voyeurism), had wreaked havoc in the lives of young community members, including that of Pine View School Senior Zander Moricz.

Many said that Ziegler had a hand in the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022. Most of it, over a year later, was deemed unconstitutional. In the interim, frightened teachers, threatened with arrests removed books from classrooms and covered their libraries. Moricz, had to change his graduation speech, so as to not risk breaking the law and affecting his acceptance into Harvard University.

His revamped speech given at graduation caused an international stir when he exchanged the word ‘gay’ with ‘curly hair’.

The senior with a cause, put his higher education on hold to form Social Equity Through Education, known as SEE Alliance. The goal was to remove politics and culture wars from school boards and put students first. In Florida, that could be a Herculean effort.

Yet, this youth-driven non-profit (that actually included ages from 12 to 93), proved successful when helping to get Liz Barker elected to the Sarasota school board and Tom Edwards re-elected. His organization went state-wide in their calls for help, including Broward County.

With new board members Mayberry and Tennimon (and a run-off election in November that may see a third board member elected with the same rationale) Moricz presented this speech at the last board meeting.

Three years ago, this room became famous for all of the wrong reasons. Sarasota became a national example of what happened when a school board became more about building political careers than building great public schools. We saw what happens when cruelty became the strategy, when conspiracy became the standard, and when classrooms became the stage for political theater.

Millions of people saw Sarasota at our worst. So I’m very excited to show this country what we look like at our best. On August 18, voters changed the direction of the school board and our entire community for good. They elected Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry, two public school teachers, defeating two political activists. And in District 1, Jimmy Glover finished first and is going to win the runoff in November.

For the first time since this extremist political takeover of the board, the activists that have made our school districts are gone. And that is important to understand correctly. This was not Democrats defeating Republicans. It was not one political faction finally gaining enough power to take revenge against the other.

Republicans, Democrats and NPA’ss across Sarasota County came together to reject not one another, but political extremism in our public schools. They rejected the politics represented by activists like Bridget Ziegler. That did not happen overnight.

“Culture wars were in the Zeitgeist of the time...still are.... Of course they would impact school systems. When people started to be aware of what was going on they paid attention. Groups like SOS and SEE Alliance addressed the situation. Other members of the community, including pastors, joined in. Awareness morphed into action and voila our new school board was elected. Our job is to support them.”

-Rhana Bazzini

For three years I have alongside:

• 12-year-olds and 93-year-olds

• Churches, neighborhood groups, civic organizations

• Families from every corner of this county

• People who disagreed about 1000 things

decided that public education was worth protecting together.

That is why this moment matters. We are not leaving anyone behind. We are not replacing one Sarasota with another. Everyone is a part of the future of Sarasota schools. Political extremism is not.

Three years ago, Sarasota showed the country how far a School Board culture war could go. Two days ago, Sarasota showed the country how a community can end one. Now, we get to show the country what happens when students take back their schools.

“Miss Rose, Miss Marinelli and Miss Ziegler, thank you for your time on this board and for this step in their direction. Your ICE resolution has changed my life because I learned to see local politics and how they affect everyone and every meeting. Since then, it has pushed me to become the person I am today. You have played a role in my drive to support and fight for what I believe is right. And finally, thank you for making this school board race such an easy one to win.”

-Sadie Willard, Venice High School Senior

Thank you for reading Dear Bubbie. We have three more blogs to come out - including “Dressing Dear Bubbie” for our paid subscribers.

Now, through October 31, we have to prompt you to join the pack of Watchdogs by visiting the Julie London for Sarasota County Commission District 4 website.

Someone within the Sarasota County Government left out two key elements in handing over details to the commissioners that could cost the taxpayers over $2 million.

Tuesday, August 24, the commissioners will take a vote on Agenda Item No. 49 which reads:

(Not a public hearing) To adopt a Resolution approving the Amendment to Settlement Agreement and Release with Siesta Beach Lots, LLC and authorizing the exchange of a County-owned real property, PID No. 0080240028, together with a one-time payment of $400,000.00 for three parcels of real property owned by Siesta Beach Lots, LLC, PID Nos. 0080230017, 0080230013, and 0080230018; authorizing the Chair, Vice Chair, and the County Administrator or designee to execute documents necessary to effectuate the exchange; waiving the County’s reservation of mineral rights pursuant to Section 270.11(3), Florida Statutes; and providing for an effective date.

The Starting Line

It begins with the Siesta Key Beach Access 3. The county erected a sign at the entrance for all to “Enjoy Your Park”. This was close to resident Mike Holderness’ three beachfront parcels that he owned (Lots 15, 16 and 17).

Holderness accused the county of “promoting, encouraging, inviting and authorizing” beachgoers to trespass on his lots without his permission. The county disagreed.

He then took matters into his own hands and tried to exclude trespassers from his private beach by erecting a fence and installing a gate. He put up No Trespassing signs and got law enforcement involved to enforce the laws.

However, in 2020, county environmental officials cited Holderness over the fencing and he eventually removed it. County staff also made him remove signs warning people not to trespass.

The Lawsuit

Holderness (via Siesta Beach Lots LLC) filed a federal lawsuit against Sarasota County in late March 2024. He kept all documentation of claims, that they were infringing on his rights as a beach property owner, from his related complaints dating back to March 2020.

It appeared that the county had a strong defense case as an April 12, 2024 memo indicated. Arguments made included:

• The County had not invited people onto Holderness’ private property.

• The “Enjoy Your Park” signage related to the public access.

• The property was zoned residential/multifamily.

• The County had not rezoned it to eliminate development rights.

• The County was not operating a community center or recreational facility there.

The County Attorney questioned whether Holderness even owned Lots 15, 16 and 17 because of their history of being submerged. The attorney stated, “We have substantial defenses, including a question about whether Holderness actually owns some of the property he’s claiming was taken.”

He cited a Florida appellate case that land submerged for a long period of time can lose ownership status of the original owner.

How did we end up so backwards?

While the county had filed a motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit, a judge ordered mediation for the parties. Commissioners unanimously approved a settlement on November 19, 2024. At that point, they were unaware of details that easily would have derailed that settlement.

Between then and a vote that’s supposed to take place at tomorrow’s Sarasota County Meeting, this is what the agreement looks like:

Holderness is giving the county his three lots. These properties, that can’t be built on, have been appraised at $90,000. (He claimed $18 million.) The county seemed to go by Holderness’ numbers and offered $400,000 cash and a lot worth $2.8 million dollars (Lot 12, 162 Beach Road). They also agreed to put up a sign at Beach Access 3 memorializing Holderness’ mother who had passed away.

There’s more. . .

Holderness was not going to let the settlement go through unless the county agreed to let him build on the lot that would require them to facilitate Holderness’ effort to obtain a Coastal Setback Variance.

Building seaward of this setback is normally prohibited to protect natural dune habitats, stabilize the shoreline, and reduce risks from flooding and storm surge.

Despite recent hurricane damage that Siesta Key experienced, the variance was obtained which ultimately led to the November 2025 vote allowing an approximately 4,190-square-foot house to be built on the lot.

What the Commissioners weren’t told

The property at 162 Beach Road was purchased with Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program money. This is a voter-approved program that acquires environmentally sensitive property and land suitable for parks. During the presentation of the settlement in November 2024, commissioners weren’t informed of this.

They also weren’t made aware of the purchase price of $1.4 million in 2017 and also weren’t told of its present value of $2.8 million.

Between a rock and a hard place, an amended settlement passed on July 7 with only Commissioner Mark Smith voting against it. Smith argued that giving that property away undermines the purpose of the program.

Lourdes Ramirez Sues

The President of Protect Siesta Key, Lourdes Ramirez sued the county on the basis that trading a park-funded preservation parcel for private development was improper. Unfortunately, even though she is a tax-paying resident and Protect Siesta Key is a non-profit, Judge Hunter Carrol rejected her case on the basis that she lacked legal standing.

On the NextDoor app, Ramirez posted the following earlier today (8/24):

"This should concern taxpayers throughout Sarasota County, not just those who live on Siesta Key.

"The bigger question is whether property purchased with voter-approved funds for neighborhood parkland and preservation should ever be used as currency to settle a lawsuit.

"Think about the precedent that could set. If public parkland can be traded away to settle this lawsuit, what protects other taxpayer-purchased properties in the future?”

The settlement puts the county in a vulnerable position exposing it to similar tactics from other beachfront property owners.

Two of the biggest questions remain: What happened during mediation to cause such a power shift from county to disgruntled land owner? (and)

Why weren’t the commissioners made aware of the most important factors - the value and acquisition - of the land that they were going to swap?

I hope that a vote will be put on hold until many more questions can be answered. As stewards of taxpayer funds, the board needs to ensure that no stones are left unturned.

The Sarasota County Board Meeting will take place for the first time in its new headquarters, located at 1 Apex Road on Tuesday, August 25. The start time is 9 a.m. with public comment at the beginning. If you have thoughts you’d like to share with the commission, you only have to show up a little earlier to fill out a speaker’s card.

We asked a respected reporter who had been covering this topic the following questions:

1. If the county votes NO tomorrow - what could the ramifications be?

2. Can the county renege on the sale stating that they didn’t know it was acquired through the parklands acquisition fund?

A. Can the county then compensate Holderness for house plans, etc. . . and sums that aren’t nearly in that $2 million range? Or could his damages now be in that range?

B. I guess Holderness initially wanted $4 million in damages?

C. Is Moye the county attorney who had been negotiating since the beginning?

3. Do you know who the initial county employee was who left out the details that this was from the acquisition fund and the property value?

If the board votes yes:

4. Could people who wanted that lot to build on previously and were refused sue the county? Or insist on the same setback variance?

5. Could Katie Gerhardt who owns similar parcels sue the county for inequity? A neighbor was offered $80K over her $30K (estimates) offer from the county, while Holderness made out with over $2 million.

About the blogger: Julie London is running for Sarasota County Commission in District 4. She will be in attendance at the meeting and then speaking before the Democratic Senior Caucus at 11:30. For more information write to: julie@votejulielondon.com Visit the website here.

While the meeting began with the solemn news announcing Superintendent Terry Connors’ absence due to his father’s passing, the music still played on.

The talented Sarasota High School Saxophone Quartet, performing ragtime music, earned a standing ovation. Only in school for two weeks, they performed like a seasoned ensemble.

This was an upbeat change from the buzzkill of past meetings, despite the district’s former accomplishments. A good deal of this shift in tone was due to school board member Tom Edwards’ proposed change in board meeting times from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m at the previous meeting. Catching everyone off-guard with this unexpected request, Robin Marinelli broke from her previous decision and along with board member Liz Barker, the majority voted to change the time back to 6 p.m.

Students and parents returned to the boardroom with joy and pride. Edwards wasn’t aware that he gave one Mom the opportunity to whisper proudly during the Sarasota High School Junior ROTC color guard presentation: “That’s my son! The one on the left.”

Skye Ranch Principal Jamie Hannon presented a glowing report of the school’s second year in existence. This included news that school counselor Michelle Bocock was named as the Florida Counselor of the Year.

Lighthearted moments were the exclamation point of her presentation when she kept leaving the podium, but one more board member had to extend their accolades to her.

The good news didn’t end there. US News & Report rated Pine View School the Number 13 school in the nation and Number 1 in Florida. Pine View Senior Dom Segretto has attended Pine View from the time he was in second grade. “I can confidently say that the learning environment created by the staff and students at Pine View cultivates discipline and academic excellence,” he said.

How is Sarasota County different than the highly respected school system in Naperville? The programs in Illinois are described as “well-funded”, while Florida schools rank near the bottom nationally for per-student funding. This is because billions of dollars are transferred through a voucher system that expands into private and homeschooling options. County school districts are left struggling with budget cuts, staff reductions, and low teacher pay. This makes these achievements even more notable.

Oh and one more thing. . .

Public school advocates were riding high from election results two nights prior when Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry won their seats shifting a long-standing majority that put politics and culture wars over students.

This election received national attention, including The Washington Post, with this scorching headline “Florida School Board at the center of culture wars loses conservative majority.”

The head of the Democratic Party, David Dean shared his sentiment in the article revealing that residents are fed up with the culture wars and instead want their school board to focus on teachers and students.

“School board meetings should be boring,” he said. “They shouldn’t make the national news.”

Teacher Raises

During public comment, the students came out in solidarity for the county’s teachers eloquently stating that the pay increase for teachers was not enough.

The breakdown in Agenda Item 10.1 was straightforward: All Staff and teachers receive a 0.5% salary increase. Teachers who have taught 10+ years in FL public schools would receive an additional portion of state funding equaling about $1,200 added to base pay.

Booker High School Senior and Student Body President Kennedy Cole asked the board to “think outside the box” to find more money to pay teachers. Offering suggestions, he made it clear that the raise was not enough. “Teachers still have to remain at their second jobs.”

JoDany Del Rosario, also a BHS Senior, added her personal experience: “My mom works at a middle school and trust me, teaching at a middle school is no joke.”

A meaningful moment for one teacher had to come at the hand of Venice High School Senior Sadie Willard. Advocating for higher pay for teachers, she specifically mentioned her IB English teacher, Ms. Gentry, describing her as “the smartest, kindest person I ever met.” She credited her teachers who “have showed me what a real understanding of literature and the true beauty of knowledge is.”

The Board Listens and Responds

Before the vote took place, the board members responded to the student speakers. Edwards agree with them.

So the public comments on this agenda item could could not be more truthful. I would say I also heard a public comment about teacher retention and reasons why teachers are leaving. Connect the dots. But I would also challenge what was said as well in public comments - this belongs as a Tallahassee issue. This is not a school board issue.

Barker also had to weigh in. “I want to thank you all for acknowledging and understanding what our teachers do and what they deserve and I couldn’t agree with you more,” she began, “and I look forward to working together to appropriate compensation for our staff because they absolutely deserve it. So thank you.”

In a tone that bordered on patronizing, Board Chair Bridget Ziegler added her input.

I think a lot of these conversations, there’s a lot of really needing to understand what’s in that contract and in a future workshop, we’ll be diving into as it exists so that the public and the board and incoming board members can understand as it is right now. So that will set them up to support teachers, support our staff and understand how you could really build them up. But really, if you don’t understand what’s in a contract, it makes it very difficult, umm, when you go to negotiations. So I do look forward to that conversation.

During the second half of public comment that were not agenda related, most were in celebratory mode due to the new incoming board members.

Speaker Sally Sells had something she wanted to get off of her chest. She used her time initially to expose school board member Karen Rose’s husband, who is known for bullying public school advocates and the LGBTQ+ community online. This wholly inappropriate and juvenile name-calling of community members has been a stunning disgrace on the board member who repeatedly pats herself on the back for her long career in education.

His tiresome and mean-spirited tactics may have played a small role in the election loss of all conservative voices on the incoming school board. Hate and politics that citizens like him extolled created the chaos that the public voted out.

Sells began her speech:

“My name is Sally ‘No Sales’ Sells. Oh, wait, that’s the name your husband calls me on social media, Mrs. Rose. Let me try again. My name is Sally Sells, and I’m a vulgar slob. Oh, wait, wait, wait. I’m sorry. That’s another name your husband calls me out in the community. Mrs. Rose.”

Sells concluded with a sentiment that drew support from the audience. “I can’t wait to be bored at these school board meetings. There is a cure for Ziegler Derangement Syndrome - it’s voting!”

While some of the gloating may have went a bit far, this was a meeting that would have made just about any school district in the country envious. The importance of public input and the awareness that public school advocates bring to the table are game-changing.

Overall, with teachers, parents and students back in attendance, what was said, done and accomplished at the meeting would have made Superintendent Terry Connor proud.

From Google: Florida ranks 50th in the nation for average public school teacher pay. According to data from the National Education Association (NEA), Florida's average teacher salary is roughly $56,663, which sits well below the national average of $74,490.

In Sarasota County, first year educators start at a base salary of $60,000 annually offering some of the highest public school teacher pay in Florida. The district's average teacher salary is roughly $65,817, ranking at the top statewide, though local educators and union officials note it still lags behind high housing and living costs in the area

Sign up today! Kay Mathers course in A Study in State Constitutions begins via Zoom this Wednesday. This is an opportunity to learn in a way that is spoken in layman’s terms in your own home. The six sessions run Wednesdays from August 26 - September 30, 7 - 8 p.m.

The Julie London for Sarasota County Commission, District 4 campaign is calling all watchdogs to join the team. After slamming on that DONATE button, check out the ‘Dogs of District 4’ page and add your pet’s picture to this dignified (and sometimes goofy) page.

Coming up in the next Dear Bubbie. . .Later today, we’re coming out with a retrospect in “The School Board That Is Best Understood Backwards”. This features none other than Sarasota’s Zander Moricz.

Also. . .Tom Edwards is holding the entity accountable who may have leaked information on a school investigation illegally to the public. Read about what he is doing to earn the public’s trust from the bad players who attempt to erode what makes Sarasota an A-rated school district.

Finally, for our beleaguered paid subscribers - behind the paywall - the pity party commission can laugh (or cry) while reading “Dressing Dear Bubbie”.

If there was a dichotomy this year in the Florida primary elections, it appears evident that while the Republican establishment was amassing wins on August 18, the Democrats broke rank and file with the moderates and made headway with a progressive agenda.

Trump-endorsed candidates ruled the night with Byron Donalds getting the nod for the Republican Gubernatorial nomination and Sydney Gruters winning the party’s ticket for Congressional District 16. This was Congressman Vern Buchanan’s seat for 20 years, before he announced his retirement.

While November’s general election will bring more people to the polls, the numbers are worth analyzing.

Democrat David Jolly in his bid for governor won +61.0% votes over his opponents, with a final count of 761,674. His pick for lieutenant governor is Gwen Graham, who was named with him on the ballot. With Donalds having more viable opponents, he won with an impressive 47.8% or 810,675 votes.

Gruters meanwhile, won a remarkable +63.5% over her opponents, Eddie Spier and Ed Pope with a count of 48,531 votes. Her opponent in November will be former Sarasota City Mayor Kelly Kirschner who won the Democratic nomination amid a crowded field with a win total of 23,473 votes or +43.0%.

It’s notable that Tamika Lyles came in second place in this race with 10,872 votes and Jan Schneider placing a not-so-far back third with 8,411 votes. The total overall voting for this category was 54,596 - well behind the Republicans’ number.

The redrawn CD 16 includes all of Manatee County and portions of Pinellas, Sarasota, Polk, Hardee and DeSoto counties. It will be a challenge representing St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and rural agricultural communities farther inland.

”The election is over. The questions aren’t.”

A surprising win on the red side showed incumbent Agriculture Director Wilton Simpson winning handily over Matt “The Welder” Taylor. Florida Politics writes:

“Simpson had a wealth of cash available to him and was never seriously threatened. With 68.91% of the vote Simpson had little trouble advancing to the General Election. Taylor had 31.09% of the vote and there were about 1.61 million ballots cast. . .”

Taylor had over 157,000 Facebook followers that didn’t translate into votes. This should teach all candidates that social media comments do not translate into wins.

Don’t despair for “the welder”, his new business is already up and running where he extols: “The election is over. The questions aren’t.”

On the Democratic side, Jessie Mendoza easily defeated Don Pritchard for Agriculture Director.

The most stunning result of the night was Angie Nixon’s win over Alex Vindman. Nixon had just switched to the Democratic Socialists of America Party (DSA). At the Sarasota Democratic watch party, held at Tamiami Tap, the loudest scream from the youth was the announcement of Nixon’s massive win.

In her victory speech, she asked for unity with the Vindman camp stating that the greater good will be necessary in defeating Trump-appointed Ashley Moody, who moves on to the November general election also.

With a war chest difference of millions of dollars, Nixon’s grass roots efforts still paid off. The first email in my inbox regarding the Florida elections came from the New York Times labelling this an upset. The contest wasn’t even close.

(Vindman’s wife would have only played a miniscule role when she decided it was a good idea to condescendingly attack Nixon’s fashion sense on Threads. She apologized, and then put herself in time out - or his team did - and she temporarily stopped posting on the site.)

The democratic battle for Florida House District 17, saw Alan Spence losing to Matthew Montavon by approximately 5,000 votes. Spence was treated with suspicion due to his recent party change and having voted for President Donald Trump twice.

In the Sarasota City Commission race, it was Democrats Jen Ahearn-Koch and Flo Entler, along with Republican John Harshman who won enough votes to enter in the November 3 runoff.

The Sarasota County Commission Race in District 2 saw incumbent Mark Smith retaining his seat over Kristine Sargent. The closest local race of the primaries belonged to Sarasota County Commission in District 4 with Jim DeNiro taking on incumbent Joe Neunder and winning by a mere 798 votes.

Jim DeNiro (REP) | 6,627 votes | 53.20%

Joe Neunder (REP) | 5,829 votes | 46.80%

DeNiro will be taking on Julie London (hello). The Democrat (me, myself, I) has garnered cross-party appeal due to her (my) stance to stop the developers amid the Live Local Act, while DeNiro’s ties to the building industry and PAC contributors appear contrary to his Stop Overdevelopment motto splashed on his signs.

The Sarasota School Board Races

With impressive victories in District 4 and 5 from Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry respectively, the biggest winner is the Sarasota County Schools.

Superintendent Terry Connor weighed in with a statement to WWSB Channel 7 news.

Tennimon declared: “Sarasota showed up. This win is huge for our district. It shows that no matter political affiliation, Sarasota residents all agree that our students succeed when our teachers are supported.”

While the focus for the new board members is on what comes next, this election made national news due to the flip from a conservative board that was a national symbol of right-wing culture wars to left leaning. Board Chair Bridget Ziegler’s personal life had glared a spotlight on the A-rated school district when it was disclosed that the Moms for Liberty co-founder had participated in threesomes with her husband, Christian, the former Chair of the Republican Party of Florida. He had been accused of an alleged rape and video voyeurism. No charges were filed.

Ziegler has been showing up at Donalds’ events leading to conjecture that if he wins, she will be given a role in his new education department.

“I am honored and excited to share in the new board’s efforts to support our students and the staff that help them learn, to keep our Sarasota public schools on the edge of excellence that Sarasota values.” Mayberry said.

Conservative board member Robin Marinelli who did not run for re-election appeared on the local ABC affiliate late at night, wearing sunglasses and said somberly: “I just hope they listen to the parents.” Marinelli always said she listened at the board meetings, but then consistently voted against their voices.

Perhaps the most relieved had to be School board member Tom Edwards, who was the sole vote against the board majority’s political agendas for years. Only in 2024, a new board member was elected, Liz Barker, who aligned with his goals for the district.

The new board composition appears to leave the motivation of self-advancement in politics behind with the focus squarely placed on students, staff and teachers. Edwards recognized this with gratitude on his Facebook page:

We know where we’ve been, and those dark days are behind us. Now it’s time to focus on the positive work ahead: rebuilding and strengthening Sarasota County Schools and public education for every student, every family, and every teacher.

Thank you, Sarasota, for your trust and your commitment to a brighter future for our schools.

Jimmy Glover, running in District 1 against two opponents, Heidi Brandt and Teresa DeWitt received +43.53% coming in with 43,772 votes. In second place at 31.72% and 31,898 votes, Brandt and Glover will face off in the November general elections. Glover would have needed 50% of the vote, plus one in order for the vote to be final.

On his Facebook page, Glover wrote:

I’m incredibly grateful tonight.

Based on tonight’s unofficial results, our campaign received the most votes in the District 1 race and will move forward to the November election.

To every person who voted, volunteered, donated, knocked on doors, made calls, shared our message, and encouraged our family along the way: thank you.

More than 43,000 Sarasota County voters placed their trust in me tonight. I do not take that responsibility lightly.

This campaign has always been about listening to our community and keeping students at the center of every decision.

Tonight, I’m grateful.

Tomorrow, we get back to work.

Thank you, Sarasota County!

Coming up: In Heroes Who Made It Happen, Dear Bubbie looks at some important players, team members and social media warriors who made the Democratic wins possible. Photos, photos and more photos will recognize the people who put in the hours and dedication to the cause. (Couldn’t be done without Devon Oppenheimer’s creative eye and story-telling skills with her camera.)

In the essay “They Deserve a Seat at the Table”, a 10-year-old girl teaches adults how decency can cross party lines.

Visit my website Julie London for Sarasota County Commission, District 4. With 11 weeks left to go until the general elections, the watchdogs are ready to go to work. Click the DONATE button to be part of pack.

For the parents and school age children living south of University Parkway, zig-zagging all the way to a sliver of Siesta Key (north of the Stickney Point Bridge). residents couldn’t be more fortunate to have Sarasota County School Board Candidate Jimmy Glover in District 1 as a choice.

His thirty years as a flight attendant gives him the foundation in listening, learning and serving all walks of life from every corner of the world. Yet the father of four kids, all who attended the Sarasota public schools, is grounded in the harsh realities that some school children face.

“There’s a number of people who live in District 1 attending our Title I Schools,” he began. “They probably need a little bit more help than others. You know, there are schools in the district that are doing it very well and we appreciate that, but we want to make sure that all our kids have those same opportunities that other schools have.”

I met with Jimmy, his campaign manager Dr. Greg Marshall and communications guru Jody Osceola at the Betty J. Johnson Library in Newtown. They are in the heart of the district that has been the least represented for decades. Can one really consider present board member Bridget Ziegler as the voice and champion of that district? Her recent unnecessary (and cruel) ICE resolution kept many kids in that district out of school from fear.

Glover was the first to enter the race, starting in July 2025. If elected, Jimmy Glover would be the first African American elected to the board. According to the Little Medical School: “When children see someone succeed who shares their racial, gender, or socioeconomic background, it powerfully boosts their self-efficacy and vicarious confidence. Psychologically, this validation transforms an abstract possibility into a concrete, achievable future, dismantling internal limits and expanding their sense of belonging.”

Glover’s ability to reach all is a requisite of the job he holds now. He is seen jovially talking to his opponent, Heidi Brandt, because he finds common ground with everyone who crosses his path. Photos throughout social media display an approachable man, who will be steadfast in his commitment for the best academic outcome for any student and utmost support for teachers.

Back in April, we discussed his views on bullying. In a somber tone, Glover revealed what he has learned from his own four children, who attended the Sarasota public schools.

As far as bullying now, it’s worse now than when I was a kid and that is because of the social media aspect of bullying. Back in the day, someone said something about you, you might not hear about it until the next day at school. However, now with social media, when someone is bullying somebody, it extends beyond the classroom.

And then what ends up happening is that you see all the people liking the post or liking whatever that person says. That leads to mental anguish. So not only are they hearing it from the bully now, but all these people who are liking it, which means that they agree with this person.

His children, now ages 26, 23, 21 and 18, gave him a different perspective. “We dealt with the bullies where you confront the bully. The bully backs down and that’s it. I couldn’t understand the whole bullying issue. I just thought it was something that the kids were just, the kids were soft. But then they made me realize the whole social media aspect of what happens with bullying and how people post stuff and how that really effects children.”

Glover’s solution is more parental involvement.

“I believe as parents, we need to be more engaged with our children’s social media to know what happens because I think far too often we’re not really familiar with what social media our kids are on and what they’re doing and what they’re dealing with.”

Glover goes into what he calls “protective Dad mode” when discussing his children. “My two kids go to a state school here in Florida. My oldest attends school out of state in Georgia.”

Do they plan to follow in Dad’s footsteps in the airline industry? He smiles, shakes his head and describes them as “very artistic”. His daughter is an audio engineer, while his oldest is a filmmaker. The youngest son is a graphic designer.

Talking to Glover, he immediately becomes an old friend. From his taste in music to favorite books, he opens up a two-way street of communication.

This innate trait has served him well with his involvement in the Star Lab School (teaches K -3) and as Vice Chair of the City’s Parks, Recreation, and Environmental Protection Advisory Board.

Despite a travel schedule that would tire Ryan Seacrest out, Glover is also a board member for the Friends of the Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library and an active volunteer with the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition. Through mentorship with Unidos Now and CareerSpring, he has supported many first-generation college-bound students in finding their path to success.

When speaking at a forum in Venice, Glover asked the audience to let him earn their trust. A man next to me replied: “He has. He just did.”

On Tuesday, August 18, Dear Bubbie recommends a vote for Jimmy Glover, Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry.

Visit their websites here: Jimmy Glover Beth Mayberry and Megan Tennimon

I am surprised by the lack of information as well as the possibility that no further investigating went into the candidates by the editorial staff.

Was there any discussion related to the biggest problems facing the schools - the mishandling of the vouchers at the state level? Where do they stand on the voucher system or Schools of Hope?

Were they asked about decades of underfunding that would cause a district to go into debt and comparing it with other cities in Florida the same size?

I believe they will choose Tennimon and Mayberry for Districts 4 & 5, but it’s our hope that they dig a little further below the surface.

Thoughts?

The 1930’s story of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper is symbolic of what the Sarasota County Public School district achieved within less than a year’s time. On this sweltering August first week back to school, this tale of positive thinking has never been more appropriately applied due to the powerful engines of a hard-working, determined administration.

The Situation

A train breaks down with toys for boys and girls before reaching a high mountain. Trains with strong engines refuse to help, because they are too busy or prideful.

In 2025, schools throughout Florida were being threatened by new laws passed in the state that would allow for-profit charter schools to encroach on taxpayer funded public school property. The unaptly named ‘Schools of Hope’ would not have to pay rent, while public schools provided all the overhead: Property use and upkeep; Electric; Water (and); Available space and land.

The big engines in Tallahassee passed this legislation in the eleventh hour that would break already underfunded public schools throughout Florida. Billionaire Ken Griffin gave a record amount of monetary incentive to state lawmakers to ensure a smooth transition in moving his Success Academy Charter Schools network to Florida.

Across the state, public schools scrambled to fill underutilized classroom space in order to not have to bear the financial burden of what public school advocate Robin Williams described as “squatters”. These charter schools already collect in the ballpark of $9000 per student per school year. If it looks like a grift and sounds like a grift. . .

The Attempt

A tiny blue engine agrees to help and starts the hard climb.

Superintendent Terry Connor and his staff went to work on a “Future Focused Strategic Initiative” - a reimagining for several existing public schools - to avoid Schools of Hope from school board member Liz Barker’s description of “a hostile takeover". The problem was, there was a large outcry from the public, including the first plan to dissolve Wilkinson Elementary School.

In what could have been described as a stunning move, the citizens’ voices were actually heard and it was back to the drawing board for an exhausted, but determined staff. A thoroughly mapped-out plan to merge Suncoast Polytechnical High School with Brookside was also protested, with students leaving class to attend a board meeting.

Already Overburdened

“I pull you? I am a Passenger Engine. I have just carried a fine big train over the mountain, with more cars than you ever dreamed of.... I pull the likes of you? Indeed not!”

When new Sarasota County Tax Collector Mike Moran was elected to office, there was a stunned disbelief. Reports, such as the one that came out in Florida Trident, read that Moran had allegedly spent over $36,000 in tax money on a lavish Las Vegas trip. This came about due to his second publicly-funded job at the Florida PACE Funding Agency, which was also subject to concern.

Shortly after being elected, his office withheld over $2 million in 2% commission fees from voter-approved school millage funds. After Connor collegially attempted to negotiate with the new tax collector, Moran’s incapacity prompted a lawsuit from the school district. The county commission temporarily stepped in to cover the costs after aligning initially with Moran (due to what they acknowledged as “a mistake”.)

Speaking to Florida Senator James Buchanan at a Venice forum, he credited Connor and the timing of getting laws changed. The new legislation went into effect July 1 and is expected to preserve tens of millions of dollars annually for public schools across the state. A lawsuit between the district schools and the tax collector remain ongoing.

A Success Story Emerges

“I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could.”

With forced budget cuts that slashed positions from teaching staff, guidance counselors and administrative positions, a new Future Focused Strategic Initiative was passed unanimously by board members. With a contentious school board, this was no easy feat. The reimagining began for the following public schools.

Alta Vista Elementary - Reimagined as a K–8 school, with STEAM-focused programming, 2026–29

Brentwood Elementary - Reimagined as a K–8 school, retaining Cambridge+ enrichment, 2026–29

Gulf Gate Elementary - Reimagined as a K–8 school, 2026–29

Wilkinson Elementary - Reimagined as a K–8 school, with emphasis on STEAM, 2026–29

Brookside Middle - Reimagined as Gulf Coast Academy of Innovation & Technology, a districtwide 6–8 magnet focused on: AI; machine learning; IT; gaming (and) cybersecurity, 2026–29

Emma E. Booker Elementary will remain a K–5, but portions of the campus will be repurposed for Junior Achievement BizTown. Booker Middle will also get a Junior Achievement Finance Park and a North County childcare center in repurposed buildings.

Behind the Scenes

While there were those in Sarasota that complained about what they perceived as a top-heavy administrative budget within the school district, it turns out that Sarasota County Schools reduced district-level administrative staffing by 14% compared to a 6% reduction in overall school-level staffing (which includes classroom teachers, counselors. . .) These are the latest numbers we have.

Last month in Tallahassee, legislators were wreaking havoc with public school administrators by giving them a forced date to post their budgets, while undecided themselves as to what the schools would be getting from the state.

Connor and his team stayed ahead, played a guessing game and within three - four days came up with a budget. During ‘summer break’, the staff was working on new required Florida curriculum and all the important cogs in the machine were at work - from effective advertising to draw students to the public schools to new bus apps. Then there was the brand new Wellen Park High School.

The First Day of School

In life, things aren’t always seamless and hard work isn’t routinely appreciated. The same goes for the running of the public schools in this district. What was accomplished however, within such a short period of time, with the most extreme of a budget, was inconceivable.

So, if one discovers bugs in the system this first week of school, that is to be expected every school year. However, as the school bells ring in the 2026 - ‘27 school year, there is something patently different. Sarasota almost lost what we take for granted. Instead, this A-rated school district that absolutely thought it could, delivered.

Parents and Students: We would love to post your pictures / experiences of the first week back to school. Write to: DearBubbieFeedback@yahoo.com

A Dear Bubbie Footnote: It is critically important how we vote on August 18. Far outrunning any other candidate in the area of supporting public education - Republican or Democrat - is the Gubernatorial team of David Jolly and Gwen Graham.

I sat in on an educational roundtable, spoke with Graham who said to me: “I tear up when talking about public education.” Jolly pleases both sides of the aisle with his support of the school scholarship / voucher system / school choice, yet wants to make sure the money follows the students back to the public schools.

Graham’s experience in education within the state system is impressive, but she also served as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education. (She’s as smart and capable as she is kind.)

It’s truly unfortunate that one of the top-runners, Byron Donalds, supported by Ken Griffin and AI entities, has a wife that has been involved with for-profit charter schools. Parents have been left hanging in the lurch, while she has raked in millions of dollars, including a school in Lee County that accepted vouchers, but never even opened. I sincerely mean unfortunate, because the importance of public education is so vital to our very Democracy.

For the local school board, we’ve been pretty noisy in our support for Megan Tennimon, a former volunteer turned teacher and hopefully school board member. When it comes to education, Tennimon has a limitless tank of gas. She is a listener and approachable, which is what any school district needs in a leader.

District 1 will possibly be getting their first true representative in Jimmy Glover. He is as strong on policy as his heart is big on kids who struggle through issues out of their control. Many of the Title One schools are in his district, and a boots on the ground approach has been sorely missing.

For District 5, there has never been a more qualified candidate on paper or in life as Beth Mayberry. A former teacher, she had also earned her Certified Financial Planning certificate. That is not an easy feat. Her children and grandchildren attend(ed) the public schools in the county. She maintains a warmth and a smile for all who are in her orbit - from children to senior citizens.

We have to do this every time. . .Dear Bubbie is running for Sarasota County Commission in District 4. Check out the campaign website for Julie London (hi!) and consider a donation. Our name is on the November 3 ballot.

We are working on a blog for our paid subscribers only (thank you so much for your support). Coming up for all - we visited with Sarasota County Department directors and discovered the true meaning of public servant. Their stories are compelling and share a common thread - they are family. I can’t wait to introduce you. . .

I may have to take to the bed after this piece of news came out on my opponents for the Sarasota County Commission, District 4 race.

Let’s review quickly. . .

The Republican candidates running for this seat are Dr. Joe Neunder (the incumbent) and Jim DeNiro. The winner of this seat in the August 18 primaries will face off against me, the sole Democrat running in November.

Was there funny business going on?

A while back I was tipped off that DeNiro may have fudged on his residency, possibly making him disqualified to serve in District 4. I found it interesting but didn’t really care. I didn’t bother passing it along on my social media, because an investigation was going to get underway. It could be a whole lotta nothing.

Because Neunder would be running against DeNiro on August 18, he milked the situation for all it was worth. Neunder never owned that he could have possibly been the person to plant the information of DeNiro’s alleged false election filing to the Sarasota County Property Appraisers office. He acted surprised along with the rest of the public when Conni Brunni (a Neunder supporter) submitted a complaint to the Florida Elections Commission.

However, according to Florida Politics, Neunder made a phone call to Sarasota County Property Appraiser Bill Furst on July 9 and that’s exactly the day when the ball started rolling. What he said to Furst is undetermined and phone calls aren’t recorded.

The curious coincidence, however, continues with a Cindy Jones sending an email requesting information on the status of DeNiro’s residency a few days later. Jones’ email aligns with Neunder’s home address and his wife, Cindy Neunder.

What’s Ahead?

If this was Neunder making an initial report on an investigation into DeNiro’s homestead, Florida Politics asks: “Did Neunder use — or attempt to use — the authority or access associated with his official position to obtain a political benefit for himself, conduct that could implicate Florida’s misuse-of-public-position statute.”

If DeNiro wasn’t truthful about his residency, a judge could find that the candidate does not meet the legal domicile or residency requirements and the court can order the candidate removed from the ballot or invalidate their votes.

Florida Politics continues:

DeNiro may now have reason to consider his own legal or administrative options. His personal property records became the subject of a government inquiry on the same day Neunder contacted the Property Appraiser. The same office later fielded a question about his former homestead exemption from an email account tied to Neunder’s wife.

While DeNiro and Neunder are having to waste precious time and energy having to create a spin over perhaps half-truths, I guess there isn’t time for me to take to the bed after all. There is real work ahead to be done.

To read the entire Florida Politics article click this link.

This WSLR article came out two days ago and I was quoted in it. I thought what I said was odd and out of all my yaketedy-yak, why did the reporter choose that one? Now, I’m thinking the words were prescient:

“It’s almost by default that we’re going to win, because we’re telling the truth. We’re real people, and real people want to vote for people like them—people who have been dismissed—good people who want the right thing done.”

Visit our website and become a member of the Watchdog team! CLICK on the DONATE button. It’s never been more important than right now.

The big news was the change of board meeting time beginning in August. Board member Karen Rose had consistently argued that board meetings are for “the business of the board” and made the move to change meeting times from 6 p.m. to 10.am. Her monotone claim was that teachers and students could go to the principal, who in turn could go to the superintendent. One would wonder how a board member could get elected if they didn’t want to hear directly from the stakeholders.

Interesting to note, Board Member Liz Barker defeated the incumbent Rose in a close-enough contest - at which time, Rose went AWOL for months, while taxpayers still paid her salary. She is serving on the board only due to Governor Ron DeSantis appointing her when another board member resigned.

The errant vote to change board meeting times, that even precluded working parents from attending, had been agreed upon by Chair Bridget Ziegler, Robyn Marinelli and Rose. It was extended indefinitely.

At this meeting, when Tom Edwards unexpectedly brought up the logic in returning the meetings to 6 p.m., Marinelli flipped her vote, proving that listening to her gut and heart makes more sense than putting that pause button on and voting along every single time with Rose and Ziegler.

Here’s what the experts thought:

A Dear Bubbie note: When the superintendent and board members set the focus on academics, is it out of place for public speeches to rampage against Ziegler and board members who don’t only stand up for public education, but add fuel to the fire with politically-motivated resolutions?

I believe that a lot of the messaging from the board majority has been harmful to students, misleads the public and doesn’t represent the motto: Every student, every day. Public school advocates have a big goal and that’s to get “cheeks in the seats” at the schools. Attendance in a public school is best for the child (in most cases) versus the glossy and expensive advertising of for-profit charter schools.

Do these speeches help meet that formidable goal?

Since this is my blog and I can whine if I want to, I believe that speeches should absolutely condemn the actions of hateful chaos-inducing board members. Parents who are undecided and watching the meetings over YouTube should understand that Sarasota residents do not stand for pearl-clutching, culture wars-inspired board members. We will defend the parents, children and public education with action and a ferocity not seen anywhere else.

But can we show our outrage in a sentence or two, as to not expand on their intended purpose of distraction? Just asking.

Want the best of the best to represent the Sarasota County Schools? Vote on August 18 for three amazing school board candidates in Megan Tennimon, Beth Mayberry and Jimmy Glover.

This has to be said between now and November 3. I’m Julie London and I write Dear Bubbie. I am also running for Sarasota County Commission in District 4. Running for office and writing a blog are time-consuming, but I found a way to combine campaigning with the blog, through awareness.

Visit our campaign website to see where I stand on issues that affect all of us. My name is on the ballot on November 3.

If you would like a sign for your yard / business, and live south of Bee Ridge Road and north of Laurel Road in Venice, write to julie@votejulielondon.com.

I’m taking a dive here, but not going headfirst, because I may hit shallow water.

When I met with the Sarasota County Stormwater Director Ben Quartermaine a few days ago, I should have asked him more than one simpleton question about the county’s stormwater department Interlocal Agreement covering the entire City of Sarasota.

Let’s talk squarely about our city splendors - there’s St. Armand’s Circle, Ringling Museum, Lido Beach and the list goes on.

Equally, the county is nationally renowned for Siesta Key Beach (so take that, City of Sarasota!). I live in the county, just south of Bee Ridge Road and enjoy the perks of the Legacy Trail; Oscar Scherer Park; Myakka State Park - and Lucky and Zoomer want me to mention Dog Beach in Venice.

When I heard Sarasota County Board Commissioner Mark Smith state during his WSLR interview earlier this week that the county and city were “finally talking again”, I hadn’t realized we had even broken up. Were county residents the stalking exes moseying around downtown or the city folk having to sneak a meal at Rosebud’s restaurant in Osprey? I mean, seriously. . did we really have an adversarial relationship with our neighbors?

What we know

The entire City of Sarasota is located in the county. The city is considered the county seat because it houses the courthouse, the sheriff’s office and formerly the Sarasota County Administrative building.

In case residents living within the city wondered why they pay taxes to both the municipal city government and Sarasota County government, now they know. One of the services city residents receive, as seen on their non-ad valorem assessments, is for Stormwater Environmental Utility (SEU).

Let’s Talk

When I heard that the Sarasota County Board Commissioners approved $13.5 million from Resilient SRQ to alleviate flooding on St. Armand’s Circle, I thought about the decades-long over-powering waves that are burdened on the shoulders of one county stormwater department. I grew up on S. Polk Dr, where as a kid I walked barefoot past Tail O’ The Pup Restaurant and watched Robin J. flirt with the gas station employee on the circle. I remember the large Mexican sombrero that hung on the wall at La Casa-something-or-the-other shop and how heartbroken this 12-year-old was when it finally sold.

I also remember my Dad driving two miles an hour through flooded streets to get us to the mainland safely. Kids, don’t pass out, but this was the 1970’s.

Upon the advice from a spokesperson from the St. Armand’s Residents Association, I watched a Feb 7, 2026 video where then-Interim City Manager Dave Bullock explained the Stormwater Interlocal Agreement between the city and the county.

What is the Interlocal Agreement

The Interlocal Agreement was signed, sealed and delivered in 1998 when the county and city agreed that the county was to maintain 216 miles of stormwater infrastructure, while the city took care of (ahem) 25.

Bullock explained that “complex conveyances are owned by the county”. This dates way back to the historically established Sarasota-Fruitville Drainage District that manages water flow and wetland drainage across low-lying terrain east of the urban core.

The Whitaker conveyance system is also owned by the county. “There’s a 95% chance that the big ditches you see are owned fee-simple by the county,” Bullock said.

Is there a balance?

I figured that the county must be taking on so much responsibility because of our usage of the drainage basins. According to a web search, the county interacts with three - four, out of a total of the city’s 27 drainage basins.

The county certainly wouldn’t be doing this for free, so a quick analysis shows that residents of the city pay the non-ad valorum taxes directly to the county totaling $4.5 million. (The taxes do go up annually.)

I’m thinking - wait a minute, we approved $13.5 million of Resilient SRQ funds to St. Armands. Where is the equity? Quartermaine told me that the county has a staff of 90 employees. I found one name for the city. (That doesn’t mean a whole lot, considering oftentimes, I can’t find my keys or phone.)

What does / does not the County Stormwater Cover

When we complain about our ditches not being maintained, a drain that appears to be clogged or a retention pond needing to be cleared of sediment, we can keep in mind the following responsibilities and coverage of the stormwater department include:

- 772 miles of roadside ditches and swales (open drainage)

- Over 400 miles of closed drainage pipelines and nearly 21,000 inlet structures

- Over 250 miles of canals, streams, and waterways

- 305 lakes and ponds spanning nearly 600 acres

The county excludes independent municipal areas like North Port, Venice, and Longboat Key. HOAs and homeowners are legally responsible for maintaining private components like on-site retention ponds, swales, and private drainage pipes.

Conclusion

Obviously with the new growth in the county and city, the Interlocal Agreement of 1998 is passe and doesn’t benefit either the city or the county’s citizens. It’s like the City of Sarasota is a microcosm of the Homestead Tax Exemption Amendment, where the counties will have to go begging Tallahassee with their tin cup for funding if it passes.

The city deserves better.

They shouldn’t have to sweat vital improvements or urgent maintenance issues with the county, when there is a board of City Commissioners who should be making these decisions. They were dealing with Spencer Anderson for years, until Quartermaine recently entered the picture.

On the other side of the fence, citizens of the county deserve to have all watersheds and storm infrastructure guaranteed to withhold the new out-of-control building going on. Gate operational failures and the Cowpen Dike Slough breach was a shit show. The after-response - including the pile of debris that stood for months on the corner of Stickney Point and 41, like a disformed, odorous statue of Mount Rushmore - should now serve only as a cautionary tale.

According to the Interlocal Agreement contract, I understand that either the city or county can end the agreement in a thirty-day time frame. City Manager Karie Friling and County Administrator Jonathan Lewis will certainly come up with an equitable plan with a fair timeline to aid in the transition for our neighbors. Tell 30 days to Mother Nature.

I believe the county is calling a future plan an ‘uncoupling’.

Let’s just hope we remain good friends and neighbors, for the sake of the citizens.

Everything you wanted to know about the history of stormwater and St. Armand’s but was afraid to ask can be found from the St. Armand’s Residents Association. Much of it takes place before Quartermaine took over in July 2025.

Visit the Sarasota County Stormwater website. It is an outstanding source of timely information. (Kudos to Quartermaine for making transparency a priority during his first days on the job.)

Coming up on Dear Bubbie. . .We spoke one on one with Ben Quartermaine, including the concerns facing the residents of Artistry regarding the Lorraine Road extension.

Public education is our name and we don’t play games. .watch for the always interesting League of Women Voters breakdown of the last school board meeting. This blog always brings a lot of eyes to the problems and achievements of the Sarasota district schools.

And. . behind the paywall for our paid subscribers, a Pickleball incident causes one club member post-traumatic stress syndrome. What happened and why were the police called?

Julie London note: We all despise that money has to come into play when electing a person to public office. As read in Oh C’mon, You Have to Laugh at the Irony, I was appalled that after qualifying to run for office, one job of mine as a candidate would be to raise money for the campaign. I thought the money just kind of flowed in like a rising tide. (Thank you Jackie for your recent kind donation.)

I like living in that Fantasy world, because I’m going to continue to blog, do my part-time job, clean the house, garden and play with the dogs. As a candidate, I’m over-the-moon in meeting new people and learning and listening. (Republicans are open to a Democrat this cycle. I’m in awe of their openness in approaching me with questions and observations. It turns out that the problems facing Sarasota aren’t blue, red or purple. Although my neighbor across the street will disagree.)

Please visit my website and if you can, click on the DONATE button. We are the only candidate not taking PAC money or builder / developer contributions. We’re grass roots. Keep me in Fantasy land just through Nov. 3.

If you live between Bee Ridge Road and Laurel Road in Venice, we can deliver a sign to your yard. Write to us at julie@votejulielondon.com

"Sometimes you just have to toot your own horn. Otherwise, nobody will know you're a-comin'.” - Dolly Parton, from the movie Straight Talk

The Campaign Launch Party

To be frank, I had never even heard of a campaign launch party until I was asked to co-host one for Lisa Klein who is running against Fiona McFarland for the Florida House of Representatives 73rd district seat.

Since I was running for office, I wanted to have a party, too! It was a no-brainer to immediately think about having it at my friend Suzi Shea’s beautiful bayfront house on Siesta Key. While it was being built, she told me that they were planning on renting out one half of it, so I hoped maybe she’d let us use that side.

It was a big cringy nervy ask, though. I also knew that I wanted Reverend Elder Lillie Brock to speak. At a congregation I had attended at her Church of the Trinity MCC, she had told the biblical story of the prophet Miriam and her tambourine. Could she tell a condensed version of it at the party?

Suzi gave an enthusiastic yes, even though they decided to make the entire house their private residence. Rev. Lillie was surprised that I requested the story of Miriam for a campaign launch party, but it was one of those stories that I could listen to again and again from her. She was a yes!

My epiphany

As I prepared for the party, the last thing on my mind was having to make a speech. I don’t ever want to be rote or stilted, but I was now on the way to Suzi’s house and I’d have to say something. What came to mind was how my husband was doing as much of the work preparing for this party as he did in 2005 for another party I threw. That was when at the last minute, I held a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina victims.

In a little over a week’s time, the fundraiser brought in over $37,000 for those devastated by the hurricane. It occurred to me that so much of what happened in my life - successes that I had and unexpected turns off the path, were all lessons and preparation for the job I was about to take on as a county commissioner. Throughout it all, it was always about the village. That was my speech.

The entire night was magical. The great food, Reverend Lillie’s speech and a special appearance by Suzi’s enthusiastic wheaten terrier were among the highlights for all. For me, the success was the turnout of incredible and caring people who showed up to share in the heart of the cause - a Sarasota where all voices matter and are heard.

They just want someone who will listen.

At every turn, I’m learning a lot, including how complicated policies can distract from the individual citizens that elected officials are supposed to be representing. So, I’m doing what I’ve always done - listening to people’s stories. I’m finding them and they’re finding me.

I give credit to the Republicans who are contacting me. I just had an old friend, a republican candidate for a higher office, tell me that they look forward to working with me when / if we get elected. This is what it’s about. This is the change we need in Sarasota. (Honestly, I got goosebumps.)

So many are realizing that the issues facing our hometown aren’t red, blue or purple challenges. Many aren’t happy with Tallahassee trying to take control of county matters, when we all know that they’re controlled by the multi-million dollar special interests who forced the Live Local Act on us.

State legislators, controlled by a republican supermajority, removed local public hearings if citizens want to protest a developer coming into their neighborhood. This is abominable. We know Byron Donalds is wholly supported by the A.I. industry, and when the county’s moratorium is up on data centers, Sarasota will need someone who isn’t beholden to a party.

What else do we know (we’re on a roll)

We know that when one party is in charge for decades, they’re all about protecting each other’s personal interest. That’s the bro code. The only difference that a Democrat is going to make at the county level is having someone unafraid to call out any appearances of wrongdoing. Hello, watchdog. They will be doing it to me and that’s a good thing. This is why checks and balances are a stronghold of any constitutional democracy. There has not been a Democrat on the board since 1966. Sweet Sunday, dear friends, and take a chance, were the words from the immortal Norman Mailer.

Sarasota County Government

Kudos to the Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis who wrote to the candidates to set up times to meet with him or any leaders of his staff. I was already a step ahead in attempting to meet with the stormwater czar Ben Quartermaine.

It took Lewis’ Senior Executive Assistant and Deputy County Administrator Karen Olivieri, to make it happen. I have always found the county employees to be helpful, professional and kind. In her leadership role, Olivieri is all that and more. I’ll be meeting with the different department heads, but now it’s Olivieri I want to meet in person. She is a top-tier, exceptional go-to for any Sarasotan.

Aside from this constant crash course in learning everything from the budget to stormwater to development and protecting our greenspaces and valuable resources on the local level, I decided to take an online class to earn certification in county government.

I’m going to be ready on Day One.

The No-filter Radio Guest

On July 26, I had the privilege to go on Ray Porter’s “I, Why” program on WSLR Radio. He’s my type of host, because he asked questions that doesn’t solely revolve around politics. He wanted to know if I believed in extra-terrestrials and what concerts I would like to see. Sometimes getting off the topic of issues and just hearing how someone spends their day or thinks, gives us just as much insight into a candidate. We continued our conversation long after the show ended.

During the show, I criticized a former county commissioner a bit harshly, because it was reported in detail that he met with county staff and the meeting wasn’t properly noticed. This is what is called “behind closed door dealings”. The tête-à-tête resulted in a vote that gave the okay for taxpayers to fund half of the Bee Ridge Road extension. This only benefits the developer, yet thanks to this current county commission board, we’re helping to foot the bill in the millions of dollars.

(I may have gotten too irked.)

After the interview, Porter mentioned that he was going to the Pines of Sarasota. They’re a not-for-profit organization that “offers individuals a fulfilling life in a rehabilitation and senior care community that satisfies their health and lifestyle needs.” As an elder advocate (which I believe I am now an elder), I invited myself along.

We met up with a lovely Sunday ‘coffee line’ volunteer, who wears her heart on her sleeve. The Pines is a beautiful facility and I was happy to revisit a place that provides such top-quality care for those needing rehab or a secure and safe place to live.

Feed the Watchdogs

When I checked my email later in the day, I saw that we received a $500 donation to the campaign. We don’t take PAC money or funding from developers. That is not what we’re about. If I’m going to be a fully transparent commissioner, it begins with our campaign.

I think of the people who donated when I look at our signs, our t-shirts and pens. Then I once again go back to the successes over the years. They always began exactly like this - with a village. I don’t think there’s a smarter or stronger village than the one we have - right here, right now - during one of the most significant, precipitous times in Sarasota’s history. We are red, purple and blue.

This is our Sarasota. We are ordinary people who are going to achieve extraordinary things - together - for the next four years.

A Dear Bubbie behind the scenes note: There’s a scene in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes where Ruth asks Idgy Threadgoode to repeat a story about the dried up lake. This is how I feel about Reverend Lillie’s story about Miriam and her tambourine.

Church of the Trinity, MCC is located at 7225 N. Lockwood Ridge Road. Everyone is welcome, because “God’s Agenda is Love”. J. T. Priar, is the young adult minister, with a singing voice that makes the angels dance in unison.

Before the August 18 elections, we urge you to look up school board candidates Beth Mayberry, Megan Tennimon and Jimmy Glover. They have my vote and you will want to check if they have yours, too.

I can’t get enough of the honesty of people. One person admitted that his significant other wanted to donate $100 to our campaign, but he cut it back to $60 for budget reasons. Another person revealed that they gave their large donation because they felt guilty about not attending the launch party. We’ll take pity, guilt. . .donations any time, any day.

Our website is here. Become a watchdog, by donating here.

On Tuesday morning, July 21, Lady Luck didn’t quite make it to Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock Casino in her jewels and beaded sequins. Instead, the excitement was a few miles south happening at the Sarasota County Schools administrative building at 1980 Landings Blvd.

Dressed in black, with black triangular earrings, the chic Support Our School (SOS) Co-Founder Carol Lerner might have dressed with all the bells and whistles if even she knew what was going to transpire.

Getting ready for the 10 a.m. start time, she had no tip off that she would be huddling just a couple of hours later with SOS Co-Founder Lisa Schurr, discussing a $10,000 donation to the district schools. This decision occurred during a five-minute break midway through the board meeting.

How it began - Agenda Item 844

During public comment, Sarasota School Board Candidate Beth Mayberry stepped up to the podium to discuss her viewpoint on raising the fee for citizens wishing to volunteer at the schools. It is an unfunded state mandate that volunteers go through a background check before performing their public service.

This leaves schools across Florida to carry the financial burden. Mayberry explained what the volunteer is allowed to do: “A Tier 2 volunteer, the most needed kind allows us to take a student to the library, walk outside looking for real examples of science or mathematical constructs, or simply to take a much-needed cooldown for a student.”

The agenda item shows a rise in cost to get fingerprinted from $38 to $75. For a background check in Sarasota, the cost for Livescan vendors can run from $75 to $82. The district wants to break even, but as the former teacher points out, it’s not so easy for some aspiring volunteers to come across the money:

Raising the cost to become a volunteer to pay off for the costs of approval makes sense for those volunteers who are well off enough to regard the $75 as just one night that they won’t eat out that week. But for some of our parents, I had to call (when our field trips were being planned) to ask them to volunteer so all of the kids could enjoy the trip. That was unaffordable. And for some of our seniors, who may be the backbone of our volunteer force, it may also keep them from coming to help our students in our schools.

Mayberry went on to explain why a Level 2 volunteer was essential. “. . .students may need to go to the restroom or in the event someone got hurt and needed to leave the group for medical attention.”

“Studies have shown that the commitment of just one caring adult in a child's educational career can make a massive difference in their success in school.” - Beth Mayberry

She concluded with suggestions and an ask before a vote took place:

. . .that there be some accommodation made for low-income adults who want to become volunteers to reduce or waive that $75 fee, and that we look for ways to increase our volunteer participation rather than dissuade them.

Waiving the fee could be tied to volunteer hours, or we could try to find funding from our philanthropic organizations to help fund this. We desperately need more caring adults in our schools. . .Everyone can make a difference, so let's find a way to make sure that anyone can.

“Can I take it back?”

A motion was made to vote on Agenda Item 844 by board member Karen Rose with Robyn Marinelli seconding it. Board member Tom Edwards wasn’t sold. He believed that $75 was too much of a hurdle for volunteers, agreeing with Mayberry:

“I do think that there are people that won't find it a problem to pay $75, because they want to do that for students and want to do that for the school district.” He also believed that there were some that couldn’t afford the $38 fee and suggested a plan. Comparing it to the lunch program, he said, “Where I'm headed. . . from my seat is can we create a fund? A fingerprint fund for volunteers that can pay the $35 or you can pay the $75.” He concluded that the district doesn’t have to go in the red that way, “but that we might even find donors and philanthropy who want to donate to that specific fund. So in this particular case, I'm not supporting this motion.”

The other board members agreed and asked how they could wait on a vote until further discussion. Rose asked if she could withdraw the motion and when the board attorney said yes, she did so with Marinelli withdrawing her second quickly.

Barker Speaks Out

Board Member Liz Barker wanted to confirm to the public the costs associated with this mandate. In addition to her board duties, she is also a level 2 volunteer.

“I just want to make everyone aware in the public that the district has been shouldering that burden and in fact, for level 2 volunteers, it costs us more to fingerprint them. . . than it does even for our own staff. So I do recognize potentially a need to address that in some way.”

She acknowledged Edwards’ line of thought and “creativity. . .We're literally just trying to stay out of the red.”

The Bombshell Drops

After a five minute break, general public comment took place. With a different speech planned, Lerner stepped up to the podium.

We very much appreciate what Tom Edwards said today and the need to figure out a way to compensate those that cannot afford the fee to volunteer. So during the meeting and during the little break, a couple of the directors here got together and we figured out a way that Support our Schools could play a role.

And I must tell you we are not a wealthy organization, but we have found outside resources that we are looking towards contributing about $10,000 to a fund that will be available. It could be for the total amount if necessary, or partial amount. That would be for the school district to figure out.

I do want to put this in the context though, of why we have to do these things, because really we shouldn’t have to. . . The amount going to vouchers this year is going up to $52.4 million. That’s an increase of about $7 million in a year. We also have an additional cost of a for-profit charter school, Charter School USA, the second biggest in the nation that’s going to cost us about 5 million. If we didn’t have those expenses, I wouldn’t be up here talking and offering the $10,000.”

Reactions and Statements of Appreciation

Edwards’ reaction was swift, telling Dear Bubbie: “SOS leaders and members are not only fierce fighting public school advocates, they are people full of love and compassion for our students. Not only am I grateful for their generous $10K pledge to offset volunteer fingerprinting charges, I’m also grateful for their hearts.”

Barker’s social media read:

Another highlight came when Support Our Schools unexpectedly offered to donate $10,000 to help offset the cost of Level 2 volunteer fingerprinting. Their generosity was a wonderful reminder that when our community sees a need, it steps forward to help.

Thank you, Support Our Schools, for investing in our volunteers, our schools, and ultimately, our students. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

Days like today remind me why I love serving this community. Every Student. Every Day!

Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor followed protocol during the meeting, but his statement later revealed his gratitude: “This investment will help remove financial barriers for many and ensure that more members of our community have the opportunity to serve our students and schools. We deeply appreciate the generosity of SOS.”

The Crown Jewel of Public School Advocacy Groups

In a wealthy community like Sarasota, it seems incongruous that public education would be so severely underfunded. It is, however, due to the generosity of community partners that makes this district the envy of other counties. The cuts and the unaccountable use and disappearance of millions in taxpayer funds come from the state legislators.

The public stands in favor of public education, voting overwhelmingly to continue its support with a referendum that would sustain the A-rated district. There is a core belief that every child deserves an education. America’s brick and mortar public schools are a stronghold in the cornerstone of Democracy.

Support Our Schools is passionately aware of this. To fulfill their purpose, SOS opened their hearts and wallet. providing this statement:

Since our founding in 2022, Support Our Schools has been a strong advocate for Sarasota County Public Schools’ students, teachers and staff. We believe that dedicated volunteers play a vital role in strengthening our schools, not only by supporting students, but also by helping ease the many demands placed on our teachers.

Our goal is to ensure that anyone who wants to volunteer in our schools has the opportunity to do so regardless of their financial circumstances. We look forward to partnering with the district to remove barriers to volunteerism and to engage more members of our community in supporting our public schools.

To become a member of Support Our Schools, more information is here.

The next Sarasota County School Board meeting takes place on July 28 at 5:01 p.m. It is a public Hearing to ‘Adopt the Tentative Millage and Budget’.

Go to the Sarasota County Schools website and subscribe to their “In Touch” Magazine. To learn more about volunteering at the schools, the link is here.

(Thank you to Kelsey Whealy, SCS Media Relations & Outreach Manager for the informative press releases that are sent out in a timely manner. Avery Cole, an incoming senior at Booker High School, is a dependable and speedy resource every single time Dear Bubbie needs assistance. Thank you, Avery!)

We are going to try to cover more highlights from the school board meeting. Public School Advocate Deb Hays put more pieces of the puzzle together in her explanation of unfunded mandates that cost the public schools a large amount of revenue.

In the next Dear Bubbie. . .back on the campaign trail with some fun coverage from the campaign launch party for Julie London for Sarasota County Commission, District 4. Visit the website here. With a big boost coming up after the August 18 primaries, donate today to take London to the finish line in the November 3 general elections.

We adore Jeffrey Orenstein’s Substack . Take a look and follow if you want to take a deeper look into the machinations of democracy. There has never been a better time for discussion.

Like a Grandmaster at chess, Sarasota School Board Member Tom Edwards made a breathtaking, unexpected move. Almost offhandedly, towards the conclusion of the July 21 meeting, he suggested changing the school board meetings time from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., stating reasons why it would help enrollment and bring in revenue.

With a board majority of 3 to 2, the time was changed. After a community protested the time change to deaf ears almost a year ago, what in the world had just transformed? We can understand today’s vote by going back to November 2025.

This was a long-suffering debacle brought upon by board members Karen Rose, Robyn Marinelli and Bridget Ziegler when they voted back in November to change the meeting times from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. This would make it impossible for the main stakeholders to attend the meetings.

Students, teachers and staff can’t attend because they’re in school at 10 a.m. Working parents and citizens wouldn’t be able to voice their opinions during public comment or simply listen in real time.

What happens at a school board meeting affects an entire community. From higher property values to educated young adults returning to their hometown, the importance of living in an A-rated school district is unequivocally the ideal.

We wrote about it on November 17 in Examining the Sarasota School Board Meeting Schedule:

Rose at the time had said that teachers don’t need to talk to board members (or I guess listen to them as well), as they’re ‘fiduciary officers’. She said if there’s a problem they need to go to the principal of the schools and in turn will go to the superintendent.

We touched on Robyn Marinelli and how she becomes a duckling following Mama Duck Ziegler at every bend and corner. On her own two feet, a lot of public school advocates always believed she’d vote for the betterment of public education as a whole. Instead, the former school counselor weakly allowed the political directive of Ziegler to overtake her own common sense.

We wrote about it again on November 23, 2025. Michelle Pozzie, Sarasota School Board Candidate for District 5 said this about moving the time at the November 18 meeting:

I don’t have an opinion either way, but I would like to say that we have a great attendance at these 10 a.m. meetings. I don’t know how you make the call for 6 p.m. when this is the largest audience I’ve seen in the last three months for meetings. . . So I will say the school board, I’m sorry, the hospital board and the County Commission do meet during the day. Our students use the hospital. Our students drive on roads that the county commission enact policies for. So it does say something that they conduct business during the day.

”This change gives us a stronger opportunity to showcase our students, our teachers and our schools, using our most recent data, when we highlight student achievement and teacher achievement and arts programs and athletics and school successes in a room that families and community members can witness.” - Edwards

Edwards thoughtfully crafted his comment with care.

“In our last workshop - aside from having to look for ways to increase revenue, we all agreed that increasing enrollment was another opportunity.

“So I move that with the beginning of the first regular school board meeting in August 2026, that all regular school board meetings currently scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. shall instead begin at 6 p.m.,” he began, “unless otherwise changed by the Board in accordance with its rules and applicable notices”.

“The community can thank Tom Edwards for bringing a motion to change the school board times back to evening, just in time for the start of school.” - Beth Mayberry, Candidate for Sarasota County School Board, District 5

Weaving sentimentality in his tone, Edwards continued: “I’d like to see those students back in here. I’d like to see the moments of pride. I’d like to see our community, being engaged with our students. . .I believe this is a mechanism that will help increase enrollment.”

With Edwards presenting a motion and board member Liz Barker seconding, it was time for discussion.

Instead a stunned silence fell over the room.

Ziegler turned to Barker, who was speechless. It was like the ominous still in the eye of a hurricane.

Ziegler took control and directed Edwards to close on his motion:

As I said, this change gives us a stronger opportunity to showcase our students, our teachers and our schools using our most recent data when we highlight student achievement and teacher achievement and arts programs and athletics and school successes in a room that families and community members can witness.

We tell a better and more complete story about our district. In short, this move says community. It says we’re proud of our students and our district. This move shows that we celebrate what is working. And if you have made another choice, please reconsider and come and join our team.

Ziegler announced that there was a motion and a second. Roll call began.

“Mr. Edwards,” she called out. “Yes,” he replied.

“Mrs. Marinelli.” Without dropping a beat, Marinelli replied, “Yes.”

It was that moment when many public school advocates felt vindicated. When Marinelli wasn’t being influenced, but basing her gut on doing the right thing, everyone wins. A baby duckling could indeed walk its own path.

Barker voted yes, with Rose and Ziegler dissenting.

“This is a win for Sarasota students, teachers and families,” Edwards said shortly after the vote. “I’m grateful for the two other supportive board member’s votes.”

We are extending a warm welcome to our latest followers and subscribers. I’m Dear Bubbie and for a few years now I’ve been writing about and advocating for public education in Sarasota. For almost as long, I’ve been asked to write about county events as well.

That wasn’t about to happen - until it did. I (Julie London) decided to run for the Sarasota County Commission, District 4 seat (that’s partially south of Bee Ridge Road and then all of Clark Road south to Border Road in Venice). This blog will serve as a full transparency of what happens at the board meetings.

If you’d like to learn more about our “unconventional”, “insurgent” and “refreshing” campaign, visit our website here. We welcome those all-important donations for our November 3 election, but won’t take PAC, developer or special interest money.

Coming up in the next Dear Bubbie: Yes, we’ll cover the rest of the school board meeting, which was one of the best I ever attended. The outstanding public comments from citizens and board working together explained and accomplished several important issues. It’s amazing what can get done when politics are left out of the boardroom.

We’ll be taking you to the Julie London for Sarasota County Commission Campaign Launch Party that took place over the weekend. We’ll also be covering county news, even though our commissioners are on summer break through August 25. Let’s not forget the rezoning for the 120-room Margaritaville Hotel making it possible to build on waterfront property - with no infrastructure in place. Hmmmm. . .I wonder who will be paying for that.

When I first sat down with Erika Ivanyi over lunch and she was informing me of what I needed to do to raise funds for our campaign, I stared at her like there was a rat eating my pizza.

She was equally stunned by the shocked look on my face. All she suggested was making phone calls to fundraise. Immediately, I thought of the young parent who had just put their baby down to sleep and the phone rings. There’s the caretaker who might be tending to their loved one, only to get a call from some candidate running for office.

What if I called and someone had just gotten off of a graveyard shift? Someone, somewhere could be: Preparing dinner; Eating dinner; In the middle of working; In the bathroom - sorry! (and / or); tripping over the dog in an effort to get to the phone. There could be someone waiting for an important call from an attorney or doctor.

The flip side

Many people just don’t answer the phone when they’re busy or see a number that is unfamiliar. They’ll put their phones on silent. Duh! Since most calls made are to the similar political party, they want to hear directly from the candidate or the candidate’s team.

I tentatively looked at the few numbers to call and took note of one with the area code (404). Having lived in the 404 (Atlanta), I couldn’t wait to hear about where and when they lived there. I got their voicemail. They never called back.

I actually got everyone’s voicemail and felt relieved for them. For someone who abhors talking on the phone, get me on a subject and you can’t shut me up. (Sorry, Julie, Lisa, Jules, Robin…)

I was the only one at the League of Women Voters Forum (with my two Republican opponents and two running in District 2) who got the DING because I went over my allotted time.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw conservative audience members Connie Brunni and Teresa DeWitt rolling their eyes. It was one of the rare times I agreed with them.

Who donates to my campaign

For me, it’s such a no-brainer to not accept money from PACS, special interests and developers. I’ve stopped short of asking my friend with the last name of Vengroff for a small contribution. I thought twice about asking a wealthy neighbor who is a luxury homebuilder (not a developer) for a donation.

When I say we’re grass roots, some start humming “Midnight Confessions” from the 1960’s band. What it really means is that we’re a movement consisting of ordinary citizens who donate what they can. We consist of volunteers that rely on the community effort to make a difference. This is why I believe: Ordinary people working together can do extraordinary things.

Where do the donations go?

I can accidentally buy something that doesn’t fit (that’s okay, I’ll lose weight). If I buy a food that doesn’t taste good, I’ll find out if the dogs can eat it safely or I’ll toss it. If I purchase the wrong shrubbery during the wrong season, I’ll plant it anyway. But when it comes to other people’s hard-earned money, I’m hypervigilant.

When I look at my opponent’s expenditures (of course I’m going to look), I’m amazed at what they spend. One opponent spent $2,000 on his website. I spent $100 - and we get to make changes at no charge. I saw $400 paid for photography and I’m seeing the same head shot. We need photos (or at least I should brush my hair for the existing ones) but no way, no how, are we spending that in order to win a campaign.

I’m seeing a charge of $500 for social media help. Oh my God - that ain’t us! You get my voice, because that’s what people will be voting for.

I believe in shopping local, even if the cost is a little higher. Our mom and pop local businesses fuel our economy, while Amazon buys the world’s largest sailing yacht for its chairman.

“Who doesn’t love a good pen?” - Amandita Jay

Unfortunately, with vast differences in pricing and lack of availability, this campaign will be purchasing online in certain instances. We bought our sweet little pens online. As our supporter and friend Amandita Jay said: “Who doesn’t love a good pen?” I’m handing them out to the people who bag my groceries, post office employees and well. . .everyone.

Your hard-earned dollars will go to: Facebook ads; SIGNS; More t-shirts (they’re in demand); Text messaging (yikes); Mailers (very expensive!); and our adorable, dog-loving and inexpensive attorney / accountant.

A TV ad featuring all of you with pets and kids to spread the word might be out of our reach, but wouldn’t that be fun!

Why it matters

I’m the steward of your campaign contributions, but we’re all in it for the same cause. I’m the face of the campaign, but you’re the voice, the reason, the hope for a better Sarasota. I think we all know that this is bigger than an election.

This is about achieving checks and balances because the board has consisted solely of Republicans since 1966. Honestly, I want to ask my conservative friends who only vote for an (R) besides a candidate’s name: How has that worked out for you?

I see a lot of the people in power protecting each other and not taking care of the people who hired them for the job. Last month, I saw the powers-to-be attempting to pull the wool over the people’s eyes at a meeting to save the Blackburn Point swing bridge. I hear the county attorney use the word “trespass” regarding homeowners who have been taking care of their old Florida land for decades. That boils my blood.

Imagine this:

• Having a representative on the dais hold all the decision-makers accountable with questions and fact-finding, when necessary. They will most certainly call me out. This is how checks and balances work. To call out the very optics of ‘conflicts of interest’, even if the attorney says it’s a legal line an elected official can cross.

• Having an egoless public servant who can acknowledge a mistake or catch someone else’s error and do everything to reverse it. (Is that egotistical of me to write that sentence?)

• A representative of your voice who will ask the kind of questions you want answers to - whether they uncover the most damning of evidence or if it’s dumb, because there are no stupid questions.

• Electing a person who will be fully transparent and post events via a blog and on social media. Hiring someone who actually wants to answer emails. Now that’s a novel idea.

Winning

Most importantly, it’s the eyes, ears and voices of all who will provide us with the answers that lead to a good quality of life in Sarasota. That includes safety, peace of mind and dignity for all. We’re too wealthy of a community to not give a hand up to our weakest link. We’re too smart to allow culture wars to distract us from real work that needs to get done.

(This board shut down the American Library Association being used as a local source - despite huge protests from librarians. They cut out the United Way because Planned Parenthood was a reference. This cost the United Way and we, the taxpayers, money. Sarasota isn’t going to go backwards - we must move forward.}

Here’s a campaign promise: Communication will always be a two-way street. There will never be a go-between. I don’t like talking on the phone (see above), but the door will always be open.

Here’s the ironic part

Tonight, July 18 we’ll be launching our campaign officially. We’ll be starting the fundraising process with a consistent plan, so we keep the messaging and visibility solid through November 3. That’s when our name goes on the ballot.

However. . .

Thanks to your donations, we actually ended up beating our Republican opponents in fundraising in P2 before we even officially launched our campaign or advertising strategy. This happened without my own funding.

The laugh-out-loud-paradox is that the opponents are tens of thousands of dollars ahead of us. But let ‘em take their PAC or special interest money. They started in January(?), we just began at the end of May. I actually don’t want that kind of money, because we won’t need it to win. To be honest, I find it obscene. (Erika may, or may not, be adding that discourse to her comedy act.)

I’m grateful for the donations that show solidarity for our message. When I’m in an angry mood, it feels like flipping off the few corrupt people who think they can buy an election, while putting our entire county and its voiceless citizens in dire straits.

On the even-keeled vision, I see these donations as the link that takes us to the finish line on November 3. If that’s what it takes, I’ll be making a few phone calls.

Here’s the link to our website. If you can go to the DONATE page and contribute any amount - it’s a show of the hands that a community is ready for me to go to work for them. I’d like to show them that P2 was not a fluke, but only the beginning.

Thank you K.E. for the generous donation and I see you with what you’re going through as a caretaker for your mother. Thank you K.F. for treating me to lunch after your big donation. I was planning on treating you! Thank you L.B. for your painful contribution in helping me make a video. Ouch. Thank you, J.K. for asking me about policy and contributing such smart ideas. Thank you to Louie’s Dad for getting us sign locations. Thank you to Suzi, who has never read this blog, because she can’t figure ouy Substack, but is allowing us to use her beautiful home on Sarasota Bay for our launch party. Everyone is invited!

For more information, email: julie@votejulielondon.com

Coming up in the next Dear Bubbie: Photos from the launch party! Also, a fun forum report from this past week that explains why the Candidate for the Congressional District 16 race was sticking his tongue out at us. We give equal time to all candidates and those that work tirelessly in their support.

I honestly get aggravated when candidates are asked about affordability. There's a real disconnect when people are answering the question, because they're busy thinking about getting the answer right. It's like affordability has become a buzzword, rather than what real people struggle with every single day.

I have studied the Average Median Income (AMI) in our area almost from the time I decided to run for the Sarasota County Commission (District 4) seat. For a family of four in Sarasota County, the AMI is $109,000. For one person, it's $79,900. (Whhhattt??)

If a person makes 50% of that, they're considered: "very low income". I'm not going to get in the weeds about the Live Local Act and their B.S. "affordable homes". However, in two sentences:

The Live Local Act is legislation passed by Tallahassee politicians in cahoots with developers / lobbyists so local commissioners and the public have practically no say (are preempted) in developments going up in their hometowns. This includes no public hearings - meaning our voices don’t matter.

Considering the vast population wants to slow down “growth”, but the supermajority of pay-to-play lawmakers in Tallahassee are Republican, one would think it would be a huge NO to any politician running for office with an (R) beside their name.

Yet, we see politicians fighting to see who is more conservative when that should be a red flag. In our hometown, the Sarasota County Commission has not had a Democrat seated since 1966. I will be the first Democrat elected to District 4 in 60 years.

Yadda, yadda, yadda. . .

Everyone can bloviate about affordability. I am working on an actual footprint to make housing affordable for some homeowners. I have been in contact with people working in the county to make sure that what I'm suggesting has a real feasible chance of being accomplished. I don’t see why it wouldn’t. (County staff has been incredibly helpful.)

It was simply listening to an everyday person (my right-leaning hairdresser) who was being insistent on passing the Homestead Exemption Act Amendment (a bad, bad idea). A possible solution formed from there. I think of a friend whose husband died. She could no longer afford rent at her Southgate home and went to the various organizations that were referred to her.

Due to allergies, a room in a house wasn’t doable and she didn’t like “feeling controlled” by the organizations. Additionally, wait lists for affordable housing was long. She preferred to live out of her car, using a friend’s house for a shower. I remember how she said she was “treated with dignity” by the offer.

She is still a human being - the wife of her late husband who played the piano and taught music for a living. The 70-year-old woman had aromatherapy and holistic healing down to a science, but lotions and potions were lost amid her few possessions that she could fit in her car.

It’s the voice of people who are struggling who are the real experts. It’s the selfless area heroes working at non-profit organizations - like Harvest House, Streets of Paradise and more. (I want to name them all!)

Crossing the aisle to get solutions

Affordability goes beyond housing. We're all in disbelief when we go into the grocery store and what we pay at the gas pump. No one person can solve every hit to the public’s wallet in one fell swoop.

Alexis Speigelman is on the right track with making veterinary care trustworthy and affordable. I met her on a Facebook thread when she contributed information that helped my elderly cat. I knew her name was familiar, so I looked her up.

I have always considered myself a center Democrat, but even with that, Alexis was as far on the other side as Walt’s Fish Market is to a short wait. Yet, she told me about her favorite Aunt, who was a liberal and attended the “No Kings” protests. She credited her Aunt with instilling her interest in politics. Alexis knew where I stood, but that didn’t stop her from presenting me with her “pet passion”.

I listened, because like a pothole in the street, affordable pet care is not a red, blue or purple issue. She has a beef with the corporations gobbling up Mom and Pop veterinary clinics across the country. “They begin prioritizing protocol over what’s best for the pet,” she said. “I think it is because corporations cut the staff down to the bare minimum so as a result, patient care suffers. Another thing corporations do is they offload as much medical care as they can to vet techs because they cost less than veterinarians, so you never know who is going to be handling your pet.”

Turns out Mars Inc. is the largest corporate consolidator of veterinary clinics in the world. We may think those delicious Mars candy bars, but they also own Whiskas and Royal Canin (No, thank you!). All the Banfield Pet Hospitals, VCA Animal Hospitals, and BluePearl Emergency clinics are under their billion-dollar operation.

Alexis wanted to make clear: “While affordability is one aspect that everyone is being impacted by and can easily relate to, the primary issue for me is what is driving [up] the cost: It’s the giant conflict of interest while simultaneously producing subpar and often times devastating results for our pets. . .

“What I’d like to work on is building a local community to support our independent vets and also collaborate with the local retailers who provide high-quality independently-owned pet products and holistic care,” she concluded.

Alexis’ cause helps the entire area, because more tax money and profits will be spent locally, rather than going out of state.

Final Answer

When I've been asked about affordability and I'm expected to write about it in 250 characters and much less, it feels surface. Words without actual solutions have been played around for years like a kitty going nuts over catnip. Do you see it getting better? I don’t.

It’s going to take a village. Ordinary people who we don’t recognize on the street are the ones making a difference.

There’s Lourdes Ramirez, who successfully challenged Sarasota County in two 2023 court cases over their approval of a high-rise hotel in Siesta Key Village.

Meet Carol Hawkins, one of three woman owners of Hawkins Ranch in Nokomis. They are working with the county and state to permanently protect the historic 3,300-acre working cattle ranch, through a permanent conservation easement. This keeps the land in agricultural use while stopping all future development.

Cathleen Nardi asked the board to require a side-by-side comparison of restoration and replacement options for the Blackburn Point swing bridge that leads to Casey Key, bringing further awareness that the character and charm of history can’t be (and shouldn’t be) so easily replaced.

I’m impressed by the residents of Artistry, who showed up in huge numbers to the last county meeting expressing their fear (with reason) that the Lorraine Road extension will flood out their neighborhood.

Then there’s Kelly Bauman who is fighting a quick decision made by the commissioners to give developer Pat Neal $15 million to extend the dead-end road she lives on. I drove out there and seeing “old Florida” potentially being destroyed, with wildlife being buried alive and undoubtedly flooding occurring as a result, put me in Bauman’s corner.

The voice of the very people who are being dismissed, might be the one who provides the key to unlocking a solution to affordability in all the different ways Sarasotans are affected. I hold true in the proof of my statement: Ordinary people - working together - can achieve extraordinary things.

A Dear Bubbie note: Let it be known that any person mentioned in this blog doesn’t represent support for my campaign for the Sarasota County Commission, District 4 seat. I support their work and heart in making Sarasota a better place for all of us to live.

Is your veterinary clinic owned by a private equity corporation? You can check here.

For those that have received their mail-in ballots, in this non-partisan race, we choose: Mayberry, Tennimon and Glover for Sarasota School Board Seats.

Our campaign launches this Saturday night (July 18) at 5:30. In other words - party! If you’re interested in attending at this South Sarasota location, write to: jslferguson@gmail.com. We face our opponent in the November 3 primary.

Visit our website for more information. We are the most fiscally responsible candidate with your contributions. Solely grass roots, we are not taking developer, builder or special interest money. Donate here and become part of the Watchdog team.

Bemused means to be mildly confused, bewildered or lost in thought. It often describes a state of slightly detached, perplexed fascination—such as scratching your head with a faint, wry smile at a surprising situation.

Without question, there are people who agree with Sarasota School Board Chair Bridget Ziegler when she goes into her performative ‘mean girl’ spiel that now appears to end every monthly school board meeting.

With midterms coming up in August, it appears her root cause in shouting louder than usual is because politics is her road rage. The latest trend between her and Sarasota County School Board Candidate Michelle Pozzi, is to bring up the mask mandates that occurred five years ago when Covid was in the epidemic stages.

Yawn.

Pozzi (speaking during public comment at the May school board meeting) and Ziegler coincidentally chose to misinform the public about the mask policy at the very same meeting. Was this a preplanned echo chamber during political season?

Of course there are far more immediate concerns—like budgeting, enrollment, student achievement, and teacher retention - so why bring up an obsolete point like masks?

Ziegler can claim a victory lap if her agenda was to momentarily distract from priorities. However, we know her narrative carelessly always exceeds the speed limits and careens against guardrails- just like her ICE and semiquincentennial resolutions did.

How is this even political in 2026?

It doesn’t speak volumes for any political party when they have dig so far back in the junk drawer to locate and bring to the forefront strong divisive emotions. Most sane people, I would think, are murmering, “Just toss the mask babble already.” Instead, the Ziegler / Pozzi tag team probably believe that the reminder will motivate and energize those past supporters.

I know this much - people are tired of the polarization of the ambiguous “parental rights” discourse and just want to return to asking their neighbors when the next play date for the kids will be.

Ziegler’s nefarious efforts to repeatedly undermine public education and place blame on popular school board member Tom Edwards has been an epic failure. She can’t seem to make up her mind what to blame him for, so for convenience's sake, this go-around she selected the masks debate.

Her own party is turned off that a board member’s own children don’t attend the public schools. The personal and hypocritical hijinks turned public fodder when Ziegler was ‘outed’ created more dramady than sympathy.

Edwards, on the other hand, won his 2024 election with 55.84% of the vote. If that doesn’t sound incredible in itself, he won 101 out of 103 precincts. This year Edwards was named “Best Elected Official” and received the prestigious Platinum Award in SRQ Best of 2026. But please go on, Ms. Ziegler.

Ziegler Removed Her Children from School, Why?

At the May school board meeting, Ziegler seemed to knowingly deceive her remaining devotees by ranting that she removed her children from public schools due to the mask policy. Through squinted eyes, she stared down bemused audience members and rolled coal towards fellow board member Tom Edwards.

Edwards brought the receipts to the June 19 board meeting, “to protect my reputation and that of the district schools,” he explained.

“I had a fellow board member say that she removed her children because of a mask policy that was put into place, and I want to give you the dates and timelines about the mask policy so that hopefully once and for all we can put this to bed,” he began.

“I was elected and seated in November of 2020. The mask policy at that time was mandatory. It was mandatory until the end of the school year.”

Edwards pointed out that in July of 2021, he voted alongside Ziegler and Karen Rose for an optional mask policy. One month previous to that in June of 2021, Ziegler was on Fox News and said that she removed her children because of a conversation around white supremacy that occurred with her daughter.

To keep things clear, Edwards continued past that date. He specifically mentioned that on August 22, Shirley Brown, the board chair, called for a special meeting because the Omicron Variant positivity rate was up.

Edwards listened to both sides and came up with an end game that could satisfy both factions: “I introduced an amendment that said the first time the positivity rate is three days in a row at 8%, it becomes optional. Mrs. Ziegler commended me for creating something that was measurable and accountable.”

She still voted no, however. The mask policy lasted 3 weeks because the positivity rate dropped back down.

“That was in June that she said that she removed those kids and in the last board meeting she said it was because of the mask policy.: Edwards concluded: “So I want to set my reputation and my record straight. I heard both sides of the coin and created that option so that a mandatory could become temporary. And that’s my personal reputation. When people throw out that I wanted a mask policy, I didn’t vote for the first one and I got us out of the second one.”

Ziegler responded with a quick “I’ll have to check.”

The next Sarasota school board meeting is July 21 at 10 a.m. at 1980 Landings Blvd. A public work session is July 14, also starting at 10 a.m.

However the date to mark on your calendar will be November 17 - that’s when new board members are seated to replace Ziegler, Rose and Robin Marinelli.

If the new school board members are Jimmy Glover, Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry, Edwards can finally use all his time doing what he does best - advocating for teachers and staff. His vast talent as a school board member can once again be solely used to help students achieve academic excellence and prepare them for life upon graduation.

Public advocates days of bemusement are coming to an end - and for that, we are grateful.

(This article in Business Insider backs the words of Edwards.)

Florida’s New Education Laws

From Jason Garcia, Seeking Rents: A last-minute provision passed by the Florida legislation increased the Florida Lottery commission paid to retailers (such as gas stations and supermarkets) from 5% to 6%. This means millions of dollars in ticket sales are redirected away from the Florida Department of Education. Instead of funding public schools, these millions are transferred to the profit margins of major corporate chains and franchise owners.

From the ACLU: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit struck down the higher education provisions of Florida's "Stop WOKE" Act, ruling that the law violates the First Amendment rights of college professors and students. The court permanently blocked these rules from taking effect on public university campuses.

We note that this law affecting grades k - 12 is still in active litigation.

From South Florida News, Channel 6: Senate Bill 1296 is the latest law to create more regulations on public sector unions, although it exempts police and fire unions. DeSantis says some teachers’ unions were holding back state-mandated pay raises for teachers and that this law will fix that situation. It also creates barriers that could lead to unions being decertified.

From now on, at least 50% of all the teachers in a school district must vote in favor of having a union. Antonio White, President of the United Teachers of Dade said: “The ballot comes in an envelope that actually looks like junk mail. We want to make sure people don’t discard that. . .Our main thing is to make sure that people understand that even though we’re going out on vacation, as educators we can’t go on vacation because this election takes place between now and July 7th.”

From WPBF: Florida's cursive mandate is part of Senate Bill 182, an education measure signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The law requires public schools to teach cursive to students in grades 3 through 5, and students must demonstrate proficiency by the end of fifth grade.

Other Education laws

• High schoolers may use marching band or Special Olympics participation to satisfy certain physical education and performing arts requirements.

• Head coaches can spend up to $15,000 of personal funds per team annually on student welfare with parental consent and reporting.

• Beyond curriculum changes, safety protocols for allergy emergencies are also being strengthened. Florida's new law now requires all K-8 public schools to be equipped and ready to administer emergency epinephrine during the school day and at any school-sponsored activity, before or after hours. Policies must ensure a student's Emergency Action Plan is active and accessible at all times.

So many blogs and not enough time. As most know, Dear Bubbie (Julie London) is running for Sarasota County Commission, District 4. I am told that part of a candidate’s job is to phone people for campaign contributions. It is a necessary part of the voting process to raise money to pay for signs as well as fund the various ways to get our message out. I’d rather blog.

The campaign is pure grass roots. We have volunteers and one person on our payroll who sends out mailers, texts and advises. We will never take PAC money or donations from special interests or (dog forbid!) developers.

This will be one of the most fiscally responsible campaigns, because we know money is hard to come by these days. Please visit our website to learn more. You can donate here - any amount is appreciated. We have to turn in financial reports twice monthly, and your contribution is just a raise of the hand that says we believe in choice and change.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you. Together, we are stronger. All the way to the finish line in November!

For any public school advocate in Sarasota, Florida, it’s rewarding to see effective marketing for the district. Online advertising for the Sarasota Public Schools highlight the varied opportunities to learn what the 58 district schools offer and even shows off a world-class website (that translates in all languages).

Impactful promotion includes touting the A-rated district’s high graduation rate, improved test scores and diverse experiences and communities that readies students for life after graduation.

Yet the greatest advertisement comes from the graduates themselves. We can’t forget that public education is the gateway that welcomes all, not some.

The success stories run the gamut from Oprah Winfrey to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but the commonality remains one of the greatest cornerstones of Democracy - these folks attended public schools.

Sarasota, being a microcosm, has its share of personal stories of people achieving and exceeding their goals - from successful CEOs and restauranteurs to world-class athletes, mathematicians, media figures and everyday hometown heroes.

This month, we chose a product of Sarasota’s schools, a person we brand a triumph in the entertainment world. From film and television producing to Broadway and the London stage, this humble superstar has hung out with everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to presidents.

This is Our Hometown Star

Look up Flody Suarez, Sarasota High School Class of 1979, and his FlodyCo Production Company, and you’ve probably seen at least one of his shows.

He first produced Secret Agent Man (2000) and 8 Simple Rules from 2002 - 2005. His later television endeavor was Coastal Elites, the 2020 TV Movie featuring Bette Midler.

To understand Flody, his Sarasota roots tell a lot of the story.

Back in the day. . .

Flody’s father, Flody Suarez, Sr. was a legendary teacher and head basketball coach at Sarasota High School for almost 30 years. He not only instilled a good work ethic and life lessons in his own children, but also in the athletes he coached and the students he taught. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 84 as a community celebrated a life full of achievement and mourned the loss of a man they all loved.

Times were different then, as Flody explains:

I grew up in a moment when a school teacher could own a home and two cars and put four kids through college while saving for retirement. That was my father. We weren’t rich but he was able to raise his kids and support their dreams. There was a sense that teachers could focus on students and that class sizes were built around the kids needs, not budget constraints. My dad didn’t have to buy supplies the way teachers do now. It is really sad to me that teachers are treated this way.

He continued:

On a public school teachers’ salary my parents were constantly bringing kids home for meals and nurturing them when they sensed a kid was falling through the cracks. Now that is not something that teachers should have to do, but when they are freed up financially from worrying about their own survival I feel they can focus on the kids more.

Flody’s mother passed away earlier this year, and he writes of her passing on his Facebook page: “She was an amazing woman and an even better mother. She created pathways for each of her kids to thrive in their own way. She spent her life helping others with a smile and grace that was infectious.”

His siblings Eddie, is a psychologist in Hawaii, while sister Suzi Shea has earned accolades in her hometown. The retired Pine View teacher of 29 years, still teaches part-time. She also served on the Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors. Running into former students, parents and co-workers are all part of her busy days in Sarasota.

Tragedy struck the family in 1989 when younger brother Jamie was killed in a plane crash. The family experienced another devastating blow, when Austin Shea (Suzi’s son) lost his life in 2011.

However, through suffering comes survival and an immeasurable strength to keep on moving.

It was earlier on when his circle were the inspiration to chase his own dreams.

“My high school to college transition was mostly through friends and classmates that were making the same moves. I was challenged and inspired by classmates who had maps and thoughts about their lives that made me start to look at what was a dream and what was possible.” He concluded, “I still chased the dream but with a responsible path through a college degree with options outside the dream!”

He was accepted into the University of Florida, graduated in 1983, and was inducted into the College of Journalism and Communications Hall of Fame in March 2020. Moving beyond higher education can be tricky, but Flody took the bold step.

“My decision to leave Sarasota and the comforts of an idyllic beach town with friends and family was just an overwhelming urge to see the rest of the world and to push myself to be a dreamer a little longer,” he said. “We only have one life and I wanted to see what I could accomplish.”

If lessons are to be learned from Flody’s story, the importance of persistence would be one of them. Working in a toxic environment, like Harvey Weinstein’s company, led many to quit the business, but Flody kept his eye on the prize.

To this day, the 65-year-old still gives credit to his past for remaining on such solid footing. “The Sarasota Boys Club was a place where I flourished,” he began. “Mac Reid ran the place and made sure boys and girls were given a seamless transition from school to after school activities that were helpful in building character and realize dreams.”

There are no problems - just opportunities

During our youth, one doesn’t quite appreciate the tools that education and the public school experience provides one later in life. Flody gets it:

I think every job and every project is a high school of sorts. There are always going to be cliques and politics but high school and being involved in student government, clubs and sports allowed me to see these things as opportunities. By trying different clubs and sports I was able to make friends in various circles and to see people as individuals rather than stereotypes. I now go into every opportunity trying to remember everyone is doing a job, trying to make a living, live their dream and to hopefully be someone who helps along that journey.

Going to the dogs and flea market

If Flody sounds like all bark and no play, his heart combines the two forces of life.

A foster fail, Flody is the proud father of Fred, who is still a puppy at 18 years old. Alfie is the younger of his two dogs. The dog lover attends animal fundraisers alongside Broadway star Bernadette Peters and his life pawtner, Gino Filippone.

Another one of his joys actually nets him some ‘green’. A treasure hunter, Flody can be found at various New York flea markets. His Facebook posts, Fleaing with Flody, have produced pieces of valuable art and items. But his street finds can be equally lucrative. One post humorously read that while walking his dogs, he found “Two poops on the sidewalk and one diamond.” He doesn’t do it for the money - the joy is in the seeking.

Living in the Moment

Giving himself grace is something he had to learn. “I was given a piece of advice when I had a big night coming up - a night of celebration but one that was filled with stress and pressure,” Flody explained. “A colleague reminded me that this was my accomplishment and that I would regret letting pressure keep me from enjoying the night. There will always be time to deal with things but this was a moment to bask in my accomplishment. It was a good lesson. Stop and smell the roses.”

Cher

Big things happened in 2018 with the opening of The Cher Show at the Neil Simon Theatre. The brainchild of Flody, it was a years-long effort to put singer-actress Cher’s story on the Broadway stage. Not only did that dream came to fruition, with the musical running through December 2019, it received three Tony Nominations. At the 2019 Tony Awards, The Cher Show won two: Best Performance for an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and Best Costume Design. Flody served as the executive producer.

His varied career took him to oversee production of Live with Kelly and Ryan, as well as the Tamron Hall Show. He was also an Executive Producer of the TV show Rise.

The next big thing happening is Flody’s “What’s New Pussycat?” which already debuted on stage at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in England. The new musical comedy marries Henry Fielding’s novel Tom Jones with the pop hits of singer Tom Jones and takes place in the 1960’s. This production will hit Broadway in 2027.

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There’s no place like home

With a genuine affection, the showman concluded, “I wasn’t born in Sarasota but it is my hometown. My sister and her family are still there and I have so many fond memories of my childhood. I am a little saddened by how big it has become, but when I see the old haunts and feel the sandy beaches of Lido, I always feel comforted by the way the town nurtured me.”

Perhaps Flody’s success story and words for the town he grew up in, and the schools he attended, are the best advertisement of all for the place we call home.

The theatre lover and the realtor are presently renovating their New York west side digs that once belonged to Leonard Bernstein.

The Sarasota Public Schools have theatre programs throughout the district, with Booker High School having one of the best premier Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) pre-professional magnet program in the state. Graduates include Syesha Mercado, a top three finisher on American Idol.

Yup, more coming your way tomorrow and in the next few days. We kick it off with what’s really behind the mask subject that once again was brought up at the last Sarasota School Board Meeting. We heard it first from a candidate running for a board seat and then the board chair. What a coincidence!

If you love Sarasota and you love dogs, visit our campaign website

We’re running for Sarasota County Commission, District 4 and you can join the ‘watchdog’ team no matter where you live. Our district is mostly south of Clark Road, and goes as far east as the remaining cows moo and then all the way to Venice and Border Road. Sarasota is Our Sarasota, and we’re going to win our hometown back.

In addition to poring over 783 pages of agenda items for the Sarasota County Commission meeting on July 8, my twin, Dear Bubbie has three blogs to get out. However, this one can’t wait.

Too many people are thanking me for giving people a choice for change (as I like to call it). First of all, it isn’t me, it’s us - and we’re running against two politicians who put the word “Conservative” on their campaign signs and literature.

I take this to mean two things:

1. They are only going to serve the conservative voice of Sarasota (and)

2. They are going the lazy route for the people who only vote ‘R’ (in this heavily red district), instead of the person. At this inflection point in Sarasota, most people are smarter than that.

I decided to happily run because I plan to represent all of Sarasota. Our problems are not red, blue or purple. If we keep hitting the same pothole in the street, we want it fixed. If we hear that the budget to fix infrastructure is $1.7 billion in debt(!), we need people in there who can put us back in the plus.

Stronger Together

Am I the lone person who can do this? There is no one lone person. Even in singles tennis, my successes came from my coach and friends who asked me if I realized that every backhand I hit was going cross-court.

This campaign’s historic petition-gathering (one week, one district to collect 703 signatures) to get my name on the ballot was accomplished by a village. People signing the petitions were red, blue and in-between.

I got a lot of credit in our fight to get laws created in Tallahassee to add a layer of protection to vulnerable seniors from the elder guardianship industry. That couldn’t have been done without the blurring of political lines, as then-Senator Nancy Detert went to work for the cause. I never wanted full credit, because this was the work of all (Katie, Jack, Jane, Roberta, Joe, Elaine. . .) That is what it takes - we are stronger together.

The need for Checks and Balances

We are people first, especially in Sarasota - not Democrats or Republicans. When we keep voting for one party - there has not been a Democrat on the county commission since 1966 - we see politicians protecting themselves, not the people. Sarasota is running on empty due to the lack of checks and balances.

Having lived in Sarasota for decades, I’ve formed a wide berth of friends and acquaintances who share the same hopes I have for our hometown: A stop to insane and irresponsible development; Keeping the history (arts, circus structures…) and charm of our neighborhoods alive (and, for goodness sake); Not spending money like we’re Jeff Bezos.

The irresponsibility and disregard for the taxpayer is so broad, that I’ve seen with my own eyes the pain and worry this is causing actual individuals. If I do my job right on the dais, people won’t have to think about the county being further destroyed, but concern themselves with their own families, work / play and their neighbors. There has always been enough on our plates.

I’m looking forward to the challenges and even sleepless nights in trying to put a handle on this over-boiling hot pot our present and past commissioners have cooked up. I already have sleepless nights just from driving down Ibis Street. It may sound good that our 2050 framework allows for 50% greenspace in these new developments, but a new county plan update allows developers to count stormwater retention ponds and lakes toward their overall open space.

Our low impact fees and infrastructure (that somehow we end up paying for) are giving billionaire developers something to smile about, as they cram homes in the space that’s left.

The Live Local Act

All the counties in Florida are between a rock and a hard place in losing home rule because Tallahassee allows developers to overtake various green space with little legal resistance from the local people and commissioners they elected. This is under the long-standing Live Local Act, that changes repeatedly resulting in legalities being questioned. At a town hall I attended, Matthew Osterhaudt, Director of the Planning and Development Services Department, said there is no settled case or pending law, leaving Sarasota in legal uncertainty.

Sarasota County Attorney Jason Moye initially reached out to the Florida Association of County Attorneys to see if there were any legal outs. He then hired the law firm of Nabors, Giblin to provide an outside legal opinion as to the “applicability and application” of the Live Local Act. He reached out to an attorney general and then later advised the commission to not offer resistance, despite that the Live Local Act is one of the most significant state-level preemptions of local land use and zoning authority.

Hillsborough County Commissioners filed a lawsuit alleging that the Live Local Act violates due process provisions in the state constitution and allows developers to ignore agreements about land use.

Meanwhile. . .

Developer Pat Neal, of Neal Communities got paid $15 million by the county commissioners to pave a dirt road through dead end ‘old Florida’ Manasota Beach Road. When protestors weren’t given proper notice and were (and still are) protesting, Neal wrote to the county: “I’m going to have a lot of fun with these citizens.”

This is the unforgiving, greedy culture the county has created.

It’s the people, stupid

I listen to the people’s stories and see the fear and sadness in their voices. When people talk about the county’s overpaid purchase of property just east of the Siesta Key Bridge on Stickney Point Road, known as the Boatyard, I don’t only see the taxpayer dollars wasted.

I hear the people who were kicked out of their longstanding businesses, given little notice, and the commissioners acting like Benderson in treating these small business owners (who contribute so much to our local economy) heartlessly. I remember the young woman, associated with the boat rental business, who wouldn’t sign my petition to get on the ballot, because with tears in her pale blue eyes, she said she doesn’t “trust anyone”. This is what our local officials did to Sarasota’s future.

When I went to visit the business a couple of weeks ago, she apologized. Apologized? I agreed with her. I think it was her Dad protectively standing close by.

That’s why when I’m getting sworn in to office, she will be standing there with me, if she’ll allow it.

No one person will have the answers to all the problems facing our exquisitely beautiful and unique hometown, but together we will. It’s going to take a strong, united board working together and listening to people to proactively combat the uncertainties ahead.

This starts with a campaign that will not accept donations from special interests or developers. Both of our opponents have and to quote John McEnroe: You can’t be serious!

We’re grassroots and not in a contest to see who raises the most money. Our campaign needs to be seen and heard, but from day one, I feel it’s more important to see and hear you. We’re going to win - whether we raise $14,000 or $84,000.

(One of our opponents spent $2000 on a website. We spent $100. We know how to budget wisely and our volunteers are doing a lot of the heavy lifting.)

Every dollar that comes in will be accounted for, transparent and effective. If you believe in the hope this people-forward campaign is offering, show your raise of hands with a donation.

I am happily running for all of us, because together we are stronger - and we’re going to take Our Sarasota back.

This stunning article came out from Suncoast Searchlight (7/1/2026)

To learn more, our website is here.

To donate any amount, this is the link.

Mark July 18 on your calendar for our Campaign Launch Party. It begins at 5:30 and will be held at a private home on Siesta Key. Details coming.

If you have any questions about the Live Local Act, the Homestead Tax Exemption or affordable housing for our workforce, write to me with your questions. We’re also paying close attention to the Palmer Ranch East development. We can be reached at: DearBubbieFeedback@yahoo.com.