Sarasota County

Richard Freshwater has been in and out of the justice system in Charlotte and Sarasota counties for the past 20 years, often with charges that start as mental health scenarios and then continue to build on each other.

A long-running fight over a proposed subdivision next to Sarasota’s Celery Fields has escalated into a lawsuit, with D.R. Horton abandoning an arbitration process and suing Sarasota County after officials repeatedly rejected its scaled-down plans to build up to 170 homes on nearby Smith Farm.

Three times now, environmental advocates hoping to stave off a housing community proposed next to the Celery Fields bird sanctuary have seen huge victories in the Sarasota County Commission chambers. But a developer that calls itself "America's largest homebuilder” is still carrying on with its plans.

County staff presented a combination of funding options, including an additional sales tax for residents or increased mobility taxes on new housing developments.

A burn ban automatically went into effect for Sarasota County due to local drought conditions and an increased chance of fire hazards.

Bill Furst heads the political action committee American Mission Florida, which filed registration paperwork with the state in February, listing its primary address as a Staples store in Tallahassee. A month later, the PAC put $2 million towards pro-Byron Donalds advertisements.

Sarasota County Commissioners said they were reacting to a steady barrage of concerns from residents over the impact of the proposed developments.

The Sarasota County Commission voted unanimously to add a referendum to fund the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program through 2049. It'll need a simple majority of votes to pass.

What began as a controversial land deal in The Meadows has escalated into a wider fight over governance, communication and control of the community’s future.

The policy would restrict protests on school property, or during the school day, by staff and students.

A shortfall looms while the county's tax collector seeks a 52% budget increase.

A Sarasota County judge dismissed a legal challenge to a controversial Siesta Key land swap, clearing the way for a 5,000-square-foot home to be built on a county-owned parcel originally purchased for preservation.