Sarasota County

Brandt is now the sole conservative on the five-member board, which flipped from a 3-2 conservative majority in the August election.

Here are the results of key races across the greater Tampa Bay region, including U.S. House, and state House and Senate.

Sarasota County now has the most overpopulated jail in Florida. As the inmate population continues to climb, officials must confront an expensive dilemma — the prospect of transferring some inmates to other facilities when the jail can no longer accommodate them.

The disputes have raised questions about how local governments balance neighborhood safety with the need for social services — and whether zoning restrictions are making it difficult for organizations to operate.

A new property tax is on the ballot for Manatee County, while Sarasota County seeks to continue a tax from more than two decades ago.

The discrepancy raises questions about how the Department of Health determines where infections originate and whether the state's official numbers accurately reflect the risk of transmission in the county.

County officials say recruitment has been paused for many vacancies, and new hires were down 31% in September compared with a year earlier.

The financial relationship between Tallahassee lobbyist and Sarasota county commissioner raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest under Florida ethics law.

The project expands five miles of River Road from two lanes to six lanes between U.S. 41 and I-75, tripling roadway capacity and providing significant congestion relief for Southwest Florida residents, businesses, and visitors.

The letter casts new doubt on the county’s long-running fight over the controversial law, giving ammunition to developers suing the county in six ongoing cases and potentially clearing a path for more than 7,500 housing units that have been put on pause.

A proposal wouldn’t directly cut funding to Head Start, but it would eliminate many of its federal regulations. Sarasota County providers worry the change could ultimately reduce funding and make it more difficult to maintain support for families.

El Pueblo Unido Tampa Bay, the organization behind the initiative, sells the bracelets in local businesses and at rallies. Proceeds go to immigrant families dealing with deportation and detention.