Suncoast Searchlight

Spencer Anderson faced angry residents demanding answers after widespread flooding, and a Suncoast Searchlight and Florida Trident investigation later found a department in disarray under his leadership.

The lawsuit is also the latest fight over who is entitled to money that voters approved for public schools.

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

In Sarasota and Manatee counties, where law enforcement consumes the lion’s share of general fund spending, sheriffs say losses of the magnitude being projected could force them to reconsider services that extend beyond patrol and criminal investigations. Smaller police departments have even less room to maneuver.

A year after Stormwater Director Ben Quartermaine was brought on to lead the embattled department, Suncoast Searchlight and the Florida Trident set out to examine what has changed — and what hasn’t.

The grandchild of a DeSantis appointee appears to be at the center of complaints against a teacher whom Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly accused of mistreating an student over his political views.

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.

Amendment 3 would dramatically reduce property taxes for homeowners by increasing the homestead exemption for non-school taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 next year before jumping to $250,000 in 2028.

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.

Residents seemed equal parts enthusiastic about the investments being made in their Sarasota community but skeptical about how this promised change could attract outside developers.

More than 100 unhoused people are affected by a Sarasota zoning dispute that has forced a church to suspend some of its services.

An administrative law judge has narrowed the roughly 25 allegations raised in their petitions, leaving claims involving issues such as proposed athletic fields near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, development of land planned for the Education Freedom Institute, tree removal in the Uplands Preserve and vehicle access from Uplands Boulevard.