COMMISSIONERS VOTE TO KEEP BOUNDARIES

SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON WEDNESDAY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO KEEP THEIR PROPOSED DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, WHICH IN ESSENCE KEEPS THINGS THEY WAY THEY HAVE BEEN.  DESPITE A TUESDAY WHERE EVERYONE WHO STEPPED TO THE DAIS IN VENICE WAS AGAINST THE BOUNDARIES, COMMISSIONERS FELT THE MAP WAS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP THEM CONTIGUOUS AND COMPACT.  VENICE AND NORTH PORT CITY LEADERS VOICED THEIR CONCERNS THAT BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A POPULATION SHIFT TO THE SOUTH OVER THE LAST DECADE, THEY FELT THERE SHOULD BE MORE REPRESENTATION FROM THERE.  UNDER THE NEW BOUNDARIES, THE CITY OF SARASOTA WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTING THEM, WHILE VENICE RESIDENTS WILL BE SPREAD OUT AMONG THREE DISTRICTS.  NORTH PORT OFFICIALS FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN DISTRICT SINCE THEY ARE NOW THE BIGGEST CITY IN THE COUNTY, BOTH IN POPULATION AND AREA.