County Looking for Input from Public Today

The county is actively searching for a new county administrator. Because of a tighter budget, SCAT bus fares are slated to increase by $0.75. 

Today the county wants to hear from you on both of these topics at two separate meetings. 

County Administrator

Sarasota County will hold five focus group sessions for public input on the characteristics and qualities that are important in a new county administrator. The meetings also will explore the opportunities for the county and the next administrator, a county release said.

The sessions will be facilitated by representatives from The Mercer Group of Atlanta, which is conducting the administrator search for the Sarasota County Commission.

Each of the five meetings will be held in a Sarasota County Commission district: 

Thursday, Sept. 8

• 10:30 a.m., Selby Library, 1331 First Street, Sarasota
• 2 p.m., Phillippi Estate Park in the Edison Keith Mansion, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
• 6 p.m., Venice Community Center, 326 S. Nokomis Ave., Venice

Friday, Sept. 9

• 10:30 a.m., North Port Library, 13800 S. Tamiami Trail, North Port
• 2:30 p.m., North Sarasota Library, 2801 Newtown Blvd., Sarasota

SCAT Fares

A public meeting on proposed increases in Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) fares will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. tonight, in Room 112 at Sarasota City Hall, 1565 1st Street. Three public meetings were held in August and an additional meeting was requested to gather more public feedback, the release said.

The regular, one-way SCAT fare on fixed-route service, including the SCAT trolley, would increase from 75 cents to $1.25 per ride. Proposed increases also will affect all regular, pass fares and special fares for SCAT fixed-route service, including discounted fares for seniors and persons with disabilities, and fares for SCAT Plus door-to-door paratransit service, the release said.