County Commissioners Set To Take Oath On Tuesday

Three Sarasota County Commissioners will take the oath of office during a ceremony at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Commission Chamber at the Administration Center, 1660 Ringling Blvd.  

The commissioners, who are all Republican, are:

• Christine Robinson, from District 3, was elected to a full term after being appointed to the commission by Gov. Charlie Christ in 2010 to fill a retirement vacancy. 
• Carolyn J. Mason, from District 1, will serve her second term.
• Charles D. Hines, from District 5, will serve his first term.  

Commissioners are elected at-large for four-year terms, but are required by the Sarasota County Charter to live in their districts.

This will be Mason's and Robinson's final terms as commissioners as commissioners are now limited to two four-year terms. Hines became a newcomer after that law was found to be valid by the Florida Supreme Court this year after voters approved the measure in 1998.

Commissioner Jon Thaxon became the first political casualty of the law and could not run for a fourth term. Thaxton ran for Supervisor of Elections but lost in the primary and since found a job with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.