Former Venice Metropolis Council member Joe Neunder and residential reworking contractor Mark Hawkins are vying for the Republican nomination for the Sarasota County Fee District 4 seat.
The victor of the Aug. 23 major will face Democrat Daniel Kuether within the normal election for the District 4 seat held by Commissioner Alan Maio, who’s precluded by time period limits from operating once more.
Neunder served on the Metropolis Council from November 2019 till June, when he resigned from the put up. He mentioned he needed to keep away from a possible battle between the 2 elected workplaces, since state statute forbids a public official from holding two workplaces directly.
Apart from his work on the council, Neunder operates a solo chiropractic observe in Vamo known as Sarasota Spinal Mechanics. A graduate of Pine View Faculty, he lives in North Venice along with his spouse and three sons.
Hawkins owns Hawk’s Nest Building in Sarasota. He has two kids and 7 grandchildren and lives on Phillippi Creek.
Backgrounds: Dwelling reworking contractor Mark Hawkins operating for Sarasota County Fee
Associated: Venice Metropolis Council member Joe Neunder operating for open Sarasota County Fee seat
Meet the candidates: Who’s operating for native, state and federal workplaces within the Sarasota-Manatee space?
Hawkins ran for the County Fee in 2010 as a Democrat, shedding to former commissioner Nora Patterson. He switched to the Republican Social gathering and gained a seat on the county Constitution Evaluation Board two years later.
Hawkins and Neunder have additionally each served on the Sarasota County Planning Fee.
Neunder has far outraised Hawkins, as his marketing campaign has obtained, as of July 29, $124,620 in donations, $10,000 of which he loaned himself. Hawkins has raised $12,570. He has additionally given $20,000 of his personal cash to his marketing campaign.
In latest interviews with the Herald-Tribune, the 2 candidates shared their views on Siesta Key resort initiatives, reasonably priced housing and a number of other different subjects. Their opinions on a couple of points are supplied under.
Siesta Key motels
The County Fee accepted two extremely controversial resort initiatives final 12 months, one in Siesta Key Village and the opposite on Outdated Stickney Level Street. The commissioners additionally eliminated the cap on the variety of resort rooms that may be constructed on an acre of land in Sarasota County.
Hawkins mentioned he’s against massive, luxurious motels on Siesta Key.
“It isn’t the character of the place,” he mentioned. “The character of the place is a village.”
Hawkins disapproves of the choice to take away the cap on the variety of resort rooms. He famous that the island would not have the capability to deal with the elevated site visitors that giant motels would deliver.
Requested how he would method future Siesta Key resort initiatives searching for approval by the fee, Neunder emphasised the significance of public enter. He mentioned that when he considers improvement initiatives, he seems at their density, depth and compatibility. He additionally considers whether or not the initiatives are “protected for the well being and wellness of your neighborhood and residents.”
As as to whether he approves of the fee’s choice to remove the resort room cap, Neunder mentioned that he would not have all the data on the matter.
“I haven’t got all the general public testimony, the emails, to provide you a very simple, sincere reply,” he mentioned, including that he did not need to say one thing that’s not well-researched.
Reasonably priced housing disaster
Hawkins mentioned workforce housing will likely be one among his important priorities as a commissioner.
“I am not going to attend 5 years and kick the stone down the highway somewhat bit,” he mentioned.
He mentioned that as quickly as he’s sworn into the put up, he would arrange conferences with the county administrator and with native specialists on reasonably priced housing.
Hawkins approves of the thought of giving builders incentives, comparable to density bonuses, after they construct reasonably priced housing.
Neunder mentioned all of the stakeholders in reasonably priced housing – comparable to builders and the county’s main employers – want to come back collectively and provide you with options to the housing disaster.
He mentioned that he has constructed relationships with varied neighborhood leaders over time, and he would capitalize on these relationships as he tries to deliver extra reasonably priced housing to the county.
Neunder additionally mentioned he’s within the idea of inclusionary zoning, which is when builders are required to put aside some items in a constructing or complicated as reasonably priced items after they construct in sure areas. The developer can be given incentives for offering these items.
Proposed secured therapy facility for intimates
Sarasota County officers have, for a couple of years, been edging towards a proposal to handle overcrowding on the county jail.
Officers from the Sheriff’s Workplace and Sarasota County Division of Human Providers are proposing a secured annex constructing that will deal with reentry, psychological well being and substance abuse programming.
Wayne Applebee, senior supervisor of Human Providers, advised the Herald-Tribune that officers are aiming to current a proposal to county commissioners by September. Even when the proposal is introduced this fall, Applebee mentioned it could take years earlier than the venture would come to fruition.
The anticipated price to construct the brand new facility can be anticipated to surpass the county’s present bonding restrict of $25.8 million, that means the county would wish to carry a voter referendum on it.
When requested if he would assist getting the wheels in movement on the venture, Hawkins mentioned he would assist the annex plan “100%.” He famous that when individuals are combating a number of completely different addictions, their members of the family aren’t capable of assist them.
“In the event you had this annex the place individuals might go and so they might get some assist – what an incredible concept,” he acknowledged.
Neunder mentioned that as a commissioner, when tasked with any difficulty involving regulation enforcement or jails, his first name can be to Sheriff Kurt Hoffman.
“I am all in favor of supporting the sheriff and making an attempt to provide him each useful resource potential to make our neighborhood more healthy and safer,” he mentioned.
Neunder mentioned the annex proposal “in principle, sounds actually good,” however he famous that the county’s residents would have final authority on it, as they’d vote on the matter in a referendum.
Anne Snabes covers metropolis and county authorities for the Herald-Tribune. You’ll be able to contact her at [email protected] and observe her on Twitter at @a_snabes.
This text initially appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Joe Neunder, Mark Hawkins face off in Sarasota fee District 4