City of Sarasota City of Venice City of North Port District 5 District 1 District 4 District 3 District 2 City of Sarasota City of Venice City of North Port Incorporation and Municipalities: • Sarasota County is a political subdivision of the State of Florida and was formally incorporated in 1921. • The County includes unincorporated County and four municipalities: the Cities of Sarasota (County seat), Venice, North Port and the Town of Longboat Key. Geography: • located on the southwest coast of Florida • 725 square mile area (including water areas) with outstanding natural beauty Population: • approximately 452,378 permanent residents Authority to tax: • empowered to levy a property tax on both real and personal property Services provided for citizens: • law enforcement • fire and rescue protection • construction and maintenance of street and traffic systems, highways, bridges and other infrastructure • preservation and maintenance of beaches, parks and environmentally sensitive lands • recreational facilities, programs and cultural activities • comprehensive planning and community development • community information and education programs • health and human services • water and wastewater utilities • solid waste disposal facilities • stormwater utility facilities • public transportation Sarasota County fiscal responsibility: • shared by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and the Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller (Clerk and Comptroller) • The BCC and the Clerk and Comptroller are separately elected constitutional officers vested with separate powers, according to Florida law. This separation of power provides checks and balances within the County government to help safeguard the assets of the County. • The BCC is responsible for adopting an annual budget for all departments under the commissioners. The budget is prepared by the Office of Financial Management, under the direction of the County Administrator, and presented to the commissioners for approval. The budget governs expenditures by the departments. • Clerk and Comptroller pre-audits every expenditure prior to payment to ensure that all expenditures are legal, budgeted and in compliance with County policies and procedures. OUR COUNTY AT A GLANCE 6 Impact Report 2022 Sarasota County Fire Department: • Sarasota County leaders celebrated the opening of the brand new Fire Station 9. Fire Station 9 was originally built in the 1970s but was demolished in April 2021 for rebuilding. • Located on Bee Ridge Road, the new 10,500-squarefoot-state-of-the-art facility is a three-bay station built to withstand Category 4 hurricane winds. 2022 Quality of Life Ratings and Surveys: • Sarasota was ranked by U.S. News & World Report, in their Best Places in the U.S. in 2022-2023 comparison of U.S. metropolitan areas, as the 9th best place to live, 11th best place to retire, number 1 fastest-growing place, 7th safest place to live, and 19th best place to live for quality of life. • Sarasota County Government was named one of the “Best Workplaces for Commuters” by bestworkplaces.org. • Each year, Sarasota County has an annual citizen survey completed by the University of South Florida for citizen satisfaction of county services and responsiveness of the employees when contacted. The 2022 results showed that the proportion of respondents who rated their quality of life in the county as excellent or good was 95 percent, and 97 percent surveyed are satisfied with services provided by Sarasota County. Fitch and S&P Global Bond Ratings: • Fitch announced an “AA+” rating for the Public Improvement Revenue Bonds, Series 2021A and 2021B. • S&P Global announced an “AA-“rating for the Public Improvement Revenue Bonds, Series 2021A and 2021B. • Both Fitch and S&P Global announced a “AA+” rating for the Utility System Revenue Bonds, Series 2022. • S&P affirmed a “AA+” long-term rating and underlying rating (SPUR) on the county’s utility system revenue bonds outstanding. • These bond ratings reflect the County’s superior financial management, solid operating profile and are an indication of the economic health and a growing, strong and diverse local economy. • High bond ratings allow the County to acquire debt at a lower rate. SARASOTA COUNTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS Impact Report 2022 7 • Exceptional County Services Aligned with Resources • High-Performing County Team • World-Class Quality of Life Amenities • Great Place to Live • Robust, Growing Business Opportunities GOALS OF SARASOTA COUNTY
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