2020 IMPACT Report - Sarasota County, Florida

A MESSAGE FROM KAREN E. RUSHING CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT AND COUNTY COMPTROLLER TO THE CITIZENS OF SARASOTA COUNTY I am pleased to present the Sarasota County IMPACT Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. This report, which is also called a Popular Annual Financial Report, is designed to provide the citizens of Sarasota County with a better understanding of where County revenues came from and how those dollars were managed and spent during the past fiscal year. I trust you will find this report has been presented in a straightforward and easy-to-read format. For much of fiscal year 2020, your local government leaders and staff were focused on the response to the global health crisis – COVID-19 – with attention on ensuring continuity of essential services and supporting citizens and local businesses. In anticipation of the financial impact that COVID-19 would have on the County, your local government leaders acted swiftly to institute a pause on discretionary spending in the general fund, delayed/deferred certain capital projects funded through surtax, gas tax and the general fund, and implemented a hiring pause of non-mission critical positions. This quick action resulted in a positive financial impact for fiscal year 2020, despite declines in certain intergovernmental revenues, charges for services and local government sales tax. Should you desire more information not found in this report, you may wish to review the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, which contains more detailed audited financial information. In addition, the Consolidated Major Revenue and Debt Report provides a summary of the County’s major revenue sources, indebtedness, and arbitrage. As Comptroller, I am proud to report that we have received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting for the 2019 IMPACT Report and the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for our 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). In addition, Sarasota County was issued the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for fiscal year 2020. There is a dedicated team of talented financial professionals that contributed to such success. The IMPACT report along with the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Consolidated Revenue and Debt Report can be viewed and downloaded at SarasotaClerk.com. If you have any comments or suggestions on how we may improve this report, please contact the Finance Department at (941) 861-5165. Thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve as your Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller. It is a great privilege and honor to serve our community. Sincerely, Karen E. Rushing Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller SarasotaClerk.com