Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/119978
Sarasota News Leader April 5, 2013 Page 9 ballot for Dent, yet the supervisor kept her Reynolds argues that more vigorous elections would open up the process and allow seat. for new viewpoints. The GOP has had a lock Zoller says stories like that got the Public on the County Commission for decades. No Interest Coalition members thinking: non-Republican has served on the "What could we do to bring a board since 1970, and only three better sense of balance?" The non-Republicans have sat on group started researching the commission since 1956. different county charters That GOP supremacy rearound the state. mains intact today, even According to Zoller, there though only 43.6 percent are 20 charter counties of registered voters are Republicans. Reynolds in Florida, five of which says the situation consolhave nonpartisan counidates power in the hands ty elections: Columbia, of a few and lets a handful of Leon, Orange, Volusia and Micampaign donors control elecami-Dade. Nonpartisan races stop candidates from identi- The Sarasota County Seal. Pho- tions: "We're all victimized by the way things are going." fying themselves as repre- to by Norman Schimmel sentatives of particular parBut would nonpartisan electies, and they would also close the loophole tions really limit the influence of parties? Reexploited by Brill last year. With no partisan publican Party of Sarasota County Chairman primaries, everyone would be able to vote in Joe Gruters scoffs at the idea. Just look at every contest, regardless of party affiliation. the current City of Sarasota elections, he says. While the races are technically nonpartisan, But making that shift means changing the both major parties are endorsing candidates county charter, a proposal the Public Interand working to turn out voters. Nonpartisan est Coalition is preparing to bring to voters, elections would do nothing to prevent parties hopefully before the 2014 elections. from inserting themselves into elections. Gayle Reynolds, a Public Interest Coalition member and the former conservation chairwoman of the local Sierra Club, says the change would "empower" independent voters and foster more competition. "I think it's important for all county races," she adds, "but the County Commission in particular has been fraught with corruption the last couple years." Gruters argues that removing party labels does a "disservice to the voters" by depriving them of a crucial bit of information. Party affiliation is "the easiest way to identify people" for those who do not have time to research the candidates, he says. "I think all races should be partisan, because right now all races are partisan."