Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/170820
AN UNTAPPED $8 MILLION A child competes in a BMX Strider event at the Sarasota complex. Image courtesy of Sarasota County THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CONCLUDED THEIR FINAL BUDGET WORKSHOP WITHOUT UTILIZING FUNDS FREED UP BY A CHANGE IN THEIR DISASTER RESERVE POLICY By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor By the time they concluded their final, threehour budget workshop on Sept. 6, the Sarasota County commissioners still had not committed one pot of money to any expenses — the $8 million they officially freed up by changing their disaster reserve policy in an Aug. 27 vote. use some of it for the reasons we brought it out, we push it aside." He added, "It sounds like we're going to leave today and still have the $8 million intact." "We have differing opinions [on that money]," Commissioner Nora Patterson reminded It sounds like we're going to leave him. "Is this $8 million a sacred cow?" Commistoday and still have the $8 million intact. sioner Joe Barbetta asked with a chuckJoe Barbetta Commissioner le. "Because it sounds Sarasota County like every time I try to During their May 14 budget workshop, the commissioners split on a 3-2 vote to