Entler formally joins City Commission during Nov. 6 special meeting
Along with a new commissioner, the City of Sarasota has a new mayor and a new vice mayor, thanks to votes taken during a special meeting of the board members on Nov. 6.
With Flo Entler of Arlington Park replacing outgoing commissioner and Mayor Debbie Trice, Commissioner Kyle Battie nominated Vice Mayor Kathy Kelley Ohlrich to be mayor. Commissioner Liz Alpert seconded his motion, and the vote was unanimous.
Battie and Alpert appeared to repeat their actions in nominating Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch as vice mayor, but Ohlrich said she heard a second from Entler before the one from Alpert.
“Commissioner Entler,” Mayor Ohlrich noted, “your first second on the dais.”
That vote was unanimous, as well.
No discussion ensued after either motion was made.
With the board members also having formally approved the unofficial results of the Nov. 3 General Election, Deputy City Auditor and Clerk Lori Rivers administered the oath of office to Ahearn-Koch, who led all vote totals in the City Commission race this year, and Entler, who beat out retired commercial Realtor John Harshman for the other at-large seat. (City Auditor and Clerk Shayla Griggs was absent from the meeting because of a personal commitment, she had explained in advance of the session.)
Ahearn-Koch won her first election to the City Commission in 2017.
Entler long has been an advocate for neighborhoods in the municipality.
During remarks to her colleagues, Ohlrich elicited laughter when she said, “I can’t promise that all our meetings will end before lunch.”
She continued, “But I can promise that if we work together, our meetings will be as efficient and effective as possible. I don’t mean rushing decisions or limiting debate,” she added. “I mean keeping our shared purpose front and center.
“In recent years,” Ohlrich pointed out, “that shared purpose has been fuzzy. Now is the time to clarify it by developing a new strategic plan that guides our decision making” — action that City Manager Karie Friling emphasized in her recent report on her first 100 days in her position.
Further, Ohlrich told her colleagues, with the passage of Amendment 3, the state’s property tax relief constitutional amendment, the new strategic plan “must also address how we rethink and deliver essential services in our city.”
City financial staff members have projected that the municipality will realize a loss of about $5.6 million after the homestead exemption has climbed from its $50,000 level to $250,000 in 2028.
During the remarks that day of the other board members, Commissioner Alpert was the first to bring up the passage of Amendment 3 during the board members’ remarks on Nov. 6.
“The next several years are going to be really, really challenging for all of us in the city,” she said. “But I know we have a group of commissioners, a city manager, a deputy city manager (Jennifer Jorgensen) and — most importantly — our employees who are up to the challenge, and we will work every day to provide the services our residents and businesses expect.”
Taking his turn, Commissioner Battie referenced a remark that outgoing Mayor Trice had made — that less than 50% of voters who live in the city supported Amendment 3. “The reason why that is so important,” he noted, “is it shows the selflessness of our residents. It’s easy to say, ‘Hey, listen, I own a home and I’m homesteaded. I want to pass this amendment.’ But they knew the challenges that would come with it if we did, and they said ‘No.’ ”
Battie continued, “But, you know, we’ll get through it as we’ve gotten through so much and so on.”
During her remarks as the only member leaving the board, Trice had noted, “Most of the people in this room are disappointed by the results of the Amendment 3 vote. So are the voters in our city. … The majority voted ‘No.’ ” She then acknowledged, “Unfortunately, it’s the statewide vote that counts. But I’m hoping,” she continued, “that the Sarasota community will work with city government to come up with creative ways to fund both our community’s needs and also its wants. … I hope that [members of the community] will be patient when things take longer to get done and that philanthropists will step up to help Sarasota continue to be the city that they chose to be a part of.”
Battie did offer one personal comment about Ohlrich before he concluded his remarks: “And to our newly elected mayor, I just can’t say enough, the time we’ve spent here at the dais and in the community. I just want to say that it’s been truly an honor to work alongside you and sit beside you and laugh and crack jokes.”
He prompted laughter among his colleagues when he pointed out that they “don’t know how funny she is.”
Commissioner Ahearn-Koch elicited more laughter later on when she said, “Many of you may or may not know, but my campaign manager is here to my right. Former campaign manager, I would say,” referring to Ohlrich.
When called upon for remarks, Commissioner Entler said, “This is quite an honor, and I’d like to thank all of those that worked tirelessly to support me in this journey.”
She added, “I’m ready to get to work for the residents and the small business owners of our city. I’m ready to make Sarasota a better city than we are today. So thank you, everyone.”