This special meeting of the Sarasota City Commission, held on July 28, 2026, immediately following a budget workshop, focused on setting the preliminary millage rates for Fiscal Year 2026–2027 for the City of Sarasota, Golden Gate Point Streetscape, and the Downtown Improvement District. Commissioners also discussed and voted to pause several major capital projects pending the outcome of an upcoming statewide referendum on Amendment 3. Three citizens provided input, and the commission unanimously approved the millage rates and budget items.
Good good afternoon. Welcome to the special city commission budget meeting for fiscal year twenty-six-twenty seven. Um I'd like to call the meeting to order. And first we will have an invocation by the city auditor and clerk, followed by the vice mayor leading us in the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. Those who can stand, please stand. Heavenly Father, we affirm our faith in thee. We seek your divine strength, wisdom, and guidance in the deliberations that affect the lives of each of the citizens of our community. In that name we pray, amen. I project one individual. Okay. Um are there any changes to the order of the day? No, Mary. Okay. So I'm going to ask Ms. Griggs to recite the pledge of public conduct. Thank you. And then we will have citizens input. Thank you, Mayor. We may disagree, but we will be respectful to one another. We will direct all comments of issues. Okay, thank you. And we have three people who have signed up to speak for three up to three minutes each. David Lowe, Kelly Brown, and Martin Hyde. And as usual, please state your name and whether or not you are a city resident. Okay, Mr. Lowe. Uh David Lowe, uh City resident, and still unfortunately unpaid. Uh commissioners, I had not planned to speak today. I've been here for two days, and frankly, I thought the budget, Kelly and Nick and all involved did a tremendous job. That said, I would be remiss if I didn't say something. Within the last couple hours, we have talked about money aside, the McCowan project, Bobby Jones Clubhouse, and the Performing Arts Center. Three very different projects, but I think they raise a common question. Do we understand the frictional cost of indecision and start and stop decisions? Those costs don't appear in spreadsheets. With the McCowan, the housing authorities trying to move ahead with a major project facing uncertainty about a piece of their plan. With Bobby Jones, we've had years of discussion about what should happen there and with the clubhouse. And with the performing arts center, we have spent years studying and debating the city's important civic assets. Just last week I heard a commissioner speak about conversations she had had with three performing arts uh experts, and the opportunity that they saw as ripe for that opportunity. Those are real costs, even when they don't show up on a spreadsheet. As you make decisions, please be mindful, not just of the cost of saying yes, but the cost of not deciding, delaying or repeatedly changing direction. And particularly as you begin work with Ms. Fryley and establishing priorities for the new period of city leadership. I hope the Commission can gear clear direction on major projects and then allow the organization to move forward. Clarity has value. Uncertainty has cost. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Lowe. And Ms.