Sarasota Election: Alpert, Turner Vie For District 2 Seat

SARASOTA, FL — In the 2020 election, Sarasota voters will choose the winner of the Sarasota City Commission’s District 2 race. Incumbent Liz Alpert and Terry Turner are vying for the role.

How to vote

As the Nov. 3 election approaches, Sarasota County voters can submit their ballots at early voting locations, at drop-off boxes and by mail. They can also vote at their local voting precinct on Election Day.

If voting in person, either early or on Nov. 3, voters must bring a current and valid ID with their name, photo and signature. Find a full list of acceptable IDs here.

Vote-by-mail ballots may be returned using the U.S. Postal Service. The return postage for a vote-by-mail ballot is two Forever stamps or $.70. They must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day. Additionally, they can be dropped off at any early voting location. Find a list of early voting locations here. The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot has passed.

If you choose to vote in person on Nov. 3, you can look up your voting precinct online here. For your vote to count, you must vote in the precinct in which you reside. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Meet the candidates

Sarasota Patch recently sent out questionnaires to learn more about who these candidates are and where they stand on local issues. Below are the responses submitted.

Liz Alpert, 71, is a graduate of J.D. Stetson University College of Law. She’s practiced family law for 14 years. She’s served on the Sarasota City Commission since 2015.

In 2003, she was appointed to the city’s Human Relations Board where she served until 2007. She was then appointed to the city’s General Personnel/Civil Service Board.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Alpert: The single most pressing issue facing the city of Sarasota is the economic impact of the COVID pandemic. The city was one of the first in our area to institute a mask mandate to protect the health, safety and welfare of our citizens, but also because the faster the virus can be controlled, the faster our economy can recover. We very quickly allocated money for a $5,000 business grant to city businesses that had suffered a loss under the pandemic. We are working on a second set of grants to help even more businesses. We immediately looked at our city budget and the impacts of a loss of revenue to the city. We instituted a hiring freeze and other cost-cutting measure to make sure we could cut our budget, but still provide the necessary services to our residents. We will continue to monitor the budget to make sure we have our expenditures under control. We will also continue to work with the community as to how better to help with the recovery.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Alpert: My emphasis is on a vision for the city for the next 25-50 years. Decisions we make today are critical to how our community will unfold for our children and grandchildren. I have a vision of smart urban planning, a smart transportations system, and a preservation of our important arts and cultural assets and our environment. My opponent will take the city back to the old, tired ways of thinking and planning which will hold the city back from its potential.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Alpert: I am the incumbent, however my opponent served on the City Commission from 2009-2013. During his tenure, he cut police and employee pensions, he voted to sell a city park to a developer, supported a plan to privatize the Lido Beach Pavilion and supported increased density in the city. However, now he is claiming positions opposite to those he promoted as a commissioner.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Alpert: When I ran five years ago, I wanted to bring the Bayfront 2020 vision to completion, help resolve our homeless problem, and implement smart growth in our community. The Bay project is well on its way, the homeless count has been reduced at least 60 percent and smart growth is occurring in our community.

I am running a second time is because I want to continue planning for smart growth, of planning for smart multi-modal transportation systems, of planning for sea-level rise and sustainability, of planning the creation of a world-class parks system, of planning for how we retain our historic and cultural assets, such as the Sarasota Orchestra and Selby Gardens. I’ve been working on these issue for the past five years. We’ve made significant progress, but there is still more to do.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Alpert: To start with, I have been handling the job. I educate myself about the issues and decisions that need to be made as well as regular interaction with constituents and staff. I have been serving on boards since the late 80s or early 90s. I served on two different condo boards with stints as being the president at both condos. I served for six years on the city of Tampa's Architectural Review Commission. I served for over six years on the city of Sarasota's Human Relations Board even while attending law school, then served on the Civil Service/Personnel Board until my election to the commission in 2015.

Why should voters trust you?

Alpert: The voters can trust me because I am open and honest about my positions on issues, so that they will know that I will take the positions if re-elected that I have stood for as a Commissioner and that I have promised during my campaign. They will know that I will have the courage to make the difficult decisions that will benefit the entire community and not just the special interests. When I ran in 2015, I ran on a platform of furthering The Bay project, reducing homelessness, and smart growth. I have delivered on those promises. The Bay project is well on its way, homelessness has been reduced by 60% during my tenure, and I have promoted the kinds of projects, especially transportation projects which are the tenets of smart growth principles.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?

Alpert: If I win re-election, I would consider my term in office a success if we are able to (1) see the first phase of the Bay project completed, (2) find a home in the city for the Sarasota Orchestra, (3) see the completion of the expansion plans for Selby Gardens, (4) implement a smart transportation plan, (5) create more workforce housing, and (6) continue to reduce the number of homeless on our streets.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

Alpert: The city is a municipal corporation whose highest purpose is to promote the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. It is not a for-profit corporation. Money collected and spent is for the common good, not profit. However, we always have to keep in mind that the money belongs to the people and they expect us to spend it wisely. They expect us to use the money for police, infrastructure, parks, services, and all of the things that make a community livable. They also expect us to make sure that we have adequate reserves for the bad times and that we have adequate controls and systems in place to make sure we are good stewards of their money.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

Alpert: I support the Black Lives Matter movement because it calls attention to the inequities that the black population has had to deal with over the years and helps us recognize that we all must do better and be better. I support peaceful demonstrations, but do not support rioting, property damage or harm to other human beings.

What are your thoughts on the campaign to "defund" the police?

Alpert: The term "defunding" the police is an unfortunate way to characterize this campaign. Funding the police is important for health, safety and welfare, but what should be done is a fresh look at policing that allows for trained police officers to have everything they need to do their job, but not have to be everything to everyone. In Sarasota, we have instituted community policing, two newly formed community action teams, guidelines for officers to reduce the use of excessive force, and the authorization for body-worn cameras.

What are your thoughts on the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you favor such measures as limiting operation of non-essential businesses or restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a nationwide mask mandate?

Alpert: The State and National response to the COVID pandemic has not been adequate. A coordinated national response in the beginning would have meant that this could have been under control much sooner and may not have required the massive shutdowns that occurred or if shutdown needed to be done, it could have been over much quicker.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

Alpert: No.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Alpert: The best advice I ever got was that when negative things are said about you, your friends will still be your friends, your enemies will still be your enemies, and no one else cares.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Alpert: What I would like voters to know is that whether we agree or not, I listen to all positions when making decisions. I also weigh the relevant facts and try to make a decision for the good of the entire community and not special interests. There is sometimes a perception that if you don't vote the way a certain group wants you to vote that you are not with the people, but that fails to take into consideration that there are other people that maybe didn't have the time to come to a Commission meeting or write an email that have to be considered as well. I take a balanced approach to decision making which is why I have the endorsement of a broad coalition of people and groups, including Ruth's List, Equality Florida Action PAC, the Realtor Association for Sarasota and Manatee, the Retired City Firefighters Association, the Sarasota Police Officers Association Local 6045, the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, the Stonewall Democratic Caucus of Sarasota County, Former City Commissioner Ken Shelin, School Board Member Shirley Brown, Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning Roger Barry, and Sean Sellers and Lynn Nilssen, Co-organizers, Sarasota Ready for 100. In addition, I have been recommended by the Sarasota-Charlotte Progressive Caucus and The Observer.

Learn more about Alpert on her campaign website.

We’ve compiled some information about her opponent, Terry Turner. He studied engineering at Ohio University and earned an MBA in finance from the University of Rochester, according to his campaign website. He went on to earn a PhD in economics at Carnegie-Mellon University. Throughout his career, he worked with major banking institutions and taught finance at the University of California, Berkley.

He served on the Sarasota City Commission from 2009 to 2013 and represented the city on the Metropolitan Planning Organization during this time. He’s also served on the Sarasota County Planning Commission, the Sarasota County Committee for Economic Development and the Sarasota County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Committee.

Turner told the Observer that he’s running for office because “the current commissioners lack experience and are failing to provide the leadership we need. They are not responsive to the needs of the voters, and they have been irresponsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. I believe I can do better.”

If elected, he told the Observer that his priorities include “maintaining essential city service during this severe health and economic crisis” and reestablishing, “once again, an effective, functioning city commission.”

He added, “Currently, commissioners are not listening to residents, are not cooperating with one another and are not leading our city.”

He’s also interested in preserving Sarasota’s character and standing up against overdevelopment.

Learn more about Turner at his campaign website.