Sarasota residents reject taxes

SARASOTA — For the fifth year in a row, the economy and jobs are the most important issues Sarasota County faces, according to a new survey of residents.

Another key finding in the survey, released by Sarasota County today, is a majority of residents, 57%, oppose any future tax increases or expansion of county services. The good news, at least for county officials: More than half of the survey respondents, 56%, say they believe the economy is “on the road to recovery.”

Susan MacManus, through the Florida Institute of Government at the University of South Florida, conducted the 2012 Citizens Survey for Sarasota County. The county has surveyed citizens for 21 years, according to a release. The 2012 poll was conducted through telephone surveys of 801 random residents.

“The citizen survey results are extremely important to the county each year,” Sarasota County Commission Chairwoman Christine Robinson says in the release. “We rely on the findings as we discuss county policies, our budget and spending priorities, and the level of programs and services we provide. We regularly get input from individual citizens throughout the year, but the survey results represent our community's collective priorities.”

While the economy and the loss of jobs is a priority, residents have become less worried about traffic, population growth/new development, crime and taxes, the survey shows.

Other survey findings include:
• More than 90% of residents rate the quality of life good or excellent; more than half, 55%, rate it excellent;
• Nearly nine out of 10 respondents, 87%, say they are “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with county services. Only 2% say they are “very” dissatisfied;
• Nearly two-thirds of residents, 62%, object to any proposal to increase the number of terms a county commissioner can serve. A commissioner can currently serve two four-year terms.
• More than one-third of county residents, 35%, say they trust county leaders “almost always” or “most of the time.”