$876 MILLIONadded to your tab in just 3 years.
This is part of the reason you can't afford to live or work in Sarasota anymore.
District 4 · Voted YES on every increase
District 2 · Voted YES on every increase
These two smiling men voted yes on every major spending and debt increase that created this burden — then handed the bill to you.
$7,189 is what they added to every Sarasota family of four's tab — your share of the $876 million.
“We're spending money that we are not going to have.”
— Commissioner Mark Smith (then voted yes)
Sitting County Commissioner Tom Knight — who sits on the same five-member board as Joe Neunder and Mark Smith — submitted this op-ed to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on June 11, 2026:
“…they allowed the county and many of the other Republican constitutional officers to spend like drunken sailors, bonding millions of dollars for extravagant new buildings — including the poster child for excess: a $75 million county administration center.”
— Tom Knight, Sitting Sarasota County Commissioner · District 3
On his watch, the county bonded its way to a $100 million administration complex — roughly $75 million in spending and $25.6 million in debt financing — what Knight himself called “the poster child for excess.”
And the budget? In his own words, it “grew approximately 73% in three years.” That's not our number. That's a sitting commissioner's.
Neunder and Smith voted yes. Knight votes no.
You decide why he's saying it now.
Every dollar Commissioner Knight says was spent “like drunken sailors” was voted in by Joe Neunder and Mark Smith. He votes no. They vote yes. He wrote it 60 days before their primary — you decide why.
to spend money freely and frivolously
“He always starts spending money like a drunken sailor right after he gets paid, then struggles to cover his rent and bills toward the end of the month.”
Source: The Free Dictionary
Explore the Full Picture
Dive deeper into the numbers, the record, and what it means for Sarasota County.
Your Family is Paying the Price
Commissioners Joe Neunder and Mark Smith voted yes on every major spending and debt increase that added $876 millionto Sarasota County's tab in just three years.
Working families are now carrying thousands of dollars in extra costs every year because of decisions they made.
Seniors Are Being Crushed
Many elderly residents on fixed incomes are now drowning in medical bills and rising costs they never expected. When the county spends hundreds of millions it eventually hits seniors the hardest.
They Work Hard. They Still Can't Get Ahead.
He works 50 hours a week in construction. She's a stay-at-home mom, 7 months pregnant, taking care of their 2-year-old. After property taxes, health insurance they can't afford, car repairs, and basic bills, there's almost nothing left. They shop at the Dollar Store just to feed their family.
The case in 30 seconds
$21,312
Your family's total burden
spending + amortized debt, per family of 4, per year
$1.1B
County debt
nearly doubled in 3 years
$327/mo
What's left after basics
no savings, no emergencies
COMMISSIONERS NEUNDER & SMITH ADDED $876 MILLION IN NEW SPENDING & DEBT IN JUST 3 YEARS
$876 MILLION IN NEW SPENDING & DEBT. AND THEY WANT YOU TO RE-ELECT THEM.
The $876M Record on the Ballot • August 18, 2026
SarasotaCountyFacts.org — Follow the Money. Know the Truth.
THE CASE FOR CHANGE
The Top 5 Findings Against Your Commissioners
The Largest Fiscal Expansion in the Modern Record
$876 million in new spending + debt since they took office. We tested every 3-year period back to 2005. Nothing comes close.
Spending Grew 6x Faster Than Population
Population up 7.8%. Spending up 48%. Bonds up 76%. The math doesn't work.
They Burned Through the Cushion
$41.7 million appropriated from the General Fund's reserves for the record $2.5 billion FY2026 budget.
Bonds Nearly Doubled to $1.1 Billion
From $630M to $1.11B in three years (+76%). Total accumulated debt: about $16,076 per family of 4.
#5 in the State for Administrative Bloat
Sarasota spends $4,394/person on general government. Only 4 counties in Florida spend more on bureaucracy.
The Ledger
Every money & debt vote, on the record. Smith: 0 ‘no’ votes. Neunder: 2. See the full ledger →
THE COUNTY'S OWN PROJECTIONS
They Already Know It's Unsustainable
-$31.6M
Projected Deficit FY2028
-$40.8M
Projected Deficit FY2029
-$39.2M
Projected Deficit FY2030
These are the county's OWN numbers. From their OWN budget documents. They approved the spending. They know the deficits are coming. And they're asking you to re-elect them anyway.
Source: Sarasota County FY2026 Budget Workshop Materials, August 2025
Their Own Words
On the record →“We're spending money that we are not going to have. And we're running out of track and not slowing down.”
“We're on a path to destruction.”
“We don't have a revenue problem... we have a spending problem.”
“A record $2.5 billion budget warrants careful scrutiny, continued oversight, and a renewed focus on fiscal discipline.”
“After the flooding, there was a lack of accountability.”
What It Actually Costs to Live Here in Sarasota County
WHAT THEY EARN
WHAT YOU EARN
The County Administrator's compensation equals the combined wages of 12 food service workers.Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024; Sarasota News Leader Oct 2025; FL EDR Ch. 145 salary schedule.
EXPOSED
THE TWO SARASOTAS: What the County Thinks You Earn vs. What Workers Actually Earn
What the county THINKS you earn vs. what workers ACTUALLY earn
THE MYTH
Median Household Income
$80,633
Includes retired executives, snowbirds, passive investment income. NOT what workers earn.
Source: Census ACS 2023
THE REALITY
Average Worker Wage
$60,112
What people actually earn from JOBS in Sarasota County.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
The people who BUILD Sarasota earn 25% less than the median suggests.
$33,280
CNA
$37,107
Food Service
$38,397
Landscaper
$47,500
Teacher
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023, BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics May 2024
CNA SALARY: $33,280/YR • GOES $785 IN THE HOLE EVERY MONTH • COUNTY ADMIN: $460,000
5:30 AM. SHE EARNS $33,280 A YEAR. THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR EARNS $460,000. BOTH PAID BY YOUR TAXES.
Illustration
SarasotaCountyFacts.org
“
I get up at 4:30 every morning. I take two buses to get here by 5:30. I keep your parents alive for $16 an hour. After rent and medicine I go $785 in the hole every month. The county administrator makes $460,000. The commissioners make $112,580. Neunder and Smith never worked a night shift in their lives. They don't know my name. But they spend my taxes.”
— CNA, night shift, Sarasota County hospital
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2024; FL EDR Ch. 145 salary schedule.
SHE SAVES LIVES. THEY SPEND HER MONEY. $460,000 FOR AN ADMIN. $33,280 FOR HER. THE $876 MILLION RECORD IS ON THE BALLOT.
AUGUST 18, 2026 — REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
The Commissioners Who Did This — and Their Challengers
DISTRICT 4 — INCUMBENT
Joe Neunder
YES ON EVERY RECORD BUDGET & BOND
48% spending increase. Bonds nearly doubled. Promised “small government.” Delivered the opposite.
DISTRICT 4 — CHALLENGER
Jim DeNiro
Retired Sarasota PD Sergeant, 30 Years
Endorsed by FL Police Benevolent Association. Fiscal discipline. Managed growth. Public safety first.
DISTRICT 2 — INCUMBENT
Mark Smith
WON BY 373 VOTES — ADDED $876M IN NEW DEBT & SPENDING
Admitted spending is unsustainable. Voted yes anyway. First-time politician with zero fiscal experience.
DISTRICT 2 — CHALLENGER
Kristina Sargent
Army Veteran. Prosecutor. Defense Attorney.
15+ years military service. Prosecuted violent crimes. Runs on accountability, infrastructure, low taxes.
Challenge Our Numbers
Every number on this site comes from an official government document. Every script is available. Every source is a public website. If you find an error, we will correct it publicly.
These are official government documents — budgets, audits, bond filings, and salary records published by Sarasota County itself.
227,637 records don't lie.
Note: Our family budget estimates use conservative figures. Actual costs may be higher.
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