FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Three sections that tell the complete story of Sarasota County's fiscal situation.
SECTION 1
What Your County Government Costs You
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
SECTION 2
The Debt Every Citizen Carries
HOME: $373,100 • DOWN PAYMENT: $74,620 • AT -$219/MO SAVING IS IMPOSSIBLE
EXPECTING THEIR FIRST BABY. $489,000 FOR A STARTER HOME. AT -$219 A MONTH THEY'LL NEVER GET THERE.
Illustration
SarasotaCountyFacts.org
“
We're expecting our first baby in November. We've been looking at houses for a year. The cheapest thing in our zip code is $489,000. We need $98,000 for a down payment. I'm a plumber's apprentice making $38K. She does nails. We go $219 in the hole every month just on basics. Saving is impossible. Neunder and Smith added $876 million in spending & debt. Our baby will inherit it before she takes her first breath. They're building a ~$100 million office. We can't build a nursery.”
— Young couple, North Port FL, expecting first child
THEIR BABY INHERITS $876M IN NEW SPENDING & DEBT BEFORE HER FIRST BREATH. NEUNDER AND SMITH VOTED FOR EVERY DOLLAR OF IT. AUGUST 18.
SECTION 3
The Pension Liability
THE SQUEEZE
THE RETIREE SQUEEZE
Fixed income meets rising county costs
YOUR INCOME (FIXED)
This does NOT go up with county spending.
COUNTY COSTS (RISING)
These go up EVERY YEAR.
The county added $876M in new obligations. Your Social Security check didn't change.
$7,189 = new obligations per family of four: $876,356,310 new spending + debt (FY2022→FY2025) ÷ 487,640 residents = $1,797/person × 4. The separate $16,076 figure is TOTAL accumulated liabilities per family and must never be labeled “new.”
Sources: SSA 2024 average benefit, Sarasota County CAFR FY2021-2025, FL OIR, WGCU/PBS
SECTION 4
The Commissioners' Record
FOOD SERVICE: $17.84/HR • 12-HOUR SHIFT = $214 • TIPS: $47 • THEY EARN $112,580
12 HOURS ON HER FEET. $47 IN TIPS. HER RENT IS LATE. HER BABY IS IN THE CAR. NEUNDER AND SMITH HAVE NEVER MISSED A MEAL.
Illustration
SarasotaCountyFacts.org
“
I'm a single mom. I work doubles three days a week and regular shifts the other four. That's 60 hours a week serving food to people who spend more on one bottle of wine than I make in tips all night. After today — 12 hours — I have $47 in tips and a text from my landlord saying I'm late again. My daughter is asleep beside me. I can't afford daycare so my neighbor watches her for free. I'm not lazy. I'm exhausted. And I'm invisible to Neunder and Smith and the people spending $2.5 billion of my tax money.”
— Server and single mother, Sarasota restaurant worker
SHE WORKS 60 HOURS A WEEK. THEY MAKE $112,580. SHE MAKES $17.84/HR. THE $876 MILLION RECORD IS ON THE BALLOT.
Continue Your Research
All data sourced from Sarasota County CAFRs, FL EDR, U.S. Census Bureau. 227,637 verified financial records across 485 primary-source documents (as of June 17, 2026).