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In the newsOpinionBy SCF Staff · June 19, 2026

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE THE LAW. YOU DO HAVE TO FOLLOW IT.

Sargent's guest column draws a line every commissioner should understand: local opposition to a state statute doesn't erase the obligation to comply — or the price taxpayers pay when government bets wrong in court.

This piece is editorial, column, or advocacy reporting. Sarasota County Facts cites factual claims where supported; we attribute — and do not adopt — the author's conclusions.

Mark SmithReferendumDevelopment

The story

Kristina Sargent wrote that Sarasota County's April 2026 approach to the Live Local Act risks expensive litigation while the law remains binding. Her argument is her own — not an SCF finding — but the fiscal point is straightforward: fighting state law in the wrong forum can cost six figures in legal fees.

Key quotes

“You don't have to like the law, but you do have to follow it.”

— Kristina Sargent · Florida Politics guest column, Jun. 19, 2026

“Good governance requires more than passion. It requires discipline.”

— Kristina Sargent · Florida Politics guest column, Jun. 19, 2026
Read the full article at Florida Politics→SCF investigations

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