The Protect Siesta Key annual meeting provided a forum for incumbents Joe Neunder and Mark Smith, as well as newcomer Kristina Sargent
By ChrisAnn Allen
Siesta Key is easy to love.
However, protecting the key is significantly more complicated.
Nearly 200 people gathered, both in person and via Zoom, Feb. 4, for the Protect Siesta Key (PSK) annual meeting. Headed by longtime resident Lourdes Ramirez, the organization pushes to retain the character of the island while maintaining a watchful eye on development and political matters affecting Siesta Key.
The event started with an introduction by Ramirez, explaining PSK is a 501(c)(4), “which means that we can take contributions, we are not tax deductible, but we can get involved in politics,” she said. According to Ramirez, the group does beach cleanups, helps neighbors before and after hurricanes and primarily focuses on ensuring Sarasota County upholds its comprehensive plan. “That is the heart and soul of Protect Siesta Key,” she said.
The comp plan is the ordered, governing document of an area – in this case, Sarasota County – covering long-term goals for growth and development. A comp plan amendment requires a supermajority of four out of five commission votes for approval.
“The only thing that defends us, the only thing that keeps us from being really overrun, is those laws,” she said. “And that’s why we’re here to protect the comp plan.”
Ramirez also said, as a 501(c)(4) they could endorse candidates, but have not yet done so for the 2026 election. Current commissioners running for reelection and challengers were invited to participate in the Feb. 4 forum. Sarasota County is divided into four districts, with Districts 2 and 4 – the districts that contain Siesta Key – holding seats up for election. The key is divided between the two districts, with the portion north of Stickney Point Road in District 2, currently represented by Commissioner Mark Smith, and District 4 being south of Stickney, represented by Commissioner Joe Neunder. Both commissioners spoke at the forum, as well as District 2 opponent Kristina Sargent. Ramirez said she invited Neunder’s District 4 challenger, Jim DeNiro, but no response was received.
The candidates speak
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Neunder moved to Sarasota County at a young age and attended district schools. First elected in 2022, he previously served on the Venice City Council and also served as a county planning commissioner. He explained, while there are four districts, each commissioner represents the entire county in the decision-making process. “We do things like your stormwater, your landfill, your trash, your parks and recreation, your libraries, amongst a couple of other things, and we handle a $2.5 billion budget,” he said. Regarding his work since 2022, he said his top priority when elected was to reopen Midnight Pass, which historically ran between Siesta Key and Casey Key to connect the Gulf of Mexico with Little Sarasota Bay but was filled in 1983 by two owners fighting erosion on their properties. The pass reopened in 2024 following hurricanes Helene and Milton, but now the county is working with scientists and engineers to ensure it continues flowing.
In his second year, Neunder supported lowering taxes. “As a small business owner for many years, I understand what it is like to write on the front of the paycheck and the back,” he said Feb. 4. “And that mindset is very important when you are looking for candidates to run a $2.5 billion budget.” He also mentioned working with staff to move stormwater management to its own department – allowing for increased focus on repairing aging infrastructure and maintenance to prevent future flooding issues.
Political newcomer Sargent said she moved to Sarasota County from her hometown, Baltimore, about five years ago after visiting the area. “I visited Siesta Key, I loved it,” she said. “I came here for two weeks, I said, ‘I’m moving here.’” She is a military veteran, former prosecutor and attorney who served more than 15 years in uniform, including deployments to the Middle East. After earning her law degree, Sargent prosecuted violent and capital cases in Baltimore and now practices civil defense law representing Florida companies statewide.
A Pinecraft homeowner, she said she decided to run following flooding issues caused by the 2024 hurricanes. “After the flooding, there was a lack of accountability,” she said. “Being involved in the community there is a lack of accountability going on. That’s why I have decided to run. I want to fight for our district.”
Smith, who was elected 2022, said he first moved to the area as a child in 1963, graduating from Riverview High School, then returned to Sarasota in 1990 after completing his degrees in Architecture from Georgia Tech. In 1994, he founded Smith Architects, P.A., based on Siesta Key. Active in both his profession and community, Smith has served on multiple boards and committees, including the chamber of commerce. Prior to being elected, Smith spearheaded the last renovation of the Village in 2008 and was instrumental in getting trolley service running on the key. Currently, he has been a proponent of funding for beautification and storm recovery. “We got hit really hard, as you all know,” he said, stating he is working to secure funds for the current revitalization project. “The bread and butter, our cash crop in Sarasota right now is tourism, and we’ve got to make this place look better again and so that’s what we’re going to do.”
Addressing questions
Smith said “recovery from the storm” is the biggest challenge facing the key today. Sargent cited “aging infrastructure,” and a delay in permitting to fix storm damage, and Neunder said he finds it important to focus on “reestablishing the trust our residents have in government,” through increased transparency, improved infrastructure and making the key “resort quality again.”
If elected, Sargent said her top priority for the key would be accountability. “I would like to see a complete 180 with how timelines work,” she said. “There needs to be someone to answer to the delay.”
Neunder said “engaging the community and the stakeholders” would continue to be his primary aim. “I think we all love our home,” he said. “And we just have to have more transparency, communication, dialogue, with what is going on.” He added that 30% of tourist tax dollars come from Siesta Key, so the money should be focused back on community needs.
Smith said, “My focus has been and will continue to be the neighborhoods.” He said workshops where residents are invited to speak with developers working to get projects approved require feedback from stakeholders and are essential. He also cited a need for accountability, stating, “government only works at the speed of trust.”
The next Sarasota County Commission election will take place in 2026, with the primary scheduled for Aug. 18 and the general election set for Nov. 3.
