The Office of the City Auditor and Clerk plays a central role in supporting the legislative, administrative, and financial operations of the City of Sarasota. Committed to delivering the highest quality of service to both citizens and city staff, the office operates with excellence and pride.
As Clerk to the City Commission, the Clerk prepares meeting agendas, records official actions, transcribes meeting minutes, and ensures accurate documentation of proceedings. The Clerk oversees the city’s public records system, including electronic formats, and manages access, retention, and disposition of records across all departments. The Clerk also serves as the city’s election official, administrator of police, fire, and general employee retirement plans, and custodian of real property and financial assets.
Additional responsibilities include processing land development petitions, codifying city ordinances, and publishing legal notices. In its auditing capacity, the City Auditor and Clerk is responsible for reviewing, investigating, and evaluating internal control systems to safeguard assets, ensure the reliability of financial and operational information, and promote compliance with laws and regulations. The Clerk is authorized to access all necessary records, data, personnel, and information to carry out its duties effectively and recommend improvements.
The office also includes specialized divisions such as Public Broadcasting and Development Applications, which contribute to public engagement and city planning efforts. For more information on each division, including Public Broadcasting, Auditing, Pensions, Public Records, Development Applications, and others, please view the sections below.
City Commission Schedule
City Commission Schedule
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Public Broadcasting
Public Broadcasting
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The Public Broadcasting Division takes great pride in the information we provide to the public via our original programming and our meeting broadcasts. This content is provided through two separate outlets: Our website, and on the local television channel we share with Sarasota County (Comcast Channel 19, Verizon Channel 32). Our meeting broadcasts are delivered through a state-of-the-art video streaming solution that is available 24/7 right here on our website. You’ll find City Commission Meetings in addition to Planning Board Meetings and a variety of other Advisory Boards. Many of these meetings can be viewed live, and all of them can be viewed on-demand. Our staff is also responsible for no less than 5 regular, ongoing original programs, which have won numerous state and national awards.
Domestic Partnership Registry
Domestic Partnership Registry
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A Domestic Partnership refers to two individuals who maintain important personal, emotional, and economic relationships. Individuals in these partnerships are unmarried and may share committed family relationships, but may also be denied certain rights if their partnership is not recognized.
Development Applications
Development Applications
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The Development Approval Applications Division within the Office of the City Auditor and Clerk receives and processes development applications for:
- Community workshops
- Rezones
- Conditional uses
- Site plans
- Street vacations
- Annexations
- Development agreements
- Adjustments to the downtown code
- Comprehensive plan amendments
- Zoning text amendments
- Off-site and shared parking agreements
- Historic designations and certificates of appropriateness
- Sidewalk cafe permits
- Street name change requests
- Traffic concurrency review and studies
- Zoning variance requests and appeals
Elections
Elections
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The City encourages you to participate in all elections. Voting is a fundamental right of our democracy. When you vote, you could be selecting Commissioners, voting on Referendums or Amendments to the City Charter. The Commission approves Ordinances and Resolutions; voter turnout determines what Referendums and Amendments pass. All of this with your participation will define how the City of Sarasota functions and how we live together.
Internal Auditing
Internal Auditing
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Internal Audit is designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.
The division performs a variety of services, including: operational, financial, IT audits; investigations; research projects; consulting activities; and process reviews. These services are divided into two main categories: assurance services and consulting services.
Pensions
Pensions
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You may make an appointment to meet with a Pension representative by calling the Pension Department at (941) 954-4141.
Public Records Access
Public Records Access
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The main function of Records & Information Management (RIM), a division of the Office of the City Auditor and Clerk, is to develop and administer records and information management policies for the City of Sarasota, and to assist the various City Departments in understanding and applying those policies to their public records. Records & information management policies are governed by the State of Florida's General Records Schedules.GS1-SLis the schedule that addresses the majority of records generated by the City of Sarasota.