City of Successes

Nature Park at Bobby Jones Golf Course

The Nature Park at Bobby Jones encompasses 90 acres on the eastern portion of the property and features crushed shell and decommissioned golf cart paths repurposed into walking/bicycling trails around the newly created wetlands teeming with wildlife.

Lofts on Lemon

Bayfront Park

The playground and splash pad have new features and amenities, such as new climbing structures, plenty of seating areas, and large sails that offer shade. Photo by Ryan Gamma Photography

Bay Runner Trolley

The Bay Runner is a free trolley service that connects the best of Sarasota keys and Downtown, for an ultimate outdoor Florida experience.

Join us in celebrating the City of Sarasota’s successes, as reflected in our commitment to public safety, superior water quality, and proactive community initiatives. From the opening of the scenic Bay Park to the revitalization of the historic Bobby Jones Golf Club, our City continues to shine as a community dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and the well-being of all its residents.

Affordable Housing

• Winner of the 2024 FLC Florida Municipal Achievement Local Action Award for addressing affordable housing with an innovative voluntary density bonus program promoting the development of attainable housing units. (Awarded May 2024)

Budget Management and Fiscal Responsibility

• Two consecutive years with no millage rate increase for City Residents following two straight years of millage rate reductions. (Unanimously approved July 2024.)
• Honored for the 10th consecutive year with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association, recognizing the City's commitment to producing transparent and easily understandable budget summaries for the public.

Economic Development

• Introduced an innovative Legacy Business Program (unanimously approved October 2023) to honor and support long-standing local businesses, recognizing their contributions to the community and local economy.

Environmental Sustainability

• Conserved over 300 acres of urban green space for future generations at Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park. (Unanimously approved, January 2022.)
• 53 acres of parking lot turned into activated public park space. Phase one of the Bay Park opened in October 2022 and has had more than 330,000 visitors so far. Work is ongoing on Phase 2, including a resilient shoreline and the construction of Sunset Pier.
• Recognized with LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (December 2022). This certification recognizes the city's commitment to sustainability and resilience through practical strategies.

Historic and Cultural Preservation

• Introduced the City Hall Arts / Cultural Exhibit which features local and regional artworks and historical photographs on a rotating display throughout City Hall. So far, installations have featured Sarasota's circus and arts heritage, the Sarasota Modern Architectural Movement,(PDF, 186KB) and works by The Florida Highwaymen.
• Winner of the Stewards of Heritage Award from the Florida Archeological Council, recognizing staffs efforts to create the newly designated Newtown Historic District, the largest black historic district in the State of Florida.

Public Art

• Adopted the 2030 Public Art Master Plan (July 2023) to strategically integrate diverse public art into the city's landscape, fostering community engagement and cultural expression.
• Almost 100 pieces of original artwork, including large and small scale sculptures, murals, and installations, are in the City's Public Art Collection.

Public Safety

• An historic reduction in Part 1 Crimes, with zero homicides, was reported by the Sarasota Police Department in 2023. Part 1 Crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft. These types of crimes plummeted more than 16 percent in 2023. (Presented to City Commission February 2023.)

Transportation

• More than 380,000 free rides on the free Bay Runner Trolley have reduced traffic and connected residents, visitors, and workers from downtown to St Armands (since its inaugural ride in March 2022).

Water Quality

• Nearly 20 acres of newly created wetlands and 49,000 nutrient-filtering aquatic plants installed at Bobby Jones Golf Club and Nature Park capture treat stormwater from more than 5,800 urban acres, and remove an estimated 900 pounds of nitrogen and 300 pounds of phosphorus from local waterways each year.
• No PFAS contaminants were detected in the City of Sarasota's drinking water, which also meets all health and safety standards, with low levels of chlorine, trihalomethanes, and haloacetic acids, all well within EPA limits. (2023 Water Quality Report(PDF, 1022KB))