Editing Sarasota, Florida (section)

== Government ==
The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902. Sarasota was reincorporated as a city on May 13, 1913.<ref name=SaraHist>{{cite web |title=Sarasota History |url=http://historicpreservationsarasota.org/sarasotahistory/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823011414/http://historicpreservationsarasota.org/sarasotahistory/ |archive-date=23 August 2018 |website=History & Preservation Coalition of Sarasota County |date=October 21, 2013 |access-date=August 22, 2018}}</ref> Thereafter, it was called the "City of Sarasota". Sarasota later was designated as the [[county seat]] when [[Sarasota County]] was carved out of [[Manatee County]] in 1921 during the creation of several new [[County (United States)|counties]].

In 1945 the [[council-manager government|commission-manager government form]]<ref name="City Commission">{{cite web |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission |title=City Commission |website=City of Sarasota |access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref> was adopted for the city and it is governed by a five-person commission elected by popular vote, two members of which serve in the ceremonial positions of "mayor" and "vice-mayor", as chosen by the commission every April. Two at-large commissioners are elected by all voters and the city is divided into three districts for which the residents of each elect one district representative to the five member commission. Liz Alpert was voted Mayor for 2024-2025 period.<ref>https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission/mayor-alpert</ref>

Sarasota has an official seal which was adopted in 2022 replacing the original seal that was adopted in 1902. Sarasota's seal also has the city motto on it: "May Sarasota Prosper". The city seal consists of a silhouette of the Statue of David.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 11, 2022 |title=City of Sarasota and DreamLarge finalize new City seal |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3009/}}</ref>

Many aspects of the city are overseen by the [[Sarasota County, Florida|county government]] ranging from the schools, the libraries, the bay, major waterways, county-designated roads, the airport, fire departments, property and ''[[Ad valorem tax|ad valorem]]'' taxes, voting, the health department, extension services, stormwater control, mosquito control, the courts, and the jail.

===Mayors of Sarasota===
The municipal government of Sarasota was established when it was incorporated as a town on October 14, 1902. Sarasota was then reincorporated as a city on May 13, 1913.<ref name=SaraHist/>

Since its incorporation, Sarasota has been governed by a [[council–manager government|commission–manager]] form of government.<ref name="City Commission"/> There are a total of five city commissioners: two that are elected "at large" and three from single-member districts. The mayor and vice mayor are selected from the five city commissioners.

Mayors of Sarasota, Florida include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Former Mayors |url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission/former-mayors |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=City of Sarasota}}</ref>

* [[J. Hamilton Gillespie]] (1902 - 1907), property developer
*J. B. Chapline (1907 and 1908), a real estate agent
*G. W. Franklin (1908 and 1909), a furniture store owner
*J. Hamilton Gillespie (1909 and 1910)
*Hamden S. Smith (1910 and 1911), ice company owner
*[[Harry H. Higel]] (1911 to 1914), property developer and [[Great Floridian]]
*A. B. Edwards (1914 to 1916), realtor
*Harry H. Higel (1916 and 1917 second stint)
*G. W. Franklin	1917-1919
*A. B. Edwards ([[Arthur Britton Edwards]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&srctype=detail&refno=1529&view=history&back=history|title=A. B. Edwards &#124; Sarasota History Alive!|website=www.sarasotahistoryalive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hsosc.com/mr-sarasota/|title=Mr. Sarasota|date=July 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&srctype=detail&refno=1523&category=Articles&view=history&back=history|title=Arthur Britton Edwards "Roots" &#124; Sarasota History Alive!|website=www.sarasotahistoryalive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/history/2022/09/05/sarasotas-first-mayor-and-first-real-estate-agent-put-city-map/7942959001/|title=Sarasota's first mayor saw nearly a century of change &#124; Sarasota History, Jeff LaHurd|first=Jeff|last=LaHurd|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}</ref> 1919-1921
*E. J. Bacon 1921-1931
*E. A. Smith 1931-1937
*Verman Kimbrough	1937-1939
*E. A. Smith 1939-1945
*J. Douglas Arnest 1945-1948
*J. Fite Robertson 1948-1951
*John L. Early 1951-April, 1953
*Leroy T. Fenne	April 1953- December 1953, owner of the Sarasota Hotel<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/index.php?src=directory&srctype=detail&refno=1249&view=history&back=history|title=The Sarasota Hotel &#124; Sarasota History Alive!|website=www.sarasotahistoryalive.com}}</ref>
*Ben Hopkins, Jr. 1953-1955
*John D. Kicklighter 1955-1956
*A. Ray Howard 1956-1957
*Frank L. Hoersting	1957-1958
*Col. Fred W. Dennis 1958-1959
*Frank Hoersting 1959-1960
*Marshall E. Marable 1960-1961
*John 0. Binns	1961-1962
*Herschel C. Hayo 1962-1964
*David Cohen 1964-1966
*Jack Betz 1966-1969
*D. William Overton	1969-1970
*Jack Betz (John C.) 1970-1971
*Gerald E. Ludwig 1971-1972
*Fred E. Soto 1972-1973
*J. "Tony" Saprito	1973-1975
*Elmer G. Berkel 1975-1976
*Ronald Norman 1976-1978
*Elmer G. Berkel 1978-1979
*Fred E. Soto 1979-1981
*Ronald W. Norman 1981-1982
*Rita J. Roehr 1982-1983
*Annie M. Bishopric	1983-1984
*Lou Ann Palmer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/136194|title=Florida Memory • Lou Ann Palmer.}}</ref> 1984-1985<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasota-mayor-gets-lifetime-achievement-award/67-391880125|title=Sarasota mayor gets "Lifetime Achievement" award|website=wtsp.com|date=15 August 2008 }}</ref>
*William G. Kline 1985-1986
*Kerry G. Kirschner 1986-1987
*Fredd G. Atkins 1987-1988
*Rita J. Roehr 1988-1989
*Lou Ann Palmer	1989-1990
*Kerry G. Kirschner	1990-1991
*Fredd G. Atkins 1991-1992
*Jack Gurney 1992-1993
*Gene M. Pillot	1993-1994
*Nora Patterson 1994-1995
*David Merrill	1995-1996
*Mollie C. Cardamone 1996-1997
*Gene M. Pillot 1997-1998
*Jerome Dupree 1998-1999
*Mollie C. Cardamone 1999-2000
*Gene M. Pillot	2000-2001
*Albert F. Hogle 2001-2001
*Carolyn J. Mason 2001-2003
*Lou Ann Palmer 2003-2004
*Richard F. Martin 2004-2005
*Mary Anne Servian 2005-2006
*Fredd G. Atkins 2006-2007
*Lou Ann Palmer	2007-2009
*Richard Clapp	2009–2010
*Kelly Kirschner	2010-2011
*Suzanne Atwell 2011-2013
*Shannon Snyder 2013-2014
*Willie Charles Shaw 2014-2017
*Shelli Freeland Eddie 2017-2018 a lawyer
* Liz Alpert 2018-2019, an attormey
* Jen Ahearn-Koch 2019-2020, a marketing consultant
*Hagen Brody	2020-2021<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission/former-mayors|title=Former Mayors &#124; City of Sarasota|website=www.sarasotafl.gov}}</ref>
*[[Erik Arroyo]] 2021-2022<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sarasotafl.gov/government/city-commission/commissioner-arroyo | title=Commissioner Erik Arroyo &#124; City of Sarasota }}</ref>
*Kyle Battie 2022, former television show host<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2022/11/15/commissioner-kyle-battie-becomes-mayor-sarasota-florida-new-commissioners-sworn-in/10671016002/|title=Sarasota city commissioners select Kyle Battie as new mayor|first=Anne|last=Snabes|website=Sarasota Herald-Tribune}}</ref>
*Liz Alpert 2023-2024<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2023/nov/16/sarasota-gets-new-mayor/|title=Sarasota gets a new mayor|date=November 16, 2023|website=Your Observer}}</ref>