Skip to content
  • Sarasota Events
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Food & Bar
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • News

Home » Blog » Sarasota County-audit finds millions available

Sarasota County-audit finds millions available

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Our Town Staff

Sarasota County seeks stormwater rate increase. But audit finds millions available

Sarasota News:

Flooding in Sarasota County during Tropical Storm Debby. | Photo courtesy of Pam Furner

By Michael Barfield and Derek Gilliam | September 5 2025

Sarasota County administrators are stiff-arming recommendations from a stormwater consultant and plan to push another rate hike on residents despite a new audit showing the utility could have more than $70 million over the next five years without raising rates.

Just two years after a substantial increase in stormwater environmental utility rates, Sarasota County staff is once again asking taxpayers to open their wallets to bolster water quality and flood protections ahead of future storms. The proposed tax increase comes as county leaders scramble to fill gaps in the stormwater system that last year left thousands of homes flooded in unsuspecting neighborhoods miles from the coast.

A joint investigation by the Florida Trident and Suncoast Searchlight into the failures found the county ignored sediment buildup in Phillippi Creek, left key stormwater positions sitting vacant while work orders piled up and overlooked glaring system vulnerabilities noted by consultants years earlier. All contributed to a stormwater utility operating in disarray.

In response, the county hired new Stormwater Director Ben Quartermaine, who has proposed raising annual rates by more than one-fourth on average to fund the department’s turnaround.

But the recommendation contradicts a newly released audit by Steve Suau — a retired department head who was hired July 18 as a consultant to review stormwater ordinances and projects. Operating on a $30 million annual budget, his audit notes, the department already has a glut of stormwater money available and suggests not throwing more taxes at the problem.

Read more.

About the Authors: Michael Barfield is an investigative reporter for the Florida Trident and Derek Gilliam is a watchdog/investigative reporter for Suncoast Searchlight, both nonprofit newsrooms serving the Sunshine State. Learn more at floridatrident.org and suncoastsearchlight.org.

Posted in News

Post navigation

Previous: Mote Opens 3 More Seagrass Buildings
Next: Lido Beach Resort * Aweseome
Featured Articles
Read More

Venice Theatre NYC FALL Theatre Trip

Read More

Suncoast Searchlight hires first development director

Sarasota News: Suncoast Searchlight, the nonprofit newsro

Read More

Florida Studio Theatre-Peter Pan

Sarasota News: Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to o

Beyond Research Supplements
Beyond Research Supplements
Beyond Research Supplements
Beyond Research Supplements
Beyond Research Supplements
Recent Posts
SMH Best Employers – Forbes

October 2, 2025

Midnight Pass remains open after hurricanes restored the inlet

September 30, 2025

Venice Theatre NYC FALL Theatre Trip

September 18, 2025

Suncoast Searchlight hires first development director

September 17, 2025

Categories

Featured 5

Food & Bar 2

Home & Garden 2

Local Culture & Lifestyle 74

More Stories 8

News 28

Primary Featured 6

Real Estate 5

Sarasota Events 28

Travel 7

Uncategorized 11

Beyond Research Supplements
Beyond Research Supplements
Beyond Research Supplements
SARASOTA WEATHER
Our Town Sarasota Logo

Info

  • Home
  • About
  • Search OTS
  • FAQ

Our Town Sarasota

  • Food & Bar
  • Home & Garden
  • Local Culture & Lifestyle
  • Our Town Sarasota News
  • Sarasota Events
  • Travel

Resources

  • Visit Our Facebook page
  • Siesta Key Live Camera

© 2025 https://ourtownsarasota.com | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy & Terms | Website by Signal Interactive