State of the Community Series

Description

State of the Community - Commission Candidate Forums

Please join us for the State of Community Commission Candidate Forums on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Carlisle Inn, located at 3727 Bahia Vista Road, Sarasota. The first forum will include the invited District 4 County Commission candidates, Jim DeNiro and Julie London. Lunch will then be served, followed by the invited Sarasota City Commission – At Large candidates, Jen Ahearn-Koch, Flo Entler and John Harshman. This luncheon will end with a short Chamber presentation and position on Amendment 3 (Property Tax Ballot Initiative).

Each forum will begin with a five-minute introduction from the candidates, followed by a moderated question-and-answer session, and questions from attendees. This is an excellent opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and gain insight into their perspectives on issues impacting our local business community before the general election on Tuesday November 3, 2026.

As a reminder, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce does not endorse candidates. Our role is to advocate for the priorities of our members while providing opportunities for informed civic engagement.

We are also grateful to Keiser University, Observer Media Group and Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee for their generous sponsorship of this event and their continued support of civic engagement in our community.

We hope you will join us for this important discussion and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday September 29, 2026.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please email Celeste Lloyd-Jones at cljones@sarasotachamber.com.