The race for the Sarasota County Commission District 4 seat comes down to two questions:
If Republican Jim DeNiro is elected to the five-member board, would he truly take a measured approach to growth and prioritize Sarasota County’s major infrastructure challenges?
Or would DeNiro, a licensed real estate agent with family ties to a prominent Sarasota builder, prove to be a Trojan horse for local developers?
District 4 voters should take a leap of faith and trust that relentless scrutiny will motivate DeNiro to keep his campaign promises as a county commissioner.
On Nov. 3, voters should choose DeNiro over Democrat Julie London.
DeNiro: Vows to be his own man
In the race for District 4, which spans southern Sarasota County, DeNiro’s main assets are his diverse background, his decisive
primary victory and his straight-shooting persona.
In addition to his real estate background, DeNiro spent 30 years in the Sarasota Police Department – retiring in 2015 as a sergeant – and he has also served on local advisory boards.
During the August Republican primary, DeNiro comfortably defeated Commissioner Joe Neunder in a race that was nasty and harsh– and he did so by hammering the incumbent’s record of frequently backingmassive and controversial development projects in rapidly growing Sarasota County.
In a recent interview with the Herald-Tribune Editorial Board, DeNiro didn’t back down on calling for the county to reset how it handles development.
“We have to put infrastructure first, whether it’s roads, water, flood mitigation or other areas,” DeNiro said.
“We can’t continue to go down the path of just developing without considering the infrastructure to support it," DeNiro said. "We have to take a more common-sense approach, and that would be my priority.”
DeNiro’s brother-in-law, John LaCivita, leads the Willis Smith Construction firm, and the candidate has received financial backing from construction-related groups.
But DeNiro scoffed at accusations that such links would unduly influence his decision-making on the commission.
“It’s all political,” DeNiro said of the criticism.
“I’m my own person. I’m going to follow the laws, apply common sense and make good decisions.”
London: A passionate outsider
Like DeNiro, London – a local blogger, community activist and longtime advocate for public education – is making her first run for political office.
But unlike DeNiro, London didn't have a primary opponent, which has allowed her to focus on questioning the sincerity of DeNiro’s concerns about rampant development.
“I absolutely do believe he’s running a Trojan horse campaign, and that we’ll see his real pro-development side come out if he’s on the board,” London said of DeNiro.
London told the editorial board that the county commission needs a true outsider who offers fresh and brave perspectives on development, affordable housing and the county budget.
“I think the county’s process has become corrupted to protect and benefit the interests of developers,” London said.
“We need a true watchdog on the commission, and that’s why I’m running,” she said.
“There really needs to be more accountability for some of the deals and decisions that have been made in this county over the past few years.”
London is thoughtful, passionate and well-versed on the issues facing Sarasota County.
But DeNiro – who will be constantly pushed to prove his performance as a commissioner matches his rhetoric as a candidate – should be elected to a four-year term.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Will Sarasota County's next commissioner be a Trojan horse? | Opinion
