Dan Lobeck Runs For Sarasota City Commission At-Large Seat

SARASOTA, FL — Sarasota voters will choose two city commission members in the upcoming general elections.

The following three candidates, the top vote-getters in the August election, are vying for two at-large commission seats on Nov. 8:

• Jen Ahearn-Koch
• Dan Lobeck
• Debbie Trice

Patch has asked all candidates to complete a questionnaire about their campaign and their priorities.

Lobeck responded to our survey and his responses are posted below:

Campaign website

https://lobeckforsarasota.com

City or town of residence

Sarasota

Office sought

Sarasota City Commission, at large

Education

University of Florida: JD (law degree), BA; Palm Beach Community College: AA

Occupation

Attorney, 42 years

Family

Wife, Xin; daughter Lauren 22; son Jack 20 (both children graduates of Sarasota High School)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

71

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Authority, Citizen Advisory Committee, University of Florida student body president, leadership in numerous civic organizations

Why are you seeking this office?
I seek to apply my 35 years of local civic advocacy and skills as an attorney to make a positive difference on the Sarasota City Commission. If elected, I will do my best to put our residents in the driver's seat, not the developers, to shape Sarasota's growth in a way that preserves and polishes our charm and character rather than create another overcrowded city from which people seek to flee. We also need to direct our resources to real needs, such as clean and safe streets, rather than squandering hundreds of millions of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars on demolishing our iconic Van Wezel for a new performing arts center at the behest of influential elites.
By abandoning such wasteful spending, we can also further lower the city’s tax rate, leaving the money in the pockets of the people who produce it and who need it ever more in these days of escalating costs for gas, housing, groceries and so much else. We need city commissioners who will serve everyone, not just the special few, who will be responsive to their constituents more than their contributors.
What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

For the open commission seat being vacated by Hagen Brody, I am the only candidate with a record and reliability for clear and principled positions and leadership for sensible growth management for Sarasota, fiscal responsibility in city spending and addressing the real needs of the community.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Although the incumbent is seeking reelection, there are two seats up and I see this more as a contest for the second seat, being vacated by Hagen Brody.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

First, increasing the availability of truly affordable housing, with inclusionary zoning in return for any development increase, by setting the affordability standard sufficiently low and by considering an affordable housing impact fee to build affordable housing through public-private partnerships, as well as measures to help keep people in their current homes.

Second, defeating or reversing current reckless proposals for the overdevelopment of the city.

Third, reforming or reversing the disastrous decision to commit city taxpayers to hundreds of millions of dollars to destroy and replace the Van Wezel.

Fourth, putting an end to the long practice of staff deciding policy – typically on behalf of development interests – through behind-the-scenes lobbying of city commissioners, which violates the state’s Sunshine Law; elected leaders should lead, and not let the tail wag the dog.

And so much more that is needed, on street-cleaning, homelessness, public safety, the environment, parking, road improvements, fiscal responsibility, and other areas of continuing concern. And then, on the second day …

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have demonstrated skills in leadership and collaboration over decades of civic advocacy, as a president and director of numerous organizations. Among my accomplishments in the City of Sarasota are the restoration of the water and sewer impact fee on developers to make growth help pay its own way for utility infrastructure, the defeat of the ill-advised Fruitville Road diet to worsen gridlock by shrinking a major arterial road from four to two lanes, and the defeat of a rewrite of the Transportation Chapter of the city's comprehensive plan to embrace traffic congestion, among many others.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Listen.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Sarasota should be the kind of city it is today but improved. We should not aspire to be another Ft. Lauderdale or Chicago but should seek to be Sarasota Plus. We are distinctive because of our scale and charm, our natural environment, the arts, historic buildings, our cultural and culinary diversity and just being free to breathe easy and enjoy the best place on earth to live, visit and do business. Let’s preserve what is special about our community and work on making what can be better the best that it can be.