Charter Review Board — District 4: Jody Hudgins

Hudgins will face Ray Porter in the general election.

By Observer Staff
| 4:40 a.m. October 21, 2016

Sarasota
News

Age: 61

Occupation: Banker

Political party: Republican

Previous political offices: Sarasota County Planning Commission for 12 years; city of Sarasota Police Pension Board

About: Jody Hudgins has been a Sarasota resident for 26 years. He graduated from Carson Newman University with a bachelor of science in mathematics and attended the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management at the University of Virginia, and served as an instructor at the Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida and instructor at the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities during your term?

Help foster an environment for thoughtful and orderly consideration of recommendations or issues that come before the Charter Review Board.

Help foster a respectful relationship with other Charter Review Board members — one must first be respected if his or her ideas are to be seriously considered.

Speak confidently and politely when issues or ideas come before the Charter Review Board that are simply out of touch with the mainstream thoughts and ideas in our county, such as the recent Citizen Grand Jury proposal.

Do you think the board should take a more active or passive role in determining potential changes to the charter?

For the most part, changes to be considered should primarily come from the citizenry of the county. I believe that is how the Charter Review Board best works. This is the one creation in the county where folks of small means or large means can come before an elected body and make their case for changing the county charter. I'm not sure any member should be elected on one issue or primarily because they are an activist for some cause.

What is your position on the idea of turning the Charter Review Board into an appointed position, rather than an elected office?

At this time no, however the Charter Review Board has declined to recommend appointed members. Sarasota County government works — I do not see a compelling reason at this time to change how we do things.