Sarasota County Commission approves hirings

Sarasota County commissioners approved staff requests to draft an amendment to add roughly 43 new full-time positions during the first budget workshop Feb. 8.

The new staff and equipment will add $2 million to the 2013 fiscal year budget and $1 million annually.

Eighteen of the 43 new full-time employees will be fall into the Community Services Group responsible for sports development and athletics, according to a draft organizational chart presented during the workshop.

Commissioners agreed athletic field and roadside maintenance are important quality-of-life objectives that bolster economic development.

The Feb. 8 workshop was the start of the eight-month process the county undertakes to lay out its 2014 fiscal year budget. Following are some remaining milestones in the road to a new budget:

• March 20 — Sarasota County Commission facilities planning workshop
• June 17 and June 21 — Sarasota County Commission budget workshops
• July 10 — Set ‘not to exceed’ millage rates
• Aug. 20 — Final Sarasota County Commission budget workshop
• Sept. 9 and Sept. 23 — Sarasota County Commission public hearings to adopt 2014 fiscal year budget