TEDB board officially ceases to exist

By a unanimous vote of the County Commission July 26, the Sarasota County Tourism and Economic Development Board ceased to exist.

The TEDB board members had voted 12-1 May 18 to ask the commission to disband their organization.
“We found there was somewhat a duplication of services by the Sarasota County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Economic Development Corp, for example,” TEDB member and County Commissioner Joe Barbetta told his fellow commissioners July 26.

Therefore, the TEDB members felt the organization should be disbanded by a new county ordinance.

The 2004 ordinance establishing the TEDB called for it to represent “the economic development, tourism and arts communities and the local governing bodies “to provide leadership for joint economic development and tourism efforts” and to advise the County Commission on such efforts “so as to promote a vital economy and stable tax base for Sarasota County by fostering diversified development of the local economy.”

Barbetta thanked all the TEDB members who participated on the board over the years.

After the vote, Commissioner Christine Robinson said, “It’s a real responsible thing to do … I would expect nothing else of this particular group.”

“It was done with nothing but goodwill,” Commission Chairwoman Nora Patterson said.

Contact Rachel Brown Hackney at [email protected].