Charter Review Board — District 4: Ray Porter

Age: 58

Political Party: Democrat

Occupation: Volunteer Recruiter, Habitat for Humanity Sarasota

Previous political offices: None

About: Ray Porter was born in Jacksonville, FL, and has lived in Sarasota for the past 36 years. His career includes 20 years of local journalism as a reporter and editor with the Suncoast Media Group, and the Bradenton Herald. He has also worked in communications and public relations, most recently for 10 years at the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee. He owns a home in Gulf Gate East where he lives with his wife Denise and two sons, Daniel and Adam, ages 16 and 14. An older son, Brandon, 24, resides in Ohio. Porter has been active in his community and his political party, as a baseball coach and Little League board member for 20 years, as well as a soccer and basketball coach. He ran unsuccessfully for the Charter Review Board in 2008, and for the Sarasota County Commission in 2014

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

First, I will continue to defend the Charter Review Board as an elected body, against the constant attempts by power brokers in Sarasota to turn it into a county appointed board. Second, I will request a vetting by the board of the possibility of moving to election of county commissioners and charter review board members by district-only voting rather than countywide voting. Third, I will express to the community and voters in my district my desire to hear any and all proposals they might have to improve our charter, and our quality of life.

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

I believe the board should be more active, as that is the reason the members are elected by the voters in the first place - to represent the people. Whether it is my personal idea, the proposals of my fellow board members, or the public, everything should be examined and given its proper vetting.

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

Moving to an appointed board is a ridiculous proposal, and the community has already expressed very strong concerns against it - thus the current board backed off and voted unanimously on Sept. 28th to retain our elected CRB.