Sarasota City Commission District 2: Terry Turner

These questionnaire responses were originally published in July for the primary election.

Name: Terry Turner

Age: 79

Family: Married with two adult sons, two daughters in law and four grandchildren

Bio: For nearly 30 years, Turner worked in financial management and general management, mostly at large international banks. He worked as the corporate treasurer at Bank of America, as a managing director at Bankers Trust and as a financial controller at Eastman Kodak. He also taught finance and economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked for President Ronald Reagan's Commission for Cost Control in Government. He retired in 1997 and moved to Sarasota, where he has focused on environmental preservation, sensible land use regulation and local politics. He was a Sarasota city commissioner from 2009 to 2013. Turner has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, an MBA in finance and a Ph.D in economics from Carnegie-Mellon University

Why are you running for office?

The current commissioners lack experience and are failing to provide the leadership we need. They are not responsive to the needs of the voters, and they have been irresponsible stewards of tax payer dollars. I believe I can do better.

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

1. Maintaining essential city service during this severe health and economic crisis
2. Reestablish, once again, an effective, functioning city commission. Currently, commissioners are not listening to residents, are not cooperating with one another and are not leading our city.
3. Preserving the character of Sarasota and protecting the environment from over-development.

How do you think the city is being managed and governed? What would you recommend be done differently?

The current commission is not providing the leadership we need, and it is overly reliant on the city manager for policy direction. The commission must set policy, goals and objectives for the city manager and hold him accountable for effective execution.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being excellent, how would you rate the performance of the city manager?

3 or 4, but his ability to perform is limited by the very poor performance of the city commission. Performance problems start at the top and filter down through an organization. The question is, how he will perform when working for a competent commission? 

What should be done to address the supply of workforce housing?

This was a moderately important priority before COVID-19. Given the severity and likely duration of the current recession, the work on this issue should be deferred. Budgets, funding essential city service, jobs and homelessness will be the pressing issues of the next three to five years.

Do you support creating a special tax-increment financing district near the Bay Park to help finance the $200 million project? If not, how do you think the park renovation should be funded?

Yes, if any debt issued by the district can be structured to protect tax payers from any liability should property values stagnant or decline.

The Van Wezel Foundation is supporting the development of a new performing arts center at the Bay Park. What’s your view of that, and how do you think a center should be financed?

The current building is obsolete and in the flood zone. It should be replaced. Planning and financing should be integrated with the Bay project

Bobby Jones Golf Club: Do you agree with the commission’s most recent decision to downsize to 27 holes of golf and a 130-acre park? If not, what would you propose differently?

I support the proposed change in the way we use this environmentally significant parcel of city property. However, we must reevaluate the way in which the proposed changes are financed and the project’s ongoing operating loss. The operating loss is not sustainable, especially in a recession.

Where do you stand on the roundabout at Gulfstream and U.S. 41?

The die is cast. The engineers say they will alleviate the traffic mess. I hope they are right.

The STOP group wanted the city to require public review hearings for large development projects in the city instead of administrative reviews by the city staff. What’s your position on that?

This city belongs to it residents. Residents have a right to be heard on monumental projects that impact the livability of Sarasota. Administrative site plan approval should be eliminated on monumental projects throughout the city.

Many people have complained about all the condos and apartments being developed with little setbacks. If elected, will you initiate a change to the city’s zoning?

Yes.

The transportation concerns of the city’s barrier islands don’t always mesh with those of downtown and other portions of the city. What’s the best way to align those competing concerns?

I don’t agree with the question’s premise. We all want to move freely through and around our city. We all want this traffic mess controlled. As your commissioner, finding ways to mitigate it will be a very high priority.

What are your suggestions on a new home for the orchestra? 

We need a home that is acceptable/desirable to both the orchestra and the city’s residents. The city commission and city staff have failed both the orchestra and its residents. It is my hope that the next commission will be up to the challenge.

If proposed by a commissioner, would you vote in favor of putting a referendum on the ballot to create an elected mayor form of government? If not, why not?

No. The current commission/manager form of government was the product of a reform movement lead by Justice Louis Brandies and President Theodore Roosevelt to promote transparency, competence and integrity in local government. It is the dominate form of government in cities of our size. All too frequently, the elected mayor form of government results in by widespread nepotism, incompetence, opacity and corruption. Our problem is not the form of government; it is the quality of people we are electing. Please choose wisely at the polls.