Vanessa Baugh resigns from Manatee County Commission

Vanessa Baugh, the senior member of the Manatee County Commission, has resigned from her post with 1.5 years remaining on her term.

Baugh, who was serving her third term in representing District 5 and more than 10 years overall, said family concerns have caused her to bow out early.

The staunch Republican was first elected in 2012.

An email to her fellow commissioners on Friday morning read:

"Commissioners, the day has come to announce my retirement from the Manatee County BOCC. One thing I have come to realize is that one of the most important things in life is family. This week has reinforced that it is time to take care of my husband (Don Baugh), children and grandchildren and to be a bigger part of their lives.

"I have forwarded the governor my retirement letter effective July 31. Representing Manatee County has been such an honor, and I will always cherish and be proud of the accomplishments during my tenure."

She added, "When I got involved, I thought I could make a difference, and I think I have."

Baugh called her resignation "bittersweet."

"I have loved representing District 5," she said. "I have worked very hard and I feel like many people (in her district) have become like family to me. But the time comes when you need to have your priorities."

Baugh, who owns Vanessa Fine Jewelry on Lakewood Main Street with her husband, said she decided to run for the Manatee County Commission in 2012 because the Lakewood Ranch business community approached her about running for office to gain more representation for that sector of the community.

"Businesses were losing their line of credit at that time," Baugh said. "We were losing a lot of banks. I had been telling people what we were missing, and how we could move the community forward.

"But I really didn't want (to run). I had two stores at the time (the other in Sarasota). I needed to concentrate on business."

Instead, she ran for commissioner, defeating John Colon in the primary and James Golden in the General Election.

In 2016, she earned another four-year term by beating Kathleen Grant with 53.13% of the vote. As still is the case, Baugh said at the time that roads were her main concern.

Although she said she didn't want to serve more than two terms, she ended up winning a third term in 2020 because she felt those in the race would not benefit the county.

She said working to get the diverging diamond project built at the Interstate 75 and University Parkway interchange was one of her top achievements.

"We had it on our (capital improvement plan) for 2035," she said.

She went to the Rep. Greg Steube and Sarasota County officials for help in speeding up the project. It opened in 2017.

She is proud that Manatee County "is building more roads than ever before in its history."

"We worked year after year to get Manatee to prioritize roads," she said. 

Another of her top achievements, she said, was moving the county toward building a library in Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Library will open late this year.

"I am sad that I am leaving office before it opens," she said. "I hope I get invited."

She has been surrounded by controversy as well.

In January, she settled with the Florida Commission on Ethics on her role in setting up a COVID-19 vaccination clinic that only served two Zip Codes of East County residents. She organized the event without notifying the other Manatee County commissioners and came under fire from some members of the community who felt the affluent Lakewood Ranch residents were getting preferential treatment when it came to receiving the vaccine.

"I knew that 3,000 people in Lakewood Ranch would get the vaccine," she said. "And I knew that would leave 3,000 doses of the vaccine for other people in Manatee County. I wish it never had happened, but it did."

She paid an $8,000 fine and came under fire by her fellow commissioners.

"(Being commissioner) definitely has changed me," she said June 16. "I am not that innocent, young lady with all those ideas of what we should do and how we should do it. I have been to war. I have scars. I am thankful this community has stuck with me.

"You don't go into politics and get out unscathed. When I was elected, it's not like what politics are today. It saddens me to think where we are now. What happened to treating each other with respect?"

State Sen. Jim Boyd, a Republican representing the 21st District which includes parts of northern Manatee County and southern Hillsborough County, said strong leaders such as Baugh are going to experience tough times in office.

"I don't think there is an elected official, one who has done anything of value, who doesn't have highs and lows," Boyd said.

"Vanessa was relentless," Boyd said. "She wouldn't give up on something that was important to her community. She has taken representing Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding area very seriously. We will miss her."

Rep. Tommy Gregory, a Republican representing the 73rd House District that includes parts of Manatee (Lakewood Ranch) and Sarasota counties, said serving 10.5 years in one of the nation's fastest growing counties is impressive in itself.

"I would say she has been a hard-working, public-service, elected official," Gregory said. "She was never a 'yes' vote or a 'no' vote on anything. She was a warrior, and warriors are always missed."

Despite some controversial moments, Baugh said she doesn't regret her time in office.

"This county and our values and morals are worth fighting for," she said. "Unfortunately, that has gotten ugly."

She said the period during COVID-19 was her toughest time in office.

"It was tough for the county, the state, the country," she said. "You realize that so many of your friends and relatives had passed away from a disease we had never seen before. Figuring out what to do was a very tough task."

Baugh's successor will be selected by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve out the rest of her term.

"That person will have to be prepared to be changed," Baugh said. "And it does change you."

While Baugh is leaving office, she said she will be available to the county if anyone wants to call her. She said she hopes the current commissioners "understand the importance of working together as a board, that no one has more authority than another."

"I wish them the best," she said.

This article has been updated.