• Alternate Text
  • Loading

  • Sand Bucket List
  • Health Observed
  • Crossword
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • e-Newspaper App
  • Longboat
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Opinion
  • East County
    • News
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
  • Sarasota
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Siesta Key
  • Arts + Entertainment
    • Eat + Drink
    • Arts + Culture
    • Reviews
    • Things To Do
    • Black Tie
    • Spotlight Partners
  • Things to Do
  • Galleries
  • More
    • Hurricane Season
    • Elections
    • Health Observed
    • Sand Bucket List
    • Calendar
    • Celebrations
    • Contests
    • Tributes
    • Submit a Celebration
    • Submit a Tribute
    • Public Notices
    • Classifieds
  • Longboat
    • Longboat
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Opinion
  • East County
    • East County
    • News
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
  • Sarasota
    • Sarasota
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Siesta Key
  • Arts + Entertainment
    • Arts + Entertainment
    • Eat + Drink
    • Arts + Culture
    • Reviews
    • Things To Do
    • Black Tie
    • Spotlight Partners
  • Things to Do
  • Galleries
  • More
    • More
    • Hurricane Season
    • Elections
    • Health Observed
    • Sand Bucket List
    • Calendar
    • Celebrations
    • Contests
    • Tributes
    • Submit a Celebration
    • Submit a Tribute
    • Public Notices
    • Classifieds
  • Sand Bucket List
  • Health Observed
  • Crossword
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • e-Newspaper App

Longboat Key | Opinion

This is not how to 'cut' taxes
  • By Jeff Brandes
  • June 2, 2026
This is not how to 'cut' taxes

The governor’s property tax plan won’t eliminate taxes. It will just shift them. Your city will become increasingly dependent on the state.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
The gentle, warm waters of the Gulf can be an aid to mobility for those with arthritis.
    By
  • Mirabai Holland
  • May 29, 2026
It's possible to live with arthritis. Here's how.

Exercise, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, can go a long way toward relief.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
No good deed goes unpunished
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • May 28, 2026
No good deed goes unpunished

St. Regis fight with town is a Longboat Key classic.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Lessons on how not to do it
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • May 13, 2026
Lessons on how not to do it

The Sarasota tax collector-school board dispute has reached a partial resolution. Taking the high road can bring it to the best ending.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Letter to our legislators: Don't turn USFSM over to New College
  • By Letter to the Editor
  • May 12, 2026
Letter to our legislators: Don't turn USFSM over to New College

The fate of USF Sarasota-Manatee depends on the Legislature's special budget session. It will decide whether to shut down the college and transfer the buildings to New College.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Is the only way to protect kids online for all of us to give up our data?
  • By Adrian Moore, Nicole Shekhovtsova
  • May 6, 2026
Is the only way to protect kids online for all of us to give up our data?

Legislators are passing laws to verify the age of social media users — but does it inadvertently require these sites to keep more data than necessary?

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
My oath to the law and the taxpayers of Sarasota County
  • By Mike Moran
  • May 3, 2026
My oath to the law and the taxpayers of Sarasota County

While waiting for the attorney general to rule on a disagreement over how to implement state law, costly litigation could have been avoided.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Tax collector's money grab
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • April 29, 2026
Tax collector's money grab

Mike Moran needs cash to "modernize" his operations. His target: taking money from the schools, in spite of what voters approved.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
There are many pieces to the healthy brain puzzle, including proper diet, exercise and sleep.
    By
  • Mirabai Holland
  • April 15, 2026
Yes, sleeping, eating right and working out can improve and preserve your memory

Healthy habits, including exercise, a good diet and getting enough sleep, can pay big dividends on improving memory function and preventing memory diseases.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Sports betting online became legal in Florida via Hard Rock Bet in 2023.
  • By Guy Bentley, Adrian Moore
  • April 8, 2026
Don’t panic about sports betting in Florida

Although some are concerned that increased access to sports betting may increase gambling addiction, the data show the number of those with a problem has remained stable over the last 35 years.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Once again, what's the best bridge?
  • By Susan M. Phillips
  • April 7, 2026
Once again, what's the best bridge?

Discussions over a new Longboat Pass Bridge trigger memories over the contentious debates over what is now iconic, the fixed-span Ringling Bridge.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
    By
  • Kat Wingert
  • April 2, 2026
In pursuit of a good laugh

From monorails to teeny-tiny garbage bins, we spread the jokes out last week in our April Fools’ issue. Readers were amused … mostly.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Regime change in Iran is best outcome
  • By Letter to the Editor
  • March 30, 2026
Regime change in Iran is best outcome

The United States' actions are justified because of the malevolence presence ruling the Islamic country.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
They are goons who don't understand Jesus
  • By Letters to the Editor
  • March 23, 2026
They are goons who don't understand Jesus

Readers respond to our March 5 editorial with mixed views on the U.S.'s conflict with Iran.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
DeSantis has better policy than rhetoric on data centers
  • By Adrian Moore, Max Gulker
  • March 11, 2026
DeSantis has better policy than rhetoric on data centers

Gov. Ron DeSantis is eager to be seen as a crusader against data centers, but the major piece of legislation on data centers connected to his AI Bill of Rights enables building to continue while addressing major concerns.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
1 2 3 4 5 »
The best of Your Observer, delivered directly to your inbox

Get the latest in news, sports, schools, arts and things to do in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and East County.

Sign Up

Latest in Longboat Key

1
Though homesteaded residents would gain property tax savings if Florida's overhaul proposal gains 60% of support in the November elections, even non-homesteaded property owners would see new protections from sharply rising property assessments.
  • June 11, 2026
Property tax overhaul: What you should know
2
Longboat Key Fire Rescue has two ladder trucks that can reach 75 feet, including this Sutphen engine built in 2020, which serves as the primary engine at Fire Station 92.
  • June 10, 2026
Cost to replace fire trucks continues to rise
3
The home at 5840 Gulf of Mexico Drive sold for $4.5 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,145 square feet of living area.
  • June 10, 2026
Top residential real estate sales for May 25-29 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key
4
Metal sculptor John Grammer has honed his crafting skills through various stages of his careers in construction and prop work for film. Now, he said he appreciates getting to fine tune the work he presents at shows like last weekend's St. Armands Circle Craft Festival.
  • June 10, 2026
From movies to metal sculpture, local crafter does it all
5
Family and friends helped Out-of-Door Academy graduate Caleb Rodriguez celebrate his academic accomplishments at the May 22 ceremony. Rodriguez will be departing Longboat Key to attend the University of Central Florida to study mechanical engineering.
  • June 10, 2026
Life is a roller coaster, and this graduate wants to engineer it

App

Download the Your Observer app

Stay in the know with the latest local news. Any device, anytime, anywhere.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Contact

  • 1970 Main St.
  • Third Floor
  • Sarasota, FL 34236
  • Phone: 941-366-3468
  • FPN Verified

Extra, Extra!

  • Newsletters
  • App
  • Crossword
  • Contests

more

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Rack Locations
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Options

sister sites

  • Business Observer
  • Jax Daily Record
  • Orange Observer
  • Accessibility Options
  • Copyright © 2026 Observer Media Group Inc., All Rights Reserved
Sign Up for Daily Headlines

A daily dose of news from Longboat Key, East County, Sarasota and Siesta Key.

Sign Up for In Case You Missed It

A Saturday dose of the week's top stories from Sarasota, Longboat Key and East County.


Anytime. Anywhere. Observer.

From in-depth local reporting to real-time breaking news, stay connected to the stories shaping our community with the Your Observer app.

Download Now for Free