Servant Leadership - or Not

Playing Politics with the Ceremonial Mayor position betrays voters

It used to be, at one time, that respect among elected officials and respect for citizens were important values in local government. Engaged citizens were regarded as important messengers. Fellow Commissioners were treated with high regard. In the servant leadership model, instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader (or leaders) exist to serve the people. In the City of Sarasota, collegial regard on the City Commission has been lacking. Respect for citizens has been lacking. Last fall’s ceremonial mayor selection revealed a lack of humility, lack of respect among colleagues and lack of respect for voters. If you think only one party gets caught up in petty political games, think again.

The City of Sarasota ceremonial mayor’s role is not a high power position. Sarasota voters have deliberately upheld the ceremonial mayor position, and they have consistently rejected having an elected mayor. Why? Voters understand the potential for corruption with a single elected mayor. We have a “soft” power ceremonial mayor that rotates to avoid the corruption problems with an elected mayor.

The City Commission should have the discretion to refrain from giving the mayoral role to someone who is temperamentally unsuited for the job. But in all the times I’ve witnessed a duly elected Commissioner being passed over for the job, there’s never been a question of ability to serve.

To fully understand the disappointing, self-serving posturing which took place in City Hall last November, some history is needed.

May 2018

On May 11, 2018, the City of Sarasota held it’s statutory meeting where newly elected At-Large Commissioners Jen Ahearn-Koch and Hagen Brody were sworn in. At-Large Commissioners are elected by voters in the entire City - all three City Districts. During statutory meetings, the City Commission also chooses it’s ceremonial Mayor for the coming year The position typically rotates from one Commissioner to another, giving every Commissioner the opportunity to serve. Liz Alpert was the Vice-Mayor, and it was to be her turn to serve as the City’s Mayor.

Off the bat, Commissioner Shaw nominated himself for Mayor. Willie Shaw was a political ally of Jen Ahearn-Koch. He supported her campaign. Yet newly elected Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch nominated then-Vice Mayor Alpert. It was an obviously awkward situation for the Commission.

In a 3-2 voter, Alpert was selected by her colleagues. Ahearn-Koch voted for Alpert, upholding the tradition of a rotating ceremonial mayor. Had she gone with her political loyalties, she would have chosen Shaw. Shelli Freeland-Eddie also supported Alpert, with Hagen Brody supporting Shaw.

Does Liz Alpert remember Jen Ahearn-Koch’s support for her that day? Alpert has Ahearn-Koch to thank for her first term as ceremonial mayor.

November 2022

On November 14 2022, the City held yet another statutory meeting to swear in newly elected At-Large Commissioner Debbie Trice, and re-elected At Large-Commissioner Jen Ahearn Koch. There was also that decision to make about the ceremonial mayor.

Prior to this meeting, I had gotten word from reliable sources that then-Mayor Arroyo was angling for a second term as ceremonial Mayor.

Arroyo had just hosted his “Mayor’s Ball” at a local private club. Arroyo had used the City Hall address to incorporate a private foundation using the name “Sarasota City Foundation, Inc.” Arroyo reported at the subsequent City Commission meeting that his event raised over $100,000 and he would be using it for things like “gift cards for police”. Arroyo never fully accounted for the donations he claimed were provided to his private foundation that used the City’s name and address. Reports that Arroyo desired a second term as mayor were entirely in keeping with his behavior.

At that time, I had recently served on the City’s Charter Review Committee. The City Charter is our local constitution. Those discussions were fresh. They included how the City was sued by Newtown constituents in 1979 for lack of representaiton. The Court-ordered solution was district representation, three districts to be exact. Commissioner Battie represents District 1, which includes Newtown, a predominantly African-American district. Thanks to that 1979 lawsuit, District 1 was created so minority constituents could be reasonably assured of City Commission representation, and of seeing their Commissioner serve as Mayor.

When I heard reports about Arroyo’s plan to be mayor again, I made an appointment with Commissioner Battie. During our discussions I shared my concerns about the ceremonial mayor position being given to one Commissioner for multiple years rather than rotated. I discussed the old lawsuit, and how District 1 constituents deserved to have their representative serve as Mayor. I told him I hoped he would serve. Commissioner Battie didn’t tell me my concerns were misplaced. He didn’t tell me what I heard about Arroyo was wrong. He listened, and he thanked me for the meeting. His response was consistent with reports about Arroyo wanting another term.

I also called Liz Alpert, who represents my district (2). I explained what I had been told and asked her to support Commissioner Battie for ceremonial mayor. She agreed that it would not be right for Battie to be bypassed for a second Arroyo term.

In the end, Battie was nominated by Commissioner Arroyo and chosen by his colleagues to be the ceremonial mayor. In Arroy’s remarks, he expressed frustration, making a case for his perceived limitations with having only one year as mayor. For me, these remarks confirmed reports that he had been angling for another year in the Mayor’s role. He needed Battie’s cooperation to get there, which thankfully didn’t happen.

Both Alpert and Battie served as Mayor despite colleagues who wanted to see them bypassed for the job. Politics is a funny thing. Amnesia sets in quickly.

November 2024

Another statutory meeting. Newly elected District 3 Commissioner Kathy Kelly Ohlrich was sworn in, along with the re-elected District Commissioners Liz Alpert (2) and Kyle Battie (1). Once again, time to choose a ceremonial mayor.

This selection discussion and vote was different. Commissioner Battie nominated Liz Alpert, bypassing Vice Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch. Unlike prior nominations, Battie made a speech. He read at length from prepared remarks. Alpert seconded her own nomination. It was awkward at the table.

Battie and Trice cited Alpert’s post-storm leadership as reason for a third term. Ahearn Koch also excelled at high profile leaderhip. She represented the City on national news, having served as Mayor during the onset of COVID-19. All that was forgotten. Alpert, Trice and Battie were on board for Alpert’s third term. There was no thought about the impropriety toward constituents in failing to pass the baton to Commissioner Ahearn Koch for her second term as Mayor.

Seeing the writing on the wall, Commissioners Kelly Ohlrich and Ahearn Koch herself also voted for Alpert. But not before Kelly Ohlrich expressed how as the mayoral role is ceremonial, it is meant to rotate, and that as Vice Mayor, it was time for Ahearn Koch to serve.

The City Commission broke with the customary collegial regard of sharing in the rotation of the ceremonial mayor role. In ignoring Ahearn-Koch’s status as an At-Large Commissioner, who won a City-Wide election City twice, they ignored the voters.

Is this servant leadership - bypassing an At-Large Commissioner for Mayor, who was elected twice by the entire City? The voice of the people didn’t figure into the Commission’s decision that day. Unfortunately, such games reflect poorly on the City Commission’s priorities. When a City Commission fails to honor each other’s service, they are failing the constituents who put their colleagues in office. It’s all the more concerning to see District Commissioners sideline an At Large Commissioner. What are they thinking?

Why does it make sense to consider what happened last fall now? Our City Commissioners have important decisions to make, like hiring a new City Manager. Changing a negative culture requires bringing in different perspectives. These old ways aren’t serving us.

It’s worth noting that the same three Commissioners had been disappointingly silent when our former City Manager Brown was openly hostile to Commissioner Ahearn-Koch’s request for more prep time for an important long term contract decision. Ahearn Koch was having trouble accessing online information due to her home being flooded by Hurricane Helene. Brown had no grace for Ahearn Koch then. Unfortunately her colleagues engaged in a similar lack of grace toward Ahearn Koch and her service.

After the vote, the newly selected ceremonial Mayor Alpert went on about what good friends she and Commissioner Ahearn-Koch are. Oy. This is the action of a friend?

Alpert must have forgotten how Ahearn-Koch saved her ceremonial mayor bacon in 2018.

And in the back of the room, former City Manager Marlon Brown was beaming.

Speaking of bacon, Liz Alpert points out the Mayor of Sarasota sandwich at Ford’s Garage in a January 2025 social media post. The sandwich includes bacon.