County commission puts referendum on the November ballot.
By Jackson Rothman
Original Air Date: April 8, 2026
Host: Sarasota County voters will have the final say this November on whether to keep the county’s long-standing land preservation program alive for another two decades. On Tuesday, the five county commissioners voted unanimously to move the proposal to the ballot. The program has protected tens of thousands of acres since the late 1990s, but as WSLR’s Jackson Rothman reports, the upcoming vote will decide if the funding—and the land acquisitions—continue through 2049.
Jackson Rothman: Ordinance No. 2026-008 adds a referendum to November election ballots. With it, voters will decide whether to extend Sarasota County’s land acquisition and protection program for another 20 years. The Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Project, or ESLPP (pronounced E-Slip) was created in 1999 through referendum, authorizing a 20 year ad valorem property tax through 2019 and $53 million in bond funding.
The 1999 referendum also established the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee. The program began with 18 sites and has since risen to 33 priority protection sites. Priority protection sites are identified areas of interest based on ecological criteria.
Just 6 years later, in 2005, a second referendum passed with an 80% majority of voters. This new referendum authorized expansion of the scope of ESLPP to include the Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition program, or NPP. The previously established ad valorem tax was approved for an additional 10 years through 2029. Bond funding was raised to $250 million over the course of the program. The addition of the Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program allowed the acquisition of parklands that provide water access, trails or other urban green spaces that did not meet the initial criteria of ESLPP.
Since 1999, the county has protected 101 properties totaling approximately 42,000 acres, including Snook Haven Campground, Red Bug Slough Preserve and Old Myakka Preserve. Kim Heuberger, the Sarasota County Parks Recreation and Natural Resources chief, told the commissioners that the program has preserved thousands of acres of critical habitat, safeguarded water resources and provided opportunities for recreation, environmental education and stewardship. The county has bought another 31 properties since the addition of the Neighborhood Parks Program in 2005.
If approved in November, the program would be extended through 2049. Crucially, the proposal is not a tax increase; it simply maintains the current 0.25 millage rate. It also keeps the existing 250-million-dollar cap on the bonds the county can issue to fund these purchases.
During the commission meeting, Commissioner Teresa Mast highlighted the program’s history as a collaborative effort.
Teresa Mast
Teresa Mast: What a premier public-private partnership this has been and, I believe, will continue to be.
JR: Mast asked how close the county was to having 40% protected lands. Heuberger told the board that the county is at approximately 34% and would need 20,000 acres of additional land acquisitions to reach 40%.
Mast motioned to vote on the referendum, which was unanimously passed by the county commission. The proposal now moves to voters.
Just hours after the vote, Jono Miller kicked off the campaign to vote “yes” on the referendum. In a presentation to the Indian Beach Sapphire Shores Neighborhood Association on Tuesday night, the retired director of environmental studies at New College described the program as an overachiever.
Jono Miller
Jono Miller: This is a county program that has overdelivered; it has done more than what we dreamed of. When we started the program, we had no idea if we were going to acquire any property because it’s a willing seller program.
It’s one of the most successful programs in the state in terms of local citizens voting to save land. It is not a tax increase.
JR: Two questions will be added to the ballot. The first asks voters if the County should continue the ESLPP land acquisition and ad valorem tax program through 2049. The second question asks voters to then decide if the current cap of $250 million of issuable bonds should remain in place.
For WSLR News, Jackson Rothman.
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