The last-minute candidate is pushing for efficiency and sustainability.
By Noah Bookstein
Original Air Date: July 1, 2026
Host: Yevgeny Khodorkovsky filed a last-minute to run for the Sarasota City Commission. WSLR News reporter Noah Bookstein sat down for an interview with him, and we bring you a profile of a tech guy who wants the city to operate more efficiently.
Noah Bookstein: Yevgeny Khodorkovsky is a software engineer who has lived in Sarasota’s Alta Vista neighborhood for seven years. Now, he is running for an at-large seat on the city commission.
Yevgeny Khodorkovsky. Courtesy photo
Yevgeny Khodorkovsky: I feel like the commission—and really the city government—has shifted focus away from serving and presenting the residents and local businesses to overdevelopment and bureaucratic expansion. I voted for at least three commissioners that served or are still serving, and we’re doing the same and expecting a different result, and that’s just not going to work anymore.
NB: While he shares many of the same concerns as other candidates, such as traffic development and infrastructure, his central argument is that the city’s government is inefficient, overly bureaucratic and technologically behind.
YK: I’m probably the only candidate that really understands technology, whether it’s between candidates or sitting commissioners.
NB: Khodorkovsky leverages his background in computer science to offer fresh ideas that may help the city increase its efficiency and decrease its spending.
YK: We’re already deploying some technology that was supposed to save us money. For example, the parking automation in license plate readers was supposed to save a bunch of money—hundreds if not thousands of hours per year of enforcement—but we still have the same amount of staff. Police deploy also mass surveillance systems that save a lot of patrol and investigative time, so we haven’t seen any savings in that. We will have to operate more efficiently. We do have to look at our budgeting and expenses because, one, it’s not sustainable, and it’s also growing in complete disregard of the economy of population growth and many other factors. That’s one of the main reasons I’m running, because I think we’re growing and spending like drunken sailors, and it’s not sustainable.
NB: Khodorkovsky says the city is paying outside consultants to do work its own staff could do if they had the tools and training to do it.
YK: I don’t think we’re going to have to reduce staff. We will invest in our staff with technology and training so they are more scalable on their own, which also makes them more competitive in the job market if they want to move or do something else, so it’s a win-win.
NB: Khodorkovsky is skeptical of Sarasota’s development trajectory and argues the city’s government has become too focused on growth and not focused enough on preserving quality of life.
YK: The city is losing its charm, and it’s because the commission and the entire city government is focused on competing with places like Tampa and St. Pete instead of preserving the city charm and quality of life like, for example, Fort Myers or Naples are doing. Sarasota is the paradise that brings everybody from all over the country and the world. Amazing people, great beaches and great quality of life. I’ve lived in many places around the world, and I chose to call this place home because it’s obvious that it’s the best place to be.
NB: Khodorkovsky argues the city is building projects that add density but don’t create housing that ordinary residents can afford.
YK: We’re going to have to stop piling on concrete mountains that provide marginal increase in housing supply, and we’re going to have to focus on housing that’s actually affordable because the attainable housing that’s over 80% AMI is just not cutting it, and it’s increasing supply that we cannot really use for residents that are blue collar.
NB: He says the city should be more selective about where it builds, especially as roads and utilities struggle to keep up.
YK: We’ve been overdeveloping for a while now, and we need to pause and look at what’s going on and how it’s working for us. Our infrastructure cannot support all the development and the environmental changes we’re facing. What we should be encouraging is, if there’s any development, it should develop in opportunity zones like north city or in corridors or artery roads that can actually accept those kinds of developments. Why does north city look the same way it did 20 years ago? Everybody deserves the quality of life that Sarasota offers. Downtown and the key is not all there is to the city. This role is at large; I will be representing all residents.
NB: Khodorkovsky says he is running to help bring efficiency to city operations and represent the local people who feel increasingly shut out of decision making.
YK: I want to clarify why I’m running. The main reason is I think the city commission, whose its entire purpose is to represent the will of the residents and the local businesses, is just not doing that. The commission are your neighbors—some of them are your friends—and they should be the most accountable body of government that you interact with. You should be able to tell them what you want, you should be informed by them, and you should be involved. At the very least, this race, for me is to serve that.
NB: For WSLR News, Noah Bookstein.
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