Data Center site September 26, 2026 — At the edge of the proposed North Port data center development area during my field visit

My Proposed Sarasota County Charter Amendment

North Port Data Center

BACKGROUND

On July 8, 2026, the Sarasota County Commission unanimously approved a 12-month temporary freeze on accepting, reviewing or approving large-scale data center applications while County staff studied appropriate regulations. That action applied only within the County’s land-use jurisdiction; it did not extend to the incorporated City of North Port, where a separate data center proposal became public less than two weeks later on July 20.

Immediately following North Port’s second reading on September 22 of its 18-month data center moratorium, the City Commission voted 3–2 against including the existing data center applicant in the moratorium.

I TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION

On September 23, I submitted a proposed Charter amendment to all five Sarasota County Commissioners, asking the Board to direct the County Attorney to review whether the County Charter could provide broader, temporary protections from large-scale data center development throughout Sarasota County — including within municipalities to the fullest extent permitted by law. Under Section 7.1 of the Sarasota County Charter, the County Commission can propose a Charter amendment by ordinance, with the amendment then submitted to voters at a special election held within 60 days after it is filed with the Supervisor of Elections.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

That same day, I received a response directing staff to “forward onto Josh Moye for his review” and telling me to “please allow staff to review.” I reasonably believed my proposal was moving through the appropriate County process for review.

After a week of correspondence, however, I learned that no Board direction for County Attorney review had actually been given.

I then asked all five Commissioners directly, before the next meeting agendas were published, whether any member of the Board would take up the proposal for public consideration at the October 6 or October 7 meeting.

THE PROPOSAL

The proposal remains what it was from the beginning: a working draft for the Commission and County Attorney review, not final ballot language.

UPDATE — OCTOBER 4, 2026

As of October 4, the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners has not responded to my final request to take up the proposal for consideration at the October 6 or October 7 meeting and it does not appear on either agenda. I will be at the October 6 meeting in Venice to ask them why they are silent on this urgent matter confronting the citizens of North Port when on August 31 the first reading of the city ordinance got over 600 public comments for the moratorium and to include the existing developer proposal. I urge you all to join me on October 6 and submit public comment on this matter.

READ THE SEPTEMBER 23 PROPOSAL

Read my September 23 proposal here.