I learned long ago that what happens nationally is far beyond my ability to influence much less control. Perhaps that’s a good thing! Yet, on a local level, our voice is able to be heard and we can make a difference.

Fortunately, we all made a difference when we elected Ron Tuner as Sarasota Supervisor of Elections and Mike Bennett as Manatee Supervisor of Elections. Our local election process was accessible, ran smoothly and by all accounts went off without a hitch even during the challenges of a pandemic. Voting is a sacred right in our country and both Supervisors, their staff and volunteers handled the process with the utmost professionalism and integrity. We are fortunate and our democracy depends on the work of these offices, so we owe them our appreciation for a job well done.

Additionally, in our local area, Counties have been navigating unchartered waters in dealing with a pandemic and implementing policies to help those hardest hit. In April, the Sarasota County Commission authorized the Small Business Resiliency Loan Program and the use of $4.3M of economic incentive funding to assist the hardest hit businesses in the beginning of this crisis. The Sarasota EDC, with interim CEO Dave Bullock at the helm moved with lightning speed to bring all the necessary components of the program to the Commission for final approval. Even dealing with government bureaucracy this got off the ground within a month. The EDC reached out to community members with expertise that could assist with reviewing the loans and moving them through the process as expediently as possible. Helping local small businesses was the primary focus of the County Commission, County Staff and the Board and Staff of the EDC. They made a big impact at a time when Florida was under a stay at home order and small businesses were hardest hit. They too deserve our gratitude for a job well done.

Both Manatee and Sarasota Counties have worked locally to waive, change or expedite regulations to assist businesses during this time. These county governments have had to deal with many of the same issues that those of us in the business community have faced with employees exposed to the virus and/or coming down ill with the virus. Yet, they have been working non-stop, many of them in the Emergency Operations Center to deal with challenges they were never trained for and certainly couldn’t predict, but these public servants have done there jobs with honor and integrity and a true focus on working to do what was best for the communities they serve. Again, we owe them a debt of gratitude.

Most recently, both counties have been tasked to distribute much needed relief through funding from the CARES Act. While this is federal funding, just dealing with the U.S. Treasury Department eligibility guidelines (so the Counties aren’t on the hook for the money at the end) is a monumental task in and of itself! Yet, both counties have developed programs, developed an application process a review process and payment process that is in the process of distributing approximately $70M in CARES Act funding in each county, much of it going to individuals and businesses in need of assistance. While I can’t say that it has gone off without a hitch or two, I can say that when those hitches came up staff was quick to respond and made the necessary changes to ensure the smoothest possible process. Again, there was no playbook for any of this, just a commitment to serve the community and a focus on getting the job done to the best of their ability and with an emphasis on expediency to make a real difference in the lives of individuals and businesses.

Our local elected officials and staffs are often easy targets for our frustrations, but it is times like these when I think we should step back and show our appreciation for these local public officials and their staff members and thank them for the behind the scenes work they do that make a real difference in making the community better, especially during these tough times.