Sarasota commissioners receive training on Robert’s Rules, Sunshine Law and charter roles

Sarasota — At a City Commission workshop on Oct. 14, 2025, the commission invited attorney Randy Mora to deliver a training on Robert’s Rules of Order, the Sunshine Law and related ethics and meeting‑management topics.

Mora, who described himself as certified by the Florida Bar in city, county and local government law and as a city attorney in Pinellas Park, framed the session around the idea that "a public office is a public trust," and urged commissioners to let that principle guide meeting conduct and decision making. The presentation was introduced by City Attorney Joe Polozak and attended by Mayor Alpert and commissioners.

Mora told the commission the session was intended to help officials and staff build shared expectations about how meetings should run, and to explain where Robert’s Rules fits among constitutions, statutes, the city charter and the commission’s own rules. "Robert’s Rules is last," Mora said, explaining that constitutional and statutory requirements — including open‑meetings and public‑records laws — take precedence over standardized parliamentary manuals.

Why it matters: Mora emphasized that open government rules are designed to preserve public trust and to prevent decisions behind closed doors. He reviewed Florida’s constitutional mandate that…