Rob Lewis, Sarasota County government relations, told the joint meeting that staff are actively tracking dozens of state bills that could affect county operations and local governments and urged continued collaboration with municipal partners ahead of the 2026 legislative session.

Lewis noted that the period of interim committee meetings is underway, that Nov. 21 is the hard deadline for House members to file appropriations requests for 2026, and that the regular session is scheduled to begin Jan. 13 for a 60‑day period. "To date, we've had just a little under 500 bills filed," Lewis said, and he described roughly 108 bills that could have general county impact and about 24–25 bills related to property taxes and homestead exemptions that the county is watching.

Lewis flagged preemption and land‑use proposals that could affect local decision‑making, citing a 2024‑era bill (identified in the meeting as "SB 180") that the sponsor has said may be revisited and another bill described in the discussion (referred to as "SB 208") that would, in Lewis’s characterization read to the commission, limit local regulation of residential projects and administrative approvals. Lewis cautioned that many measures are early in the filing process and may lack companion bills in the other chamber.

Commissioners raised concerns about sovereign immunity legislation and the potential fiscal impacts of property‑tax rollback proposals. One commissioner noted that the town’s revenue reliance on property tax (a figure given in the meeting) makes broad tax changes a serious operational risk. Lewis and commissioners emphasized the need for a targeted priority list when meeting with delegation offices and thanked legislative partners for accessibility.

The presentation and discussion were advisory; the transcript records no formal county legislative positions taken during this meeting. Lewis said staff will continue to provide timely updates and that coordinated municipal input is important as bills progress through committees and floor action.