The Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners used its annual organizational session at a Dec. meeting to elect officers, approve calendar items and assign commissioners to external boards.

The board confirmed nominations for chair, vice chair and pro tem and voted on routine housekeeping items. The board approved the county's 2025 travel and associated expenses on a motion by Commissioner Mast, seconded by Commissioner Kutzinger, and later adopted the February 2025 meeting schedule. Both motions passed unanimously.

Commissioners also worked through a lengthy list of external board assignments, confirming primaries and alternates for panels that include the Lightshare Behavioral Wellness and Recovery Board, the Bay Park Improvement Board, CareerSource Suncoast, the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Sarasota County Veterans Commission. Several incumbents volunteered to remain in their roles while other positions were reassigned by consensus.

The board left detailed lists of assignments to staff to record; Jonathan Lewis, the county administrator, told commissioners staff would capture the appointments and circulate a memo to the board with formal assignments.

What happens next: the roster of appointments and the staff memo will be entered into the county's official records. Commissioners said they expected staff to follow up and provide calendars and contact details for each advisory body.