New Mayor, Vice Mayor Chosen; 2 Sarasota Commissioners Sworn In: City

SARASOTA, FL — During Monday’s statutory Sarasota City Commission meeting, two recently elected at-large commissioners were sworn in and a new mayor and vice mayor were chosen.

Kyle Battie, a former television host who was first elected to represent District 1 in 2020, was unanimously selected by the commission to fill the ceremonial role of mayor, according to a news release from the city.

Meanwhile, Liz Alpert, who represents District 2 and has served on the commission since 2015, was chosen as vice mayor.

At the same meeting, Jen Ahearn-Koch, who was first elected in 2017, was sworn in for a second term. Meanwhile, Debbie Trice was sworn in for her first term in office.

Related Stories:

• Ahearn-Koch, Trice Win Sarasota City Commission Seats, City Says
• Jen Ahearn-Koch Runs For Sarasota City Commission At-Large Seat
• Debbie Trice Runs For Sarasota City Commission At-Large Seat

They were two of three candidates vying for two available at-large seats in the Nov. 8 general election. As the top two vote-getters, they won the seats, besting a third candidate, Dan Lobeck.

According to unofficial results from the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office, 28,718 votes were cast in the Sarasota City Commission contest on Nov. 8.

Ahearn-Koch, the incumbent, took home about 41 percent of votes cast, while Trice earned about 31 percent, the unofficial results show.

“As the city continues to grow, I remain a strong advocate and representative at the commission table for the citizen’s voice in the conversation and process,” Ahearn-Koch, who founded her own marketing company, wrote in response to a Patch candidate questionnaire ahead of the August primary election. “The city of Sarasota is a desirable place to be, to learn, to live, to work, to create, to build a business, to raise a family, to retire, to visit, and so much more. This growth needs to be managed in a responsible and comprehensive manner.”

Meanwhile, Trice, who worked in marketing for IBM, engaged in various entrepreneurial ventures and was elected to the Sarasota County Charter Review Board, told Patch in her questionnaire, “The demand for housing for Sarasota's working families is much greater than the supply, and that drives the costs beyond what these families can afford. But local developers continue to build homes for the wealthy and almost nothing for working families. So far, action by our city government has been ineffective. I seek to change that. I also seek to make sure current residents have a voice in plans for their neighborhoods. My goal is to make Sarasota a city that works for everyone — where everyone has a voice and a place to live.”