Brown moves to settle with Sarasota County

Sarasota County Attorney Stephen Demarsh will this morning announce that Siesta Key business owner Chris Brown has offered to settle his third lawsuit with the county for just under $300,000 — eight times the amount he was paid to settle a 2009 suit with the county.

In the October 2011 suit, Brown alleges Sarasota County violated his civil rights during 2011 tax assessments of his properties in the Siesta Key Village Public Improvement District, which were the only assessments in the taxing district to increase over the previous year’s analysis.

Brown expected Demarsh to hold a “shade meeting” with Sarasota County Commissioners this week, which would have been closed to the public. But, Demarsh said yesterday during the commissioners’ budget workshop that he would disclose details of the deal during the county attorney’s address.

Morgan Bentley, the Sarasota attorney representing Brown, has subpoenaed Sarasota County Public Works Director Jim Harriott among other government officials, and requested five years of government documents, including any correspondence between Sarasota County commissioners and county staff that mention Brown.

For a full story and background on the lawsuit, pick up a copy of the Aug. 23 issue of the Pelican Press.