Minder enters County Commission race

Another candidate has emerged in the race for the District 4 seat on the Sarasota County Commission.

Local engineer John Minder, who was a frequent critic of the county government before and during the procurement scandal, has filed to run without a party affiliation for the seat currently held by Commissioner Nora Patterson. Minder, who owns Minder & Associates Engineering Corp., has lived in the county for 33 years and never run for office before.

“Ninety percent of everything that comes before the (County Commission) is engineer-related and Sarasota County needs a registered professional engineer on the (County Commission),” Minder said in an email.

Minder said the procurement issues and the fiscal neutrality provision in the Sarasota 2050 longterm planning document inspired him to run for the County Commission.

Joining the 2014 General Election race, Minder will face the winner of the primary between Republicans Al Maio and Lourdes Ramirez, and Democrat Ray Porter. The four candidates are vying to replace Commissioner Patterson, who has represented Siesta Key and middle portions of the county since 1998.