Sarasota County Code Enforcement Officer John Lally to retire from Siesta Key

Sarasota County Code Enforcement Officer John Lally announced his retirement at the Siesta Key Village Association meeting today, and jokingly said he was never returning to Siesta Key.

Lally has been the lone code enforcement officer on Siesta for 13 years. His last day is May 22. 

Lally targeted illegal rentals on the Key during his career—he said he’d won all his cases that went before the Special Magistrate except for one. Lally regularly attended SKVA and Siesta Key Association meetings to keep residents informed about the goings-on in the community and warn them about violation trends. He was instrumental in informing Key businesses about the outdoor display ordinance and permitting process after the ordinance was passed in October.

He is already training his replacement. Susan Stahley, a Manatee County resident and former Fish and Wildlife Commission officer, is working with Lally now and will step into his roll.

“She’s going to have to stand her ground and use common sense,” Lally said, speaking of his advice for her. “I’m showing her all the nooks and crannies on Siesta Key.”

Stahley said a major factor of code enforcement would be education.

“Some people are unaware,” she said.