Sarasotans weigh in on top ranking for city as home for veterans

Sarasota is not only a top destination for retirees — a recent ranking suggests it is also among the best for former military service members.

Sarasota was ranked first among Overall Best Cities After Service, as well as first among Best Cities for Retired Veterans, by the Navy Federal Credit Union and Sperling’s BestPlaces.

“Its vibrant arts scene, stunning beaches, and strong veteran support networks make it a perfect place for military-connected people and families to settle down,” wrote Samantha Santoro of Clyde Group. 

Some members of Sarasota’s veteran community weighed in. 

Rob Kehs, executive director of SRQVets, wasn’t too surprised by the ranking, noting the desirability of Sarasota as a retirement destination and Florida's benefits such as property tax exemptions and pre-registration of vehicles for disabled veterans. 

“It surprised me a little bit, but it doesn’t, because of what I do, helping help veterans," he said. "If I can't help them, it's really easy for me to find a lot of other resources that can help them."

Carlos Moreira, director of campus engagement for veteran success and alumni Affairs at University of South Florida, said that “rankings can be very biased if they don't specify exactly, what are they ranking.”

He said factors like the type of data gathered and questions that were asked must be considered. 

“Based on the experience of living in Sarasota, we are extremely veteran-friendly,” he said. “We are a small community, even though we're not a small town, but we're still small enough… where we all know one another, and we do take care of veterans a lot in the community.”

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He said Florida surpasses other states when it comes to caring for veterans, but that it could offer more benefits, including in the area of free tuition. 

“Still, the best state when it comes to veteran-friendly will always be Texas, just because they have a lot more when it comes to giving back to veterans, as a whole,” he said.

William Sterbinsky, a combat veteran, of the firm Veterans Affairs Law said, “I have heard a lot of people who leave Sarasota state that they have never found a stronger community that has good access to these resources or good connections, anywhere else."

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However, he said disagreed with the idea of Sarasota as affordable and said he thinks migration from the north is increasing housing prices. 

“The market for rent is so unattainable that people are having to move south or move north to areas of less quality,” he said. 

He also said he thinks the police department deserves more recognition from the city.

“I think in some aspects, veterans sometimes will be on high alert," he said, stating that the frequency of crimes can have a mental health impact on some veterans. 

He positively assessed factors like the area's climate, health and amenities, health resources for veterans and diversity in its veteran community.

“It makes you realize that you’ve got it so good, you want to take care of it," he said. "You want to steward it. So I love this town, and I'll tell you, as a veteran, I'm going to do everything I can to protect this town.”