Charter Review Board, District 2: Stephen Webber

Age: 26

Current occupation: Self-employed mediator

How long have you been a resident of Sarasota County? I’m a Sarasota native, born and mostly raised here. I went to middle and high school in Germany before moving back.

Why are you running for office?

I’m running because the voters in Sarasota County shouldn’t need a law degree just to understand what they’re voting for on ballot initiatives. 

I’ve talked to a lot of people who say they never understand what they’re voting for with amendments, and I want to make them legible to the voters.

Have you ever run for public office before? If so, for what office? 

No.

What qualifies you to be a charter review board member?

I have a master’s degree in public administration certified in local government management, and I currently attend Stetson College of Law working towards a JD.

What, if anything, is wrong with the current charter?

The reality of local government is that no one really knows what the charter is! I spent most of my campaign thus far explaining what I’m running for rather than why I’m running. 

What needs to be updated or changed in the county charter? Why?

I would like to see more input from the voters and public debate about the charter. The board should be wary about too much change. What I’ve seen in case studies of local governments around the country is that if everyone is paying attention to their local government, they’ve probably done something wrong.