- April 4, 2025
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The late Guy Paschal, the Longboat Key civic leader who most led the effort for the town to incorporate in 1955, is probably turning in his grave. This is not the Longboat Key he promised when he was lobbying town residents to incorporate.
At that time, many Longboat Key citizens were quite agitated with the way Sarasota County government was treating the island. In an article Paschal wrote for the Longboat Observer on the founding of the town, he said:
“The residents had nothing to say in decisions of zoning, taxation, roads, parks, beaches, subdivisions, businesses, liquor licenses, sewers, water, street lights, and many others.”
Here was the tipping point: “When the Sarasota County Commission decided to put a public beach in front of the trailer parks, the Key rose up,” Paschal wrote.
Despite this animus toward Sarasota County, opposition to incorporation was stiff. So at a townwide meeting on the subject before a referendum, Paschal handed out a sheet with six promises. He “solemnly swore that as a nominee for public office, if elected, I will, abide by the following:
On Nov. 14, 1955, Longboaters voted 98-3 to incorporate.
But if you read Paschal’s pledges closely, everything he promised not to do the Town Commission has done, and then some, in 70 years.
Paschal likely would be beside himself if he saw the town’s annual spending budget, its debt and how much Longboat Key taxpayers send across the bay to Manatee and Sarasota counties and the two public school districts.
Long-term debt is $47.5 million. And in 2024, for the first time, Longboaters “crossed the Rubicon:” They paid the counties and school districts more than $100 million in property taxes.
And the “ROI” on that? Ha.
How will Longboaters survive?
What? No Susan Phillips?
It was a pleasure watching Phillips as a newcomer 27 years ago grow in time and become involved and ingrained in Longboat Key the way she has.
If there was something, anything, occurring on the island — town meetings, art shows, Friday night at the Movies, Garden Club fashion shows, Fourth of July Freedom Fests, Town Commission meetings, hurricanes, chamber of commerce events, you name it — Phillips was there … organizing, fixing, setting up, taking down.
To a great extent, you could say Phillips for the past two decades was the face of Town Hall. Call her a dedicated public servant, but truth is, serving and helping others is her DNA. She has exemplified the best of being an involved citizen and community leader.
Longboat citizens will miss Phillips’ touch on all things Longboat.
Even though she has retired, knowing her nature to be involved, our bet is we haven’t seen the last of Phillips’ involvement in Longboat affairs. Let’s hope that’s the case.
A bow of gratitude to Susan Phillips.
Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier will soon be a record holder.
In March 2020, Schneier’s Town Commission colleagues chose him to serve as mayor. That was the first year that mayoral terms were extended from one to three years.
Schneier’s colleagues did it again in March 2023 — reelecting him to a second three-year term as mayor, which is to end in 2026.
When this second term expires, Schneier will have served as mayor longer than any commissioner in the town’s history.
Altogether, Schneier will have served on the Town Commission for eight years, first being elected in 2018.
Remember, unlike most cities, our commissioners are unpaid. Now, that’s public service!
BTW: Longboat’s longest serving commissioner was Howard Ridyard — 22 years, first from 1955 to 1963, then from 1966 to 1979.
