North Port CAN to host commissioner forum

NORTH PORT — A new local group, Team North Port Citizens Action Network, is hosting a North Port commissioner candidate forum.

District 1, 2, and 3 are all up for grabs in the 2024 election cycle.

Mayor Alice White will take on challenger Demetrius Petrow for District 1; Commissioner Barbara Langdon faces challenges from Joshua Smith and Cheryl Cook for District 2; and Andrew Sias and David Duval will compete for District 3, being vacated by the termed-out Commissioner Debbie McDowell.

The forum will feature all seven of the candidates at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5 at the Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane. Team North Port CAN created and will host the evening.

Seating is limited, and those interested in attending can reach out to Teamnorthportcan@gmail.com.

The forum facilitators are also asking for residents to send questions to the same email.

"Please focus on the future of North Port and what you would like to see happen," Pam Tokarz, a member of North Port CAN, said on social media. "There will be a limit to the number of questions we will be able to ask. This is your opportunity to be informed on the candidates’ views regarding our city."

The forum will likely include discussions about a change to borrowing authority set for referendum this November, a $122 million Police headquarters project, the future of Warm Mineral Springs, and other topics.

The race for the North Port City Commission is nonpartisan, therefore anyone can vote in the Aug. 20 primary. District 2 will be on the ballot that day, and the two candidates with the most votes will move on to the general election, alongside the other two obtainable districts.

The likes of Susan Balmer, Tokarz, and their new organization, Team North Port CAN, will host the forum.

They previously ran a group focused on contesting city rezoning, but have since shifted their aim.

"We found that most citizens don't get involved in local government for one reason or another. They also don't know where to get their information or what is going on," Tokarz said.

"We are going to try and provide non-biased and non-partisan information to residents. We will have subgroups of citizens working on various issues throughout the city, like Warm Mineral Springs and Public record access. Eventually we hope to cover a list of areas," she said.