Developers Pulling Rank: How Power Plays Shape Sarasota County Decisions

Mega-developer Rex Jensen of Lakewood Ranch has built a reputation for getting his way—and pushing back hard when he doesn’t. Jensen, the CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, has been actively involved in the area’s land development for decades.

Known as “T Rex” (though not to his face), Jensen has been quick to escalate disputes, using tactics that include threatening lawsuits, firing off aggressive emails, and going straight to Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis at the first sign of pushback by county staff.

A review of campaign finance records shows Jensen and the companies he controls have made significant political contributions to individual commissioners and political action committees supporting candidates. The contributions total $74,000 in the last two local election cycles alone.

The efforts by influential developers seeking to bypass standard processes, escalating complaints to top county officials, and then securing favorable outcomes raise questions about the integrity of county processes.

“It is clear that those with deep pockets can easily evade or bend the rules that the general public or smaller contractors must adhere to,” said Lourdes Ramirez, a local advocate who successfully challenged proposed development projects on Siesta Key.

Threats and skirting processes

In March 2022, Sarasota County staff notified Jensen that his Waterside development was responsible for maintaining its roadways. His response was blunt:

“Bullshit.”

Jensen followed up with a threatening email to Public Works Director Spencer Anderson, copying County Administrator Lewis:

“Spencer, either we fix this by FRIDAY or I am filing a lawsuit not only against the county but against individuals. I have had it with your department. No wonder people have problems getting things done in your county. Your behavior is ridiculous.”

The issue was resolved within a day after Jensen met with County Administrator Lewis and Deputy County Administrator Mark Cunningham.

A review of county records did not reveal any pushback from Lewis. When asked by the Florida Trident whether Jensen’s aggressive approach was appropriate, Lewis declined to comment.

Pressed on his ultimatum, Jensen declined to address its suitability, stating only that his frustration had reached its limit.

Jensen’s next clash with county staff came in 2023, when his latest development, Lakewood Ranch Southeast—a 5,000-home expansion east of I-75—hit a roadblock over stormwater regulations. Stormwater management has become a top county priority following last year’s widespread flooding.

Jensen and the county had previously entered into a written master development agreement that required stormwater review only after a rezoning was approved.

But Jensen’s engineers began pressuring county staff to conduct the stormwater review before the rezoning process was completed, according to internal emails obtained by the Trident. County staff resisted, emphasizing that wetlands and habitat features must first be identified during the rezoning process before stormwater review could take place.

The stormwater review could not occur “until after a rezone is approved,” wrote Dennis Medved, Sarasota County’s Land Development Manager.

Jensen wasn’t satisfied. Again a meeting was quickly arranged among Jensen, Lewis, and Cunningham. 

Shortly afterward, Cunningham sent an email directing Planning & Development Director Matt Osterhoudt to consult the County Attorney. 

Osterhoudt was puzzled. He forwarded the email to County Planning Manager Michele Norton with just a question mark.

Norton’s response: “No idea but will follow up.”

Within two days, Norton sent an email stating the stormwater review for Jensen’s project would proceed before the commission approved the rezone—a complete reversal of the county’s original stance.

County Attorney Josh Moye defended the departure from normal procedure, saying Jensen was aware of the risk the County Commission could reject the rezoning.

But Sarasota resident Alexandra Coe, a recent candidate for the District 1 commission seat, wasn’t convinced. “Jensen’s sizable campaign contributions guaranteed there was little, if any, risk the rezoning would be denied,” Coe said.

Jensen justified the move, telling the Trident that a pre-rezoning stormwater review was necessary to avoid future problems due to the project’s complexity.

Word of Jensen’s success on stormwater review spread quickly. Within days, engineers for Hi Hat Ranch, a massive development east of I-75, requested and obtained the same advance approval even though the County Commission had not approved any rezoning.

Meanwhile, Jensen was pressing county staff on another front with the same project. Utilities Planning Manager Stoney Pope said staff activity was “being driven by development, not any County CIP (Capital Improvement Program) projects.” Pope said the proposal was “to accommodate” Jensen’s Lakewood Ranch Southeast development.

When Jensen sent Lewis an email about the pace of the review by the utilities department, Lewis immediately sent an email to Cunningham asking, “Did you call Rex?”

A Pattern of Power Plays

Jensen isn’t the only developer who leverages direct access to county leadership when things don’t go their way.

The Florida Trident uncovered two other instances involving developer Pat Neal of Neal Communities. Neal and family members have made $27,000 in local campaign contributions during the last two election cycles individually and through a series of corporate entities.

Neal’s engineers employed similar tactics over a $720,000 reimbursement dispute involving Lakes of Sarasota, a community development district tied to the Lorraine Road extension south of Clark Road.

Although the contract with the county obligated reimbursement to the district, Neal covered the expense of the road extension due to the district’s lack of funds. However, the Clerk of Court refused to authorize the repayment “without evidence that the bill has been paid,” according to internal emails obtained by the Trident.

Neal’s team immediately threatened escalation to Lewis. “If we can’t get this resolved early this week I’m going to the County Manager, this is ridiculous,” Mike Kennedy wrote in an email to Don DeBerry, Sarasota County’s Senior Transportation Manager.

Neal himself stepped in, invoking a past deal made with county officials: “This is NOT the deal we made with Spencer Anderson and others in the County Commission conference room in July.” The invoice was paid three days later.

Neal told the Florida Trident Sarasota County is not fast in paying invoices, particularly if the Clerk’s Office gets involved. 

Paving over a wetland

In a separate matter, Neal ran into numerous complications while attempting to convert a designated wetland on a golf course within the Boca Royale subdivision in Englewood. In March 2023, Neal sent a memo to County Administrator Lewis accusing county staff of attempting to “leverage” his need to replace the wetland — even though it was protected under a recorded conservation agreement tied to prior development approvals.

The day after Neal’s memo, Planning & Development Services Director Matt Osterhoudt spoke with Neal by phone. Phone records obtained by the Trident show Osterhoudt then spoke with Lewis and Deputy County Administrator Brad Johnson for nearly an hour.

Once again, Neal’s objections were accommodated. He was permitted to relocate the conservation area by replatting the property, and a new conservation agreement was quietly approved on September 12, 2023, without any public discussion.

Neal disavowed any special treatment. “Sarasota is not a place where there is any benefit to developers because there is no good politics in helping developers,” he said.

The influence of campaign contributions

Ben Wilcox, research director of Integrity Florida, had a different view after reviewing the emails. Integrity Florida’s mission is to promote integrity in government and expose public corruption, government ethics, money in politics, government accountability, and transparency. 

Wilcox linked the developer’s behavior to the corrupting influence of money in politics. “The arrogance of the developers has roots in their campaign contributions,” he said. “It undermines public confidence in the way the process should work when they believe they can act this way.”

Wilcox was also critical of the inaction of County Administrator Lewis. “He has a responsibility to protect his staff from bullying and threats,” Wilcox said. “It seems to me the county administrator doesn’t have the confidence to push back when developers pressure staff.”

While developers like Rex Jensen and Pat Neal defend their aggressive tactics as necessary for complex projects, their circumvention of established procedures—and the swift acquiescence of top county officials—raised questions to Lourdes Ramirez. 

“Most people believe that Sarasota County has effective development or planning processes to ensure accountability and fairness. In reality, large developers have managed to exploit these processes to their advantage by bypassing staff and leveraging their influence over County Administration,” said Ramirez.