4970 CITY HALL BLVD  
NORTH PORT, FL 34286  
City of North Port  
Meeting Minutes  
City Commission Special Meeting  
CITY COMMISSIONERS  
Phil Stokes, Mayor  
Pete Emrich, Vice Mayor  
Barbara Langdon, Commissioner  
David Duval, Commissioner  
Demetrius Petrow, Commissioner  
APPOINTED OFFICIALS  
Jerome Fletcher, City Manager  
Michael Golen, Interim City Attorney  
Heather Faust, City Clerk  
Thursday, September 18, 2025  
5:01 PM  
City Commission Chambers  
Budget Special Meeting  
CALL TO ORDER  
Mayor Stokes called the meeting to order at 5:01 p.m.  
ROLL CALL  
5 -  
Present:  
Vice Mayor Pete Emrich, Commissioner David Duval, Commissioner Demetrius  
Petrow, Commissioner Barbara Langdon and Mayor Philip Stokes  
Also Present:  
City Manager Fletcher, Interim City Attorney Golen, City Clerk Faust, Deputy Police  
Chief Morales, Deputy Fire Chief Herlihy  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Solid Waste Manager Frank Lama.  
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
Mayor Stokes requested a motion to approve the agenda.  
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Emrich, seconded by Commissioner Langdon,  
to approve the agenda as presented. The motion carried on the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Vice Mayor Emrich, Commissioner Duval, Commissioner Petrow, Commissioner  
Langdon and Mayor Stokes  
2. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
Ms. Faust read the following eComment into the record:  
Debbie McDowell: Spoke to funding of Police Department positions.  
Hannah Rose: Spoke to sexual offender and predator residency and activity restriction.  
In Person:  
Valdy Olender: Spoke to concerns with corruption and budget.  
3. PUBLIC HEARINGS:  
ORDINANCE - Second Reading:  
A. ORD. NO.  
An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Activating  
a
Communications Department; Providing for Findings; Providing for  
Conflicts; Providing for Severability; and Providing an Effective Date.  
2025-26  
Mayor Stokes announced the item and called on the City Clerk to read by title only.  
Ms. Faust read the Ordinance by title only.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item.  
There were no Commission questions or discussion.  
There was no public comment.  
Mayor Stokes closed the public hearing and requested a motion.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Langdon, seconded by Vice Mayor Emrich,  
to adopt Ordinance No. 2025-26 as presented. The motion failed on the following  
vote:  
3 - Vice Mayor Emrich, Commissioner Langdon and Mayor Stokes  
2 - Commissioner Duval and Commissioner Petrow  
Yes:  
No:  
B. ORD. NO.  
An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Activating an Information  
Technology Department; Providing for Findings; Providing for Conflicts;  
Providing for Severability; and Providing an Effective Date.  
2025-27  
Mayor Stokes announced the item and called on the City Clerk to read by title only.  
Ms. Faust read the Ordinance by title only.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item.  
There were no Commission questions or discussion.  
There was no public comment.  
Mayor Stokes closed the public hearing and requested a motion.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Langdon, seconded by Vice Mayor Emrich,  
to adopt Ordinance No 2025-27 as presented. The motion failed on the following  
vote:  
3 - Vice Mayor Emrich, Commissioner Langdon and Mayor Stokes  
2 - Commissioner Duval and Commissioner Petrow  
Yes:  
No:  
C. ORD. NO.  
An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Adopting the Ad Valorem  
Millage Rate and Rolled-Back Rate for the Fiscal Year Beginning October  
1, 2025, and Ending September 30, 2026; Providing for Findings;  
2025-24  
Providing for Conflicts; Providing for Severability; and Providing an  
Effective Date.  
Mayor Stokes announced the item and called on the City Clerk to read by title and  
required sections.  
Ms. Faust read the Ordinance title and Sections 2.01 and 2.02.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item and read reason as to why the ad valorem tax revenues  
are increasing into the record.  
There were no Commission questions or discussion.  
There was no public comment.  
Mayor Stokes closed the public hearing and requested a motion.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Duval, seconded by Commissioner Langdon,  
to adopt Ordinance No 2025-24 as presented. The motion carried on the following  
vote: all yes  
5 -  
Yes:  
Vice Mayor Emrich, Commissioner Duval, Commissioner Petrow, Commissioner  
Langdon and Mayor Stokes  
D. ORD. NO.  
An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Adopting the Non-District  
Budget for the Fiscal Year Beginning October 1, 2025, and Ending  
September 30, 2026; Adopting the Capital Improvement Budget and  
Program; Prescribing the Terms, Conditions, and Provisions with Respect  
to the Items of Appropriations and Their Payment; Providing for  
2025-25  
Supplemental  
Appropriations  
and  
Reappropriations;  
Providing  
for  
Findings; Providing for Posting of the Budgets; Providing for Conflicts:  
Providing for Severability; and Providing an Effective Date.  
Mayor Stokes announced the item and called on the City Clerk to read by title only.  
Ms. Faust read the Ordinance by title only.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item.  
There were no Commission questions or discussion.  
There was no public comment.  
Mayor Stokes closed the public hearing and requested a motion.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Langdon, seconded by Vice Mayor Emrich,  
to adopt Ordinance No 2025-25 as amended to exclude budget proposals for the  
Information Technology and Communications Divisions elevation to Departments.  
The motion carried on the following vote with Commissioner Petrow dissenting due  
to there not being $3 million in cuts as requested by Commission.  
4 -  
Yes:  
No:  
Vice Mayor Emrich, Commissioner Duval, Commissioner Langdon and Mayor  
Stokes  
1 - Commissioner Petrow  
4. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
There was no public comment.  
5. ADJOURNMENT:  
Mayor Stokes adjourned the meeting at 5:18 p.m.  
City of North Port, Florida  
By: ___________________________________________  
Phil Stokes, Mayor  
Attest: _________________________________________  
Heather Faust, City Clerk