4970 CITY HALL BLVD  
NORTH PORT, FL 34286  
City of North Port  
Meeting Minutes  
City Commission Special Meeting  
CITY COMMISSIONERS  
Alice White, Mayor  
Phil Stokes, Vice Mayor  
Pete Emrich, Commissioner  
Barbara Langdon, Commissioner  
Debbie McDowell, Commissioner  
APPOINTED OFFICIALS  
Jerome Fletcher, City Manager  
Michael Golen, Interim City Attorney  
Heather Faust, City Clerk  
Saturday, November 16, 2024  
10:00 AM  
City Commission Chambers  
Assumption of Office  
CALL TO ORDER  
Mayor White called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.  
ROLL CALL  
7 -  
Present:  
Commissioner Debbie McDowell, Commissioner Pete Emrich, Mayor Alice White,  
Vice Mayor Philip Stokes, Commissioner Barbara Langdon, Commissioner David  
Duval and Commissioner Demetrius Petrow  
ALSO PRESENT:  
City Manager Fletcher, Interim City Attorney Golen, City Clerk Faust, Assistant City  
Clerk Powell, Deputy Police Chief Morales, and Fire Chief Titus.  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Valerie Sanderson.  
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:  
Mayor White requested a motion to approve the agenda.  
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Stokes, seconded by Commissioner Langdon,  
to approve the agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously by voice  
vote.  
2. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
Victor Dobrin: spoke to debris clean up concerns.  
Jill Luke: spoke to public service experience and expressed gratitude to outgoing  
Commissioners.  
3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF ELECTION RESULTS:  
24-1518  
Announcement of the November 5, 2024 General Election Results  
A.  
Mayor White announced the item and requested the City Clerk to announce the election  
results.  
Ms. Faust read the results of the North Port General Election held on November 5, 2024  
into the record as follows:  
North Port District 1 – The whole number of votes cast was 40,951.  
Demetrius Petrow received 22,659 votes.  
Alice White received 18,292 votes.  
North Port District 2 – The whole number of votes cast was 40,440.  
Barbara Langdon received 23,777 votes.  
Josh Smith received 16,663 votes.  
North Port District 3 – The whole number of votes cast was 39,936.  
David Duval received 21,335 votes.  
Andrew Sias received 18,601 votes.  
North Port Referendum Question 1 regarding allowing the City Commission to issue debt  
payable from funds other than property taxes without voter approval for safety or public  
health up to a maximum principal amount of $15,000,000 increasing annually based on  
the Engineering News and Record Construction Cost Index and to respond to a declared  
emergency or disaster:  
Yes – received 21,610 votes.  
No – received 21,916 votes.  
There was no public comment.  
Mayor White requested a motion.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner Langdon, seconded by Commissioner  
McDowell, to accept the election results as presented. The motion carried  
unanimously by voice vote.  
4. RECOGNITION OF OUTGOING COMMISSIONERS:  
24-1520  
Presentation of Plaque and Commissioner Statement  
A.  
Mayor White announced the item and called on Commissioners to step down from dais.  
Vice Mayor Stokes presented a plaque to Mayor White for her service as Mayor.  
Vice Mayor Stokes, Commissioner McDowell, Commissioner Emrich and Commissioner  
Langdon expressed gratitude to Mayor White for her service.  
Mayor White presented a plaque to Commissioner McDowell for her service.  
Commissioner McDowell thanked the community and staff and expressed gratitude to the  
Commission.  
Vice Mayor Stokes presented a plaque to Mayor White for her service.  
Mayor White thanked the community and staff and expressed gratitude to the  
Commission.  
There was no public comment.  
5. OATH OF OFFICE:  
24-1521  
A.  
Oath of Office for Newly Elected Commissioner and Commissioner  
Statement  
Vice Mayor Stokes announced the item.  
Ms. Faust administered the Oath of Office to Commissioner Petrow.  
Commissioner Petrow thanked the community and supporters.  
Ms. Faust administered the Oath of Office to Commissioner Langdon.  
Commissioner Langdon thanked the community and supporters.  
Ms. Faust administered the Oath of Office to Commissioner Duval.  
Commissioner Duval thanked the community and supporters.  
Vice Mayor Stokes called on Commissioners to take their seats on the dais.  
There was no public comment.  
ELECTION OF MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR:  
24-1522  
Election of Mayor and Vice Mayor  
B.  
Vice Mayor Stokes announced the item and called for nominations for Mayor.  
Commissioner Langdon nominated Commissioner Stokes to serve as Mayor and with no  
other nominations, the nominations were closed.  
Vice Mayor Stokes requested a motion.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner Langdon, seconded by Commissioner  
Emrich, to elect Commissioner Stokes as Mayor. The motion carried unanimously  
by voice vote.  
Mayor Stokes called for nominations for Vice Mayor.  
Commissioner Langdon nominated Commissioner Emrich to serve as Vice Mayor and  
with no other nominations, the nominations were closed.  
Mayor Stokes requested a motion.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Langdon, seconded by Commissioner Duval,  
to elect Commissioner Emrich as Vice Mayor. The motion carried unanimously by  
voice vote.  
There was no public comment.  
6. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
Debbie McDowell: expressed congratulations to newly elected Commissioners and  
thanked family.  
Pam Tokarz: expressed congratulations to newly elected Commissioners.  
Victor Dobrin: expressed congratulations to newly elected Commissioners and spoke to  
policy suggestions.  
Jill Luke: expressed congratulations to newly elected Commissioners.  
7. ADJOURNMENT:  
Mayor Stokes adjourned the meeting at 10:40 a.m.  
City of North Port, Florida  
By:  
_________________________________________  
Phil Stokes, Mayor  
Attest: _________________________________________  
Heather Faust, City Clerk