MANATEE COUNTY, FL (July 27, 2023) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Raymond Turner to the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), effective August 1, 2023. Turner will take over the unexpired term of District Five Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who announced her resignation for family reasons last month.
“I’m honored to be appointed by Governor DeSantis,” said Turner. “I will do the very best job I can to serve the people of Manatee County. After orientation, I look forward to hitting the ground running to keep Manatee County free, our economy thriving, our taxes low and our quality of life ever-improving.”
A resident of Manatee County for over 20 years, Turner has been active in the community and serves on the Planning Commission for Manatee County and is the Secretary of the Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association. Born in Australia and educated in England and Canada, he began his real estate career in 1991, selling custom homes, and soon transitioned into many facets of the industry, including real estate finance, international marketing and executive management. Turner attended Seneca College.
“I want to extend a warm welcome to Commissioner Turner,” said Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge. “We are looking forward to continuing the great work our board is doing for the taxpayers of Manatee County with him by our side.”
Turner will be sworn in at the start of the BOCC Workshop on August 1, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. There will be a brief interview opportunity with the new commissioner immediately following the ceremony.