Statement: Facts, Accountability and Respect for One Another

Statement: Facts, Accountability and Respect for One Another

Published on October 20, 2026

A Statement from City Manager Jerome Fletcher

The City of North Port recognizes and respects the community's concerns about data centers and the future of development in our city. Those concerns deserve thoughtful consideration, factual information and meaningful public discussion. But they do not justify threats, harassment or the spread of unfounded allegations against the public servants responsible for administering our laws.

The recent resignation of Development Services Director Alaina Ray is a tremendous loss for the City and our community. It is also deeply troubling that a public servant who dedicated her career to local government has said she no longer feels safe living in the community she calls home.

Public servants should expect scrutiny. Residents have every right to question our decisions, challenge our policies and demand accountability. But there is a clear difference between holding government accountable and engaging in personal attacks, intimidation or the promotion of harmful conspiracy theories without evidence.

What we have witnessed surrounding Director Ray has crossed that line.

No one should fear for their safety or their family's safety because of the work they do for the public. Disagreement with government policy does not excuse harassment, threats or intimidation. It's shameful that this happened in our community. But it is the driving reason for this departure - and to imply anything else is false.

Setting the record straight

Much of the online speculation about Director Ray focuses on her previous employment in Loudoun County, Virginia, an area known for its concentration of data centers. Some have used that connection to suggest she somehow brought data center developers to North Port, facilitated a project for improper reasons or personally benefited from it.

These are serious implications, and they should not be treated as facts simply because someone on Facebook connects unrelated information and invites the public to draw conclusions.

Director Ray has stated publicly that she did not bring data center developers to North Port and has not even spoken with a data center developer since joining the City. Her previous employment in a community with a data center industry that was already thriving for more than 10 years before she ever worked there is not evidence of misconduct, collusion or personal financial benefit. To imply otherwise is not only incorrect, but negligent and malicious.

There is no factual basis for claims that Director Ray or any other City employees conspired to bring a data center to North Port or personally benefited from the proposed project.

If anyone has credible evidence of misconduct, there are appropriate channels for reporting it and seeking review. The City takes legitimate allegations seriously, and the state has ethics laws in place to address them. It is highly irresponsible to present speculation, coincidences or insinuations as proof of wrongdoing.

Such claims can cause lasting professional and personal harm, affect families and undermine public trust. Those who aspire to be leaders and are running for public office in this city have a particular responsibility to ensure their words and actions do not amplify unsubstantiated allegations.

We should expect more from ourselves and from those who seek the public's trust.

Understanding development in North Port

North Port is a rapidly growing community with a unique history. As a largely pre-platted city that has surpassed 100,000 residents, we have the demographics, available land, proximity to Interstate 75 and other advantages that make us ripe for continued population and economic growth. These conditions would make any city attractive for investment, regardless of who holds a particular position in local government.

Growth brings opportunity, but it also raises legitimate questions about infrastructure, water resources, traffic, environmental protection and public safety. Those questions deserve serious attention.

It is equally important to understand how development decisions are made.

The state of Florida affords property owners and developers with many rights. They may propose projects and seek to attract businesses to their properties. City staff then evaluate applications under applicable state law, the Comprehensive Plan, the Unified Land Development Code and other relevant regulations set in place by our elected officials and policymakers. Some decisions are administrative when established criteria are met; others require public hearings or decisions by the City Commission.

Staff cannot simply reject a proposal because a particular business or industry is unpopular with some members of the community, or even a large majority. Their responsibility is to apply the laws and policies in effect. The elected City Commission establishes policy and adopts regulations, while staff administer those requirements and provide professional advice.

Residents can and should advocate for changes when existing regulations no longer meet community needs. But assigning improper motives to individual employees without evidence does not improve the process or help us make better decisions.

Data centers are a broader challenge

North Port is not alone in confronting the rapid growth of the data center industry. Communities throughout Florida and across the country are currently evaluating proposals, reconsidering regulations and weighing potential impacts, just like North Port. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other digital services has created new demands and challenges that many local governments are only now working to address.

This is an evolving industry, and it is reasonable to ask whether our regulations adequately address its potential impacts.

The City Commission has approved a temporary moratorium on data center development in North Port while the City evaluates the issue and considers potential regulatory changes - just as many of our neighboring cities and counties and other communities across the nation have done recently. That work provides an opportunity to examine questions involving location, compatibility, infrastructure, water resources, environmental impacts and public safety.

We should approach this process with credible information, appropriate expertise and meaningful public participation.

The existence of data center proposals across the country does not mean every project is appropriate for every community or that a project in North Port must be the result of a conspiracy involving City employees with a secret agenda.

Our responsibility is to evaluate the facts, understand the potential impacts and determine what regulations best serve North Port's future.

The Unified Land Development Code: Understanding the timeline

Director Ray has also been criticized for the City's Unified Land Development Code, or ULDC, particularly because it created more opportunities for commercial and multi-family housing and did not include specific regulations for data centers.

The comprehensive rewrite began in 2015, years before Director Ray joined North Port. It involved many more years of staff work, public meetings, revisions and consideration by the Planning and Zoning Advisory Board and City Commission. The Commission adopted the updated code in August 2024.

The ULDC modernized development regulations, updated zoning districts and the zoning map, revised development review procedures and strengthened environmental protection. It addressed community concerns about a lack of affordable housing and the need for an expanded and balanced commercial tax base to relieve the property tax burden on homeowners. It was a long-term institutional effort shaped by policy direction and more than 30 public meetings, not a project created by Director Ray alone.

It is fair to ask whether the code adequately addresses emerging industries like data centers. That is part of the work now underway during the moratorium. But the absence of specific rules for data centers in the ULDC - which began years before data centers were widely viewed as a public concern - is not, by itself, evidence of improper intent.

Regulations must evolve as industries and technologies change. The City is now evaluating what additional provisions may be appropriate for data centers, and that work should proceed on its merits.

Addressing questions about nondisclosure agreements

We recognize that nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, have raised significant questions about transparency. Residents deserve clear information about what was known, when it was known and what the law permits the City to disclose.

The public record provides important context.

During a City Commission workshop on Dec. 1, 2025, staff publicly discussed NDAs involving prospective economic development activities. When Commissioner Petrow asked about property in Activity Center 6, staff explained that ownership information was public record, but details about the owner's proposed plans are subject to an NDA. You can view that meeting online, specifically here and here.

Director Ray has also stated that four of the five Commissioners were informed during individual briefings on Feb. 12 and 13, 2026, at City Hall that the NDA relating to the approximately 400-acre property in Activity Center 6 specifically involved a data center. Mayor Emrich was unavailable for those briefings. According to Director Ray's recollection, this was one of several topics discussed, and none of the commissioners involved raised a concern at that time.

Florida law, including Section 288.075, Florida Statutes, provides confidentiality protections for certain qualifying economic development information when statutory requirements are met. The City follows the law.

In 2021, the City Commission approved a standard NDA template for qualifying economic development discussions and authorizing the City Manager or designee to execute agreements using it. On Sept. 8, 2026, the Commission directed the City Manager to prepare an ordinance discontinuing the City's use of that template.

We are following that direction, and a second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2026. But it would not eliminate the confidentiality protections already required by state law. Questions about NDAs deserve factual answers and appropriate scrutiny, not assumptions about individual employees' motives.

Protecting public servants and moving forward

During her five years with North Port, Director Ray helped advance Development Services, including the creation of a Natural Resources Division, the launch of online permitting, support for important health care facilities and other businesses coming to the city, and more.

No employee is beyond scrutiny, and legitimate concerns about government conduct deserve appropriate review. But a public servant's record should not be dismissed, nor their character impugned, based on unsupported allegations.

The City is aware of social media comments and emails that include threats, harassment and intimidation directed at our employees. Where warranted, we will consult with legal counsel and refer matters to law enforcement or take other appropriate action to protect our staff and their families.

We will not discourage lawful criticism, peaceful protest, public comment or good-faith questions about City decisions. Those are essential to a healthy democracy. But threats and targeted harassment are not acceptable consequences of public employment.

North Port is at an important point in its growth. Our residents are asking serious questions about development, infrastructure, environmental protection and the kind of community we want to become. We have a responsibility to hear those concerns, examine the facts and provide meaningful opportunities for public involvement.

We will continue evaluating data center regulations, following the Commission's policy direction and administering development requirements fairly and consistently. We will continue to hold employees to high standards of professionalism and ethical conduct while protecting them from unfounded accusations and intimidation.

We can disagree. We can demand answers. We can change policies when they no longer serve our community. But we cannot allow rumor, fear and personal attacks to replace facts, accountability and civil discourse.

The City of North Port belongs to its residents. Its future should be shaped through informed public participation, thoughtful decisions and respect for the people who serve this community.

We owe our residents the facts, our employees a safe and respectful workplace and our community a commitment to move forward guided by evidence, accountability and the public interest.

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