At yesterday’s Sarasota County Legislative Delegation meeting at the Sarasota County Commission, Women’s Resource Center CEO Ashley Brown asked state legislators to put a social programs “benefits cliff” on their agendas. Social program benefit cliffs occur when a marginal increase in income results in a loss of public benefits. Brown contended that, each month, more than 250 women seek counseling and training from the Women’s Resource Center, and work hard to receive a workforce training credential only to realize they cannot afford to receive a pay increase because it results in a loss of benefits with a wage that is not livable. The current Florida benefit system, she said, does not provide for a gradual shift off funded programs as workers earn more money. Brown asked the legislators to implement changes to provide for a more gradual phase-out of benefits in order to help break the cycle of poverty in our community.

Sarasota County Legislative Priorities