Rick Scott Appoints Teresa Sarnoff to State Transportation Board

Turns out if you scratch Rick Scott’s back, he’ll scratch yours. The governor has now appointed failed Miami commission candidate Teresa Sarnoff to the state’s transportation commission. The move comes after Sarnoff and her husband Marc made a surprising endorsement of Scott during his last run for governor. 

Though Miami municipal politics is officially nonpartisan, both Sarnoffs weren’t secret about their affiliations as Democrats. However, back in 201,4 when Marc Sarnoff was sitting on the Miami commission, he made the baffling move of endorsing Scott alongside his wife. In a stuttering speech, Sarnoff pointed to Scott’s record on creating jobs and compared the governor’s stewardship of the Florida environment to Teddy Roosevelt. 

Marc Sarnoff’s time as commissioner for District 2 came to an end due to term limits this year and his wife ran to replace him. Her support of Scott certainly became something of an issue in the heavily Democratic district, and she suffered a stunning upset defeat at the hands of now-commissioner Ken Russell. 

However, her influence on public policy will continue. Teresa was the only new member appointed to the transportation commission by Scott last week. Though, she doesn’t have much of a record on transportation issues. She’s a real estate agent and president of End Homelessness Now. 

The Florida Transporation Commission is charged with providing “leadership in meeting Florida’s transportation needs through policy guidance on issues of statewide importance” and “maintaining oversight and public accountability for the Department of Transportation and other statutorily specified transportation authorities.” Members serve as volunteers but are given a per diem and paid for travel expenses to attend meetings. 

Scott had previously appointed Marc Sarnoff to the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Miami-Dade County.