MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh has submitted her resignation after more than a decade on the job.
She explained in an email to her fellow commissioners that she's stepping back to spend more time with her family.
“Commissioners, the day has come to announce my retirement from the Manatee County BOCC. One thing I have come to realize is that one of the most important things in life is family. This week has reinforced that it is time to take care of my husband (Don Baugh), children and grandchildren and to be a bigger part of their lives," Baugh wrote in the email obtained by WWSB.
The Republican commissioner has held the District 5 seat representing Lakewood Ranch since she was first elected in 2012. She leaves with more than a year and a half left of her term.
Baugh made national headlines in 2021 after an ethics complaint was lodged against her for arranging a controversial COVID-19 vaccine site and "VIP list" during the height of the pandemic.
She eventually admitted to selecting two specific ZIP codes for a pop-up vaccination site in February 2021 and asking to put herself and four others on the list to get the shot before it was widely available.
Baugh previously expressed remorse over her actions saying, “I want to apologize to all the residents who I have disappointed in any action that I’ve taken according to some news outlets."
In January, she was fined $8,000 by the Florida Commission of Ethics in a settlement of the complaint.
Despite the controversy, Baugh was narrowly selected in April by her fellow commissioners to serve as chair of the board for a third time. But it was short-lived — less than two days later, they voted to oust her and reinstate Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge to the position.
Gov. Ron DeSantis will select a replacement for Baugh to serve out the rest of her term.
