U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan Changes Town Hall Venue

SARASOTA, FL — Concerns about having enough room to accommodate residents who want to attend U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s upcoming town hall meeting have prompted a venue change. The event will still take place on March 18, but it’s moving to a different location.

“We moved the event to a new location to accommodate a larger audience,” said Buchanan spokeswoman Gretchen Andersen, “We want to make sure everybody gets a chance to attend and is not turned away for lack of seats.”

The town hall, the 75th Buchanan’s held since he took office, will now be staged at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, at 11 a.m. March 18. The venue can accommodate more than 1,700 people, making it a more suitable choice than New College's auditorium, Buchanan’s office said.

Buchanan had originally planned to host a town hall in early April, but advanced the schedule in light of an impending vote on the American Health Care Act. House Speaker Paul Ryan has indicated his desire to set a vote on the proposed Obamacare replacement before April.

“With Congress moving quicker than expected on health care, I wanted to make sure my constituents had a chance to be heard and voice their opinion,” Buchanan said in a Wednesday statement. “I’ve held 74 town halls over the years and look forward to hearing what people have to say.”

Buchanan’s town hall comes as other elected officials have shied away from hosting their own, or have found their events disrupted by protesters. Buchanan's district covers portions of Sarasota, Manatee and Hillsborough counties.

Residents in Buchanan’s Florida District 16 can RSVP for the town hall online.

Photo of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan courtesy of the U.S. House of Representatives