ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy has sent State Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Manatee, Hillsborough) and State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R- Manatee, Sarasota) a written response to their continued push for a state-funded Island consolidation study, expressing his and the city commission’s partial support.
“We endorse the study and wish to actively participate going forward in its development. We heartily welcome new ideas which can both reduce taxes as well as provide expanded and enhanced services to our community,” Murphy wrote in the Sept. 29 letter. “With that being the stated goal of the study, you have our whole-hearted support with this effort. Our city opposes both governmental consolidation or de-annexation (elimination) of the local governments on our Island.”
Murphy’s letter serves as the city’s formal response to the Aug. 21 letter that Boyd and Robinson sent to the three Anna Maria Island mayors informing them that the legislators’ pursuit of a consolidation study conducted by Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) remains active. OPPAGA is a research arm of the Florida Legislature and provides data, evaluative research and objective analyses that assist legislators in their budget and policy deliberations.
STUDY DELAYED
Study requested
On Jan. 12, the Manatee County Legislative Delegation that consists of Boyd, Robinson, State Sen. Joe Gruters (R- Manatee, Sarasota), State Rep. Tommy Gregory (R- Manatee) and State Rep. Mike Beltran (R- Manatee, Hillsborough) unanimously supported requesting an OPPAGA consolidation study be conducted before the 2024 legislative session begins in January 2024.
On Jan. 19, the delegation members sent a letter to Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo requesting an OPPAGA study to be completed by Sept. 15.
“The study should focus on the potential benefits of combining the three municipalities of Anna Maria Island, which encompasses the cities of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach. The study should analyze the existing municipalities and present any and all options for future government structure on Anna Maria Island,” the delegation letter said.
That letter stated all three Island cities experienced significant population declines between 2000 and 2020, with Anna Maria’s population decreasing by 46%, Holmes Beach’s population decreasing by 39% and Bradenton Beach’s population decreasing by 39% during that 10-year period.
“If all three cities were combined, their population would bring the resident population to a state ranking of 478 out of 950,” the letter noted.
Study delayed
On Jan. 30, Boyd and Robinson met with Murphy, Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie and Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and agreed to give the mayors some time to develop ideas on how to consolidate some of the similar services each city provides.
On Aug. 21, Boyd and Robinson sent a letter to the three mayors informing them that the delegation was resuming its pursuit of an OPPAGA study. That letter stated the ma
yors had not presented any “implementable concepts” regarding the potential consolidation of police, building department and public works department services in order to help lower the rising property taxes paid by Anna Maria Island property owners.
“We tabled the OPPAGA study in good faith to allow you the time to find better ways of coordination and present such to the delegation. Unfortunately, we have not received any major update so far,” Boyd and Robinson stated in their letter. “Please be assured that the delegation, and the authors of this letter, have not made a decision on consolidation or de-annexation while we await your response. We would like to receive your response prior to our delegation meeting scheduled for Oct. 5. Should we not hear back from you before the delegation meeting, we will move forward with our request to OPPAGA.”
The Manatee County Legislative Delegation meeting will take place at Bradenton City Hall in downtown Bradenton on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
City’s response
Murphy first addressed Boyd and Robinson’s letter during the Aug. 24 Anna Maria City Commission meeting.
After noting that he met with Chappie and Titsworth earlier that day, he said, “Unanimously, we agreed that the right thing to do is to embrace this study. If this study can reduce our taxes, and if it could also enhance and improve the scope of services to the residents of this Island, we’re all in. The scope (of the study) should not be the consolidation or the elimination or the de-annexation of the three municipalities on this Island.”
According to Murphy, each of the three Island mayors are submitting their cities’ written responses to Boyd and Robinson.
In his Sept. 29 letter, Murphy addressed the loss of full-time residents referenced in the delegation’s letter to Passidomo.
“Even though our cities are small in permanent population, our actual population is six- and seven-fold higher in reality. With over 70% of our dwellings being upscale vacation rental homes, our real population continues to grow at a rapid exponential rate while our permanent resident population declines. We struggle to meet the demands and expectations for services to this growing upscale community and we feel this study will help us proactively meet those increased demands and expectations head-on,” Murphy wrote.
“On the other hand, our primary concern with governmental consolidation is a loss of our individuality. Each city on this Island presents a distinctly different environment to full-time residents and visitors alike. Speaking for the city of Anna Maria, we have long been, and we remain, a cultural and quiet residential bastion on the Island,” Murphy wrote.
His letter referenced the Island Players theater, the Anna Maria Island Historical Society and historical museum, The Center of Anna Maria Island and the City Pier as Anna Maria-based entities. It also mentioned the city-sponsored Veterans Day Parade, the Memorial Day veterans’ recognition ceremony, the seasonal farmers market and the free movies at City Pier Park that are unique to Anna Maria.
“These differentiators make our city a cultural and residential jewel for locals and visitors. Our concern is that all of these cultural differentiators would become lost through a governmental consolidation process,” Murphy wrote.
“Combining these three unique and culturally diverse communities into one ‘vanilla community’ would result in the loss of the most valuable asset our Island offers, our diverse cultural differences. One size would not fit all in this instance,” he wrote.
