Anna Maria: The Year in Review
ANNA MARIA – The reconstruction of the Anna Maria City Pier, the ongoing recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the short-lived Bean Point no-swim zone were among the top stories in Anna Maria in 2025.
Pier reconstruction
Throughout the year, Mayor Mark Short and the Anna Maria city commissioners repeatedly said getting the hurricane-damaged City Pier walkway replaced and getting the pier fully reopened by the fall of 2026 was the city’s top priority.
In early June, Gov. Ron DeSantis approved the state budget that included a $1.5 million appropriation for the pier reconstruction project. In mid-June, the Manatee County Tourist Development Council recommended Manatee County Commission approval for the county to provide up to $2 million in tourist development tax revenues for the pier reconstruction project.
In late June, Quality Marine Construction completed the demolition of what remained of the pier walkway that was mostly destroyed by Hurricane Milton.
In late September, the city commission unanimously supported Short’s recommendation to enter into a $4.64 million base contract with Tampa Bay Marine for the construction of the new pier walkway to be built atop solid concrete pilings similar to those that support the still-standing buildings at the T-end of the pier.
Tampa Bay Marine began driving the new pilings in late November. As of Dec. 26, most of the pilings had been driven and they will soon be trimmed to their final height. The Tampa Bay Marine contract calls for the new pier walkway is to be completed by March 31.
Ferry landing
Throughout the year, city and county officials engaged in several discussions pertaining to the county-funded installation of a new Gulf Islands Ferry landing alongside the new City Pier walkway. No final design decisions have been made yet, and those discussions remain ongoing, but there is preliminary city commission consensus to allow some type of ferry stop at the pier when it reopens.
County officials seek a City Pier ferry landing that will accommodate the new, partially enclosed, 100,000-pound, 96-passenger Manatee Belle ferry boat that recently arrived and is expected to go into service at some point in January – joining the fleet that already includes two 49-passenger pontoon boats.
County officials expect to soon implement a ferry stop at the Coquina Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach and in 2026 they hope to implement additional ferry stops in Holmes Beach and Palmetto too.
No-swim zone
On Sept. 2, Mayor Short implemented a temporary no-swim zone at Bean Point in response to a fatal drowning that occurred on Aug. 31 and multiple other water rescues that occurred in the dangerous Bean Point rip currents that month.
On Sept. 11, city commissioners adopted a 60-day emergency ordinance that temporarily formalized the no-swim zone. When doing so, the commission created a swimming exemption for a limited number of Bean Point homeowners and property owners.
On Sept. 15, Short vetoed the emergency ordinance because allowing some homeowners to continue swimming, while prohibiting others from doing the same, created enforcement inconsistencies.
On Sept. 25, new signs were installed at Bean Point that say, “Warning. Dangerous Currents. Swim at Your Own Risk. No Lifeguards.”
Hurricane recovery
In January, more than 300 Build Back the Beach volunteers planted nearly 30,000 native plants along the hurricane-ravaged Anna Maria shoreline between Bean Point and Sycamore Avenue.
On Oct. 4, the temporary post office trailer at City Pier Park closed (and was later removed) and on Oct. 6 the Anna Maria Post Office reopened in its regular location at 101B South Bay Boulevard.
Events return
Serving as a replacement for the city-hosted farmers market at City Pier Park, the non-city-run Anna Maria Community Farmers Market opened at The Center of Anna Maria Island in January and continued each Tuesday through the end of the spring season.
After a summer hiatus, the Tuesday market resumed in October at its new location on the grounds of the Roser Church.
Many of the annual community events cancelled in 2024 due to the hurricanes returned in 2025, including Bayfest, the “Old Soldiers & Sailors” Veterans Day parade and recognition ceremony, The Anna Maria Island Historical Society’s Heritage Day celebration and the recent Holiday of Treasures Open House along Pine Avenue. The city also started hosted monthly City Block Parties at City Pier Park.
During each event, Mayor Short said it was another sign of things returning to normal after the 2024 hurricanes.
The Center and the Bradenton Area Visitors and Convention Bureau brought several concerts to the area in 2025, including The Wailers, Kansas and The Outlaws (in Palmetto) and Blue Öyster Cult.
Comings and goings
In January, John Lynch was appointed to fill the city commission seat Jon Crane vacated in late 2024.
In November, Lynch, Kathy Morgan-Johnson and Charlie Salem earned additional two-year terms in office after running unopposed in the fall election cycle.
In March, Palmetto resident Amber LaRowe was named the new city clerk after the mayor and commission decided to separate the clerk and city treasurer positions. Previous city clerk LeAnne Addy continued serving as treasurer until her departure in mid-November.
In September, contracted building official Craig Greene was dismissed and later replaced by former Anna Maria Building Official David Gilson.
In April, David Johnson and Christine Aaron were appointed to the planning and zoning board. Don Buswell-Charkow was also appointed to the board in 2025.
In August, planning and zoning board chairman Dave Haddox vacated his advisory board seat because he and his wife, Marsha McAllister, were moving to the Blue Ridge, Georgia area.
In November, the planning board selected member Jeff Rodencal to chair the board for the coming year.
In October, former Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria Unit leader Sgt. Russell Schnering retired as the leader of the county’s Marine Patrol unit.
