ANNA MARIA – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommends that the county commission provide the city of Anna Maria with up to $2 million in tourist development tax revenues to help fund the replacement of the hurricane-damaged City Pier walkway.
Mayor Mark Short presented the city’s funding request during the June 16 TDC meeting at The Center of Anna Maria Island. Short said he’d present similar and additional funding requests to county commissioners and county staff during their meeting with the mayor and city commissioners on Wednesday, June 18 at the county administration building in Bradenton.
Controlled by county commissioners, tourist development tax revenues are generated by the 6% tax the county collects on hotel, motel, resort, condo and other vacation rental accommodations of six months or less. Last year, the tourist development tax generated more than $30 million for the county. Serving as an advisory board, the TDC members review tourist tax-related funding requests and make non-binding recommendations to the county commission.
Short said the estimated cost of the pier walkway replacement and repair project is $7 million to $9 million and he hopes to have the project completed by October 2026 if all goes well.
When addressing the TDC members, Short did not request a specific dollar amount, but the city presentation included in the meeting packet says the city plans to seek up to $3.1 million from the county for pier-related expenditures made in 2025 and up to an additional $4.9 million for pier-related expenditures in 2026.
Short said he’s trying to assemble a funding puzzle without yet having financial commitments in place from any outside funding sources. He said the city won’t know until July 1 whether Gov. Ron DeSantis approves or vetoes the city’s pier-related $1.25 million state appropriation request. He said the city hopes to receive approximately $4 million in pier-related FEMA reimbursements but he doesn’t know if, when or how much FEMA money the city will receive.
Short said the city has already spent $223,000 on the pier repair project and he estimates the city will incur an additional $1.1 million in pier-related expenses between now and September – including $239,500 for the demolition of the remaining pier walkway and around $800,000 to repair and remediate the T-end of the pier buildings that he said remain structurally sound. Short said these expenditures will impact the city’s cash flow and financial reserves.
Bradenton Mayor and TDC member Gene Brown asked Short how much the city plans to contribute.
“We know we’re going to have skin in the game,” Short said. “What exactly that number is, I can’t tell you at this point.”
Short said the city’s pier repair project and the county-funded installation of a Gulf Islands Ferry landing alongside the City Pier have to be treated as two separate stand-alone projects and for permitting reasons can’t be intermingled as a single project.
The TDC members sought assurances that the city will allow the county to install a ferry landing that can accommodate the larger boat being added to the ferry fleet later this year.
Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said a restrictive covenant that ensures the city’s approval of a ferry landing will be included in the funding agreement.
Falcione suggested the $2 million limit and the TDC members unanimously supported Brown’s motion to make that recommendation.
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