ANNA MARIA – The city will receive a $1.25 million state appropriation that will assist in the replacement of the Anna Maria City Pier walkway that sustained significant damage during Hurricane Milton last year.
Gov. Ron DeSantis did not veto the city’s appropriation request before signing Florida’s $117.4 billion 2025-26 fiscal year budget on June 30. Before signing the budget, DeSantis vetoed $567 million in line-item funding requests.
According to Mayor Mark Short, the city will have access to the $1.25 million when the state and city’s new fiscal years begin on Oct. 1.
The Local Funding Initiative Request form that Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) filed on the city’s behalf in early February originally sought $2.5 million, but that amount was reduced by 50% during the Florida Legislature’s 2025 session.
“Hurricane Milton destroyed the walkway of the Anna Maria City Pier, including all sewer, electrical and several pilings and has made the building at the end of the pier inoperable,” Boyd’s request form said. “The businesses and organizations that occupy the pier, including Mote Marine’s Educational Center, the Gulf Islands Ferry and the City Pier Grill are unable to provide any services due to the damage from the storm’s direct impacts.”
As part of his efforts to secure the $7 million to $9 million needed to complete the pier replacement project, Short anticipates Manatee County commissioners approving a $2 million funding request on July 29 when that Tourist Development Council-supported request is presented to county commissioners. If approved, the $2 million would come from tourist development tax revenues generated by the 6% tax the county levies on hotel, motel, resort and vacation rental stays of six months or less.
Short and the city also hope to receive up to $4 million in federal FEMA funds as reimbursement for the pier damage, but those funds are not guaranteed and remain uncertain.
The estimated pier replacement costs include approximately $800,000 to repair and remediate the flood-damaged but structurally sound city-owned buildings at the T-end of the pier. The pier buildings are currently leased to the City Pier Grill operators and Mote Marine and neither entity has officially confirmed their return to the pier when it reopens.
When meeting with Short and some of the city commissioners, Manatee County Commission Chair George Kruse expressed his personal support for the county fronting the city the additional funds needed to complete the pier project, especially if the FEMA funds are not received. Speaking for himself only, Kruse said the city would then be expected to repay some or all of those additional funds to the county.
Short told Kruse, county officials and TDC members that he hopes to complete the pier replacement project by October 2026.
Quality Marine recently demolished and removed what remained of the pier walkway. At some point soon, the city is expected to issue a request for proposals seeking bids from marine construction companies interested in building the new pier walkway and concrete support structure.
Related coverage:
City, county officials discuss pier replacement, ferry landing
