ANNA MARIA ISLAND – On Aug. 28, the three Anna Maria Island mayors received an OPPAGA-related letter from State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) and State Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton).
Addressed to Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie, Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short and Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth, the two-page letter references the 25-page Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) study referred to locally as the “consolidation study.”
State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. – Submitted
The letter begins by saying, “Over the past year, we’ve all worked through tremendous challenges as our communities continue recovering from the impacts of recent storms. We remain grateful for your leadership and for the dedication you’ve shown to your residents and businesses during these difficult times.
State Sen. Jim Boyd . – Submitted
“As we prepare for the 2026 Legislative Session, we want to follow up on our previous correspondence concerning the OPPAGA study and the discussions we initiated last year about streamlining services and improving efficiencies among the three Island cities. We recognize that recovery efforts have demanded much of your attention, but these conversations remain critical for the residents and taxpayers of Anna Maria Island.”
OPPAGA study
On Jan. 9, the Island mayors and city commissioners were provided with copies of the 25-page OPPAGA study completed at the request of Robinson, Boyd and the other state legislators that make up the Manatee County Legislative Delegation.
The OPPAGA study analyzed four “Options for Restructuring Local Governance” but did not recommend a specific consolidation option to pursue. The four consolidation options were:
“Leave Anna Maria Island structure as is;”
“Combine the existing three cities on Anna Maria Island into one new city;”
“Include the Island as part of unincorporated Manatee County;” and
“Combine the three existing cities on Anna Maria Island with the city of Bradenton.”
The study also analyzed “Options for Streamlining Services” that might include consolidating some of the public services currently provided independently by all three Island cities, including law enforcement, public works, building departments and permitting services.
The completed OPPAGA study was accompanied by a two-page letter Robinson and Boyd sent the three Island mayors on Jan. 9.
Regarding the potential consolidation-related elimination of the existing height restrictions currently set forth in the Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach city charters (which can only be changed by the registered voters in those cities), the January Robinson-Boyd letter said, “Merging or eliminating cities could negatively impact the unique and special character of the Island and could have a detrimental impact on issues like building height.”
Instead of seeking the consolidation of the three cities, the legislator’s January letter urged city officials in all three cities to identify services that could be consolidated and streamlined in hopes of reducing property taxes for Anna Maria Island property owners.
August letter
Revisiting the consolidation of services, the Aug. 28 letter says, “Given the broader budget environment and the legislature’s continued emphasis on efficiency and accountability, we need a clearer understanding of where things stand before we move into the appropriations process in Tallahassee. Specifically, we would appreciate an update on:
“1. Any steps taken since the OPPAGA study to explore shared services or cost-saving measures.
“2. Efforts to coordinate operations across the three cities to reduce duplication and improve efficiency.
“3. How these priorities are reflected in your budgets and planning moving forward.
“As you know, the upcoming session will involve many competing priorities for state funding. While we remain committed to supporting Anna Maria Island and its recovery, we need to understand what progress has been made at the local level to ensure we are working toward the same goals.
“We respectfully request that you provide us with an update by October 1st, 2025, so we can consider these matters as we enter the appropriations process. We value your partnership and remain committed to preserving the unique character of Anna Maria Island while ensuring the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
“Thank you for your continued leadership and service. We look forward to your timely response,” the letter signed by Robinson and Boyd says in conclusion.
The Manatee County Legislative Delegation will hold its annual meeting on Monday, Oct. 27 in the Bradenton City Commission chambers at 101 Old Main St. W. in downtown Bradenton from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The meeting is open to the public and provides the delegation members an opportunity to discuss their legislative intentions for the Florida Legislature’s 2026 legislative session.
HOLMES BEACH – The mayor and city commissioners had plenty to say about the recently released OPPAGA consolidation study and former Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge.
The 25-page consolidation study report compiled by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability was provided to the Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach mayors on Jan. 8.
The report was accompanied by a two-page letter dated Jan. 9 and signed by State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. and State Sen. Jim Boyd – the state legislators who led the Manatee County Legislative Delegation’s pursuit of the consolidation study formally requested in January 2023.
The letter includes a statement that suggests that consolidation of the three Island cities is no longer a viable consideration: “The OPPAGA study confirms what we have discussed over the past year. Merging or eliminating cities could negatively impact the unique and special character of the Island and could have a detrimental impact on issues like building height.”
The OPPAGA study analyzed four potential consolidation options and the pros and cons of each option. The report included no recommendations or findings as to which consolidation option should be pursued. The report also contains detailed information about each city’s finances, public services provided, decreasing permanent resident population and more.
The state legislators’ consolidation study request partially stemmed from a beach parking dispute between Holmes Beach city officials and Van Ostenbridge and his desire to build a three-story parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach.
Having lost his at-large District 7 election bid in November 2024, Van Ostenbridge is no longer a county commissioner. Tal Siddique now represents Anna Maria Island as the county’s District 3 commissioner.
Commissioner Terry Schaefer expressed his disappointment with the state legislators who requested the consolidation study. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
City Commissioner Terry Schaefer was the first to mention the OPPAGA study during the commission’s Jan. 14 meeting.
“I thought it was unfortunate that leadership on the delegation did not mention the conclusion of the report in their cover letter to our three mayors indicating there will be no consolidation. I thought the public deserved to hear their recommendation would not include any consolidation efforts,” he said.
Commissioner Carol Whitmore opposes the consolidation of the cities but she sees some value in the completed study.
“I loved the data, the information. It gave me a good picture of what the other two cities are doing, how much population we’ve lost and the other options,” she said.
Schaefer agreed the study provides some useful information but the conclusion to not consolidate the Island cities was something city officials and Island residents knew and supported all along.
“In this case, facts prevailed and we can now focus on the betterment of our city and our Island in general,” Schaefer said.
Commission Chair Dan Diggins succinctly said, “Hopefully, we can just turn the OPPAGA page.”
Mayor Judy Titsworth said, “I sleep better at night. We all know what was really behind the OPPAGA study. This was wrong, but the commissioner (Van Ostenbridge) was probably the worst district representative we’ve had in the history of our city. He was vengeful and thank God he’s gone. We are so lucky to have someone like Tal. We couldn’t ask for a nicer, more committed representative for our city.”
Titsworth also noted there’s not enough support among current county commissioners to continue the pursuit of the now-defunded parking garage.
“I’m so glad that’s behind us as well,” she said.
When the OPPAGA study came up again later in the meeting, Titsworth said, “Everything’s positive from here on out. I believe they’re going to quit picking on us.”
She then thanked the city officials, residents and community members who opposed consolidation and the parking garage.
Whitmore said she served with one of Van Ostenbridge’s uncles many years ago, during her previous tenure as a city commissioner.
“KVO is not the Van Ostenbridge family that I know,” she said.
She also served on the county commission with Van Ostenbridge.
“I will never forgive that man for what he did to all of us,” she said.
Commissioner Carol Soustek mentioned the concern and uncertainty the study created for city employees. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Commissioner Carol Soustek said, “The people who initiated this OPPAGA study did not take into account the effect it had on so many people’s personal lives. All the city employees were upset. They thought they were going to lose their jobs. It was unnecessary, vindictive and I was very disappointed in the elected leaders.”
Soustek applauded the stand taken by Titsworth and the Holmes Beach commission. She also thanked Hands Across the Sand director and consolidation protest organizer Barbara Ehren and all those who opposed the consolidation of the Island cities.
“I’m very happy to see the results, but it’s exactly what the mayor was saying all along,” Soustek said. “It was a degrading thing to go through for the cities when they had so many other things they needed to do. It put a black mark on the judgment of Tallahassee (state legislators). I was very disappointed,” she said.
ANNA MARIA – Newly-elected Mayor Mark Short presided over an emotional farewell ceremony for longtime Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy.
Due to a health issue, Murphy did not attend the ceremony that occurred during the city’s commission’s Nov. 19 swearing-in ceremony and organizational meeting.
Dan Murphy occupied the mayor’s seat for a decade. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy’s wife, Barb, read a statement from her husband that said, “I want to thank the residents of our beautiful city for giving me the privilege of serving as your mayor for 10 challenging years. I also give special thanks to my staff, the commission, the county and our state for your help through ‘thick and thin,’ six hurricanes and a pandemic. It has all been a rewarding experience. Thank you.”
Mayor Mark Short presided over the Nov. 19 farewell ceremony. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When he began the ceremony, Short said, “I’d like to start by thanking Dan for his 10 years of dedicated service. He always was there and it was always about what’s in the best interest of the city. And Barbara, I want to thank you for allowing him to do that.”
He also said, “It’s not often that someone who’s over 60 years old can say that he found a new mentor and a new advisor and I just want to thank Dan for everything he did for me and everything he did for this city.”
Amanda Romant spoke on behalf of State Sen. Jim Boyd. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sen. Jim Boyd’s legislative aide, Amanda Romant, read a letter from the state senator that praised Murphy for being a leader and a steward of one of the most beautiful destinations in Florida. His letter said that Murphy understood the importance of community, responsible management of resources and the protection of natural surroundings and he valued the partnerships between local and state government that provide an enhanced quality of life for residents and memorable vacation experiences for visitors.
“You also safeguarded the Island and its residents during this extraordinary storm season. Your leadership and focus have been critical to the timely recovery of Anna Maria. I applaud your commitment to the residents and business owners who contribute to this unique and beautiful beach community,” Boyd stated in his letter.
Barb Murphy accepted an appreciation plaque presented by Dean Jones. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Anna Maria General Manager Dean Jones presented Barb with a plaque expressing the city’s gratitude.
He then said, “Dan Murphy came to the city of Anna Maria with a vision. He wanted to make the city better for its citizens and those that would visit in the future. First came the projects. City Pier Park was his first goal. Taking a park with very little use and making it a place where people could gather, children could play and events could be held to bring this small community together.”
Jones said Murphy initiated several road and drainage projects that made Anna Maria a safer place to live and that he was also a great steward of the city’s finances.
He said Murphy always had a plan, he taught city staff how to be better at their jobs, he knew the strengths and weaknesses of his team and he served as a mentor to many.
“Mayor Murphy could be demanding. He could challenge you and test your limits of being able to complete what seemed like a monumental task. His attention to detail always amazed the staff, along with his endless knowledge. He’s been one of the most influential forces the city’s ever seen. As the page turns, you can rest assured that the city will be in good hands,” Jones said.
Mayor Mark Short presented Barb Murphy with a letter of appreciation from Gov. Ron DeSantis. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Short presented Barb a framed letter from Gov. Ron DeSantis that said, “Dear Mayor Murphy, it is with sincere gratitude that I send my best wishes to you as you depart from your position as the mayor of the city of Anna Maria. The first lady and I appreciate your years of commitment, dedication and public service to the residents and visitors of Anna Maria. You should be very proud of your accomplishments during your tenure, especially the rebuilding of the City Pier and hosting the annual ‘Old Soldiers & Sailors’ Veterans Day parade.”
Semi-retired city employee Debby Haynes presented Barb with a bouquet of roses and thanked her for being the city’s first lady and for always standing by her husband.
Short presented Barb with a painting of the City Pier that hung inside city hall for many years.
“The mayor always loved this and we have requisitioned it to the Murphy household,” he said.
He then read aloud a city proclamation that notes Murphy was raised in St. Petersburg, served in the U.S. Army, was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars and the Vietnam Campaign Medal and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and pre-law from the University of South Florida. The proclamation notes that Dan and Barb have been married for 57 years and have four adult children, seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
The proclamation notes Murphy was a longtime Verizon executive whose career took him to various locations in the U.S. and the Caribbean, but he commuted for work rather than uprooting his family from Anna Maria Island.
“Dan provided steady and unwavering leadership while guiding the city through multiple hurricanes and tropical storms, the construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier, the COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented reduction of the city’s property tax millage rate. Dan guided the city commission’s adoption of the city’s short-term vacation rental regulations in 2015 and since then he has the led the city’s successful annual opposition to the state legislature’s attempts to further preempt local vacation rental regulation to the state,” the proclamation says.
“One of Mayor Dan Murphy’s proudest accomplishments is transforming the vacant and under-utilized ‘six lots’ property into City Pier Park, where the city has hosted the seasonal farmer’s market, free movies in the park and two of Dan’s favorite and most meaningful events: the annual ‘Old Soldiers & Sailors’ Parade and Veterans Day recognition ceremony and the annual Memorial Day recognition ceremony honoring those who gave their lives in service to their country.”
The proclamation praises Murphy’s dedication, creative mind, visionary thinking, likeability and integrity and says, “We hope he never underestimates the difference he has made for the city of Anna Maria and the lives that he has touched and made better. Therefore, be it proclaimed by the Anna Maria commission and mayor that Dec. 20, 2024, shall be known as Mayor Dan Murphy Day.”
Murphy will celebrate his 80th birthday on that date.
Luis Laracuente spoke on behalf U.S. Senator Rick Scott. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Speaking last, Sen. Rick Scott’s District Director Luis Laracuente said, “We just wanted to thank the mayor for everything he’s done for the city of Anna Maria, in his role as a veteran and also his friendship and kindness with the senator. We truly appreciate everything he’s done and his leadership through the hurricanes, which does not go unnoticed. He will be receiving a flag that will be flown on top of the capitol on his birthday; and along with it will be a letter from the senator and a certificate from the capitol. We send our congratulations and our appreciation.”
The Nov. 19 appreciation ceremony video is archived at the Anna Maria Island Sun Facebook page.
TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed proposed state legislation that would have significantly hindered city and county governments’ ability to regulate short-term vacation rentals locally.
The Florida Legislature proposed the vetoed legislation earlier as Senate Bill 280 and House Bill 1537. Legislators sought to preempt short-term vacation rental regulation and vacation rental advertising to the state, with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation serving as the statewide administrative and enforcement entity.
Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-St. Petersburg) sponsored SB 280 and State Rep. Philip Griffitts Jr. (R-Panama City Beach) sponsored House Bill 1537. Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) and State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) supported the vacation rental preemptions sought in the matching bills.
The proposed legislation also included a controversial carve-out that would have allowed Flagler County to continue enforcing its existing vacation rental regulations.
Veto letter
At approximately 6:30 p.m. on June 27, DeSantis sent Secretary of State Cord Byrd a letter informing him of the veto.
“Beyond creating new bureaucratic red tape that locals must comply with, CS/SB 280 prevents local governments from enforcing existing ordinances or passing any new local measure that would exclusively apply to vacation rentals. Under the bill, any such measure must apply to all residential properties. The effect of this provision will prevent virtually all local regulation of vacation rentals even though the vacation rental markets are far from uniform across the various regions of the state,” DeSantis stated in his letter.
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed CS/SB 280. – www.FlGov.com
“Going forward, I encourage the Florida Legislature and all key stakeholders to work together with the understanding that vacation rentals should not be approached as a one-size-fits-all issue. For these reasons, I withhold my approval of CS/SB 280 and do hereby veto the same,” DeSantis wrote.
Anna Maria discussion
Around the same time DeSantis vetoed the legislation, Mayor Dan Murphy told Anna Maria City Commissioners the city’s lobbyist, Matthew Blair, remained optimistic the governor would veto the bill.
Murphy said seven opposition campaigns recently initiated through the city-owned HomeRuleFl.com website resulted in approximately 3,000 letters, emails and phone calls being directed to DeSantis and his staff.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy actively opposed the proposed vacation rental legislation. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“The raw nerve was the Flagler County carve-out. There’s no logical explanation for the carve-out of Flagler County other than it’s the home of the speaker of the house (Paul Renner) and home to a relatively powerful senator (Travis Hutson),” Murphy said.
He also addressed the “pork chop” legislation references contained in the emails sent to DeSantis. He noted the Tampa Tribune newspaper coined the phrase “pork chop politics” many years ago while covering the patronizing and self-serving actions of Florida politicians who made laws that excluded certain people while impacting most others.
“It’s a lousy way to do politics,” Murphy said.
Island reaction
Later that evening, after learning of DeSantis’ veto, Murphy sent an email to city commissioners and others that said, “Congratulations commissioners and staff. Our governor vetoed the vacation rental bill tonight. I so much appreciate all of your support with our campaigns and efforts to stop this poorly thought-out piece of ‘pork chop’ legislation.”
Friday morning, Home Rule Florida distributed an email thanking subscribers for their efforts.
“Thanks to you and your thousands of letters and phone calls made to the governor, he saw that this was ‘pork chop’ legislation and simply bad policy. It’s amazing what we can do when we all pull together. The ‘pork chop’ has been chopped,” the email said.
When contacted Friday morning, Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said, “I was out of town when I received the news. I am eternally grateful to the governor for allowing us to continue to self-govern and retain our ability to regulate our vacation rental industry accordingly.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth appreciates Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“The ability to regulate with daily fines allows us to bring all into compliance. The bill that was passed would have circumvented all regulations we have been able to use to restore the balance in our residential districts,” she said.
“Regulating this commercial industry in our neighborhoods is crucial in maintaining quality of life for our residents and to maintain our full-time population. This is crucial for our churches, our commercial and professional economy and our schools. The ability to enforce occupancy and length of stay would have been the biggest concern of this bill. It pretty much took all the tools out of our toolbox,” she said.
“I thank all those who wrote letters and participated in the Save Home Rule campaign. We are gaining residents in our city and it has everything to do with our ability to self-govern on quality-of-life issues. There is a lot to be said about being on the right side of history. I wish more leaders would figure that out,” Titsworth said.
The city of Holmes Beach can continue inspecting and regulating short-term vacation rentals. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “The mayor and I are ecstatic that the governor vetoed this bill and left it to the local governments. We, as a city, are doing a tremendous job at monitoring our vacation rentals for safety for our visitors and residents alike. We also want to thank all the citizens from Holmes Beach and Anna Maria Island that reached out to the governor asking for the veto of this bill. A village came together on this and it is much appreciated.”
When contacted late Friday morning, Murphy said, “I was elated that we were able to once again stop this legislation from going forward. It shows that when we all work together, we can accomplish great things. This is an illustration of the power of the people and getting the message up to the governor. I’m extremely grateful to the governor for having vetoed it and for listening to the people who would have been impacted by this legislation. This was a statewide effort and HomeRuleFl.com played a large part in getting that message out.”
Regarding the proposed legislation, Murphy said, “The heaviest impact would have been pulling away the occupancy limits. For us, that would be an overnight increase of approximately 30% in terms of occupancy in our city. We don’t have the infrastructure for it. We don’t have the parking, the police, the sewer, or the water to cover a 30% increase. You could absorb it over time, but to pull the plug on us overnight is wrong. That was poorly thought out by Sen. DiCeglie,” Murphy said.
The proposed legislation would have allowed local governments to still conduct an initial inspection of a vacation rental property but would not have allowed annual follow-up inspections.
“That shows you how little the author of this bill knows about the vacation rental business. It doesn’t make sense,” Murphy said. “These homes experience constant turnover week after week. Things wear out. Things get broken. People will cram as many people as they can into a home. We find rooms with no egress, with smoke detectors underneath fans, with pool alarms and pool fences missing and those types of things. That’s not safe. This is not one-size-fits-all. Anna Maria, Orlando, St. Augustine and the panhandle attract different types of visitors.”
Despite this year’s success, Murphy expects the legislative battle to continue.
“It’s going to be back next year and the year after that,” he said. “They’re not going to go away, but fortunately the governor and his staff have enough wisdom to see this is not in the best interest of the State of Florida. It’s not in the best interest of the visitors and it’s not in the best interest of the voters. It’s in the best interest of out-of-state corporations like Airbnb and VRBO.”
Murphy will not seek reelection this fall and this was his final vacation rental battle with state legislators. During his 10 years as mayor, he repeatedly led Anna Maria’s annual efforts to defeat the Florida Legislature’s failed preemption attempts. He will soon turn those duties over to Anna Maria’s next mayor, Mark Short or Brian Seymour.
“I feel good that we have two candidates for mayor that are qualified to carry this fight on. We’ve got a good staff that’s trained and knows how to use these tools and we’ve got a good lobbyist. That’s what it’s going to take,” he said.
ANNA MARIA – The city of Anna Maria submitted a 19-page response to the consolidation study-related request for information letter received from the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) in mid-November.
Sent to all three Anna Maria Island cities, and seeking separate responses from each city, OPPAGA requested written responses to the Island-wide consolidation study initiated earlier this year by state legislators Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton), Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) and the rest of the five-member Manatee County legislative delegation.
The state legislators requested the study citing a potential reduction of property taxes for Anna Maria Island property owners by reducing the cost of similar services provided separately by the cities of Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach. Potential areas of consolidated services include law enforcement, public works, building and planning services, city administration and more.
Covering five years from 2018-23, OPPAGA requested a list of current city services, contact information for city officials, the total budgeted amounts and actual expenditures for each city service provided, a city organizational chart and more.
OPPAGA requested written descriptions as to how services provided by Anna Maria could be consolidated with the other two Island cities. OPPAGA also requested written descriptions regarding the benefits and challenges of three consolidation options: Consolidating the three Island cities into one new city, incorporating them into the city of Bradenton, or allowing them to remain as incorporated municipalities while working to consolidate similar city services.
City’s response
Anna Maria’s response includes three pages of written statements regarding the consolidation of similar city services.
Regarding public works, the city’s response states that the three cities could establish a centralized pool of specialized equipment – equipment not used daily – to be shared by the Island’s three public works departments. The response also mentions a centralized public works workforce for common city functions such as sign maintenance, grass mowing, tree trimming, beach cleanup and more.
“A single centrally located Island-wide work center large enough to house the equipment and personnel for all three cities could result in substantial revenue if the vacated properties were sold. Alternatively, the vacated property could be leased or used as public space for recreational purposes. The hosting city could charge the other two cities rent on a prorated basis.”
Regarding the consolidation of the Island’s three building departments, Anna Maria’s response says, “Any consolidation savings of the building department functions would result in permit fee savings but not ad valorem property tax savings. Currently, there are three separate building officials serving the three cities. Possibly, one of these officials could be eliminated, however, fluctuations in the workload may result in delays in the construction industry. Consequently, it is not recommended this be pursued.”
Anna Maria doesn’t have a police department and instead contracts with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office to provide the city’s law enforcement services. The Anna Maria response suggests that establishing a single Island-wide police department or contracting with the sheriff’s office for all three cities could potentially produce significant cost savings, while also expanding the scope of law enforcement services provided to the three cities.
Regarding code enforcement, the response says, “Similar to law enforcement, some synergy could be achieved through a single code enforcement agency serving all three cities.”
Consolidation options
The Anna Maria response addresses the three consolidation options cited in OPPAGA’s request for information letter and acknowledges some potential consolidation benefits. The city’s response acknowledges having a single governmental entity instead of three separate city governments could produce cost savings and the elimination of three different sets of local laws, regulations, and codes might create less confusion for visitors, vendors and contractors.
The response then mentions the diversity that exists among the three Island cities and the loss of each city’s uniqueness that would occur if the three cities were consolidated.
“The result would be both a cultural and economic loss to the county and the state,” the response says.
Regarding consolidation with Bradenton, the response says, “With the stated goal of taking steps to reduce taxes, the annexation of the three Island cities into the city of Bradenton would have the opposite result. The tax rate within Bradenton is 5.7726, while the combined tax millage rate of the three Island cities averages approximately 2.1. The result could be a 275% increase in ad valorem tax rate for Island residents.”
Regarding the consolidation of the three cities into one new Island city, or into the city of Bradenton, the response says, “Under either scenario, there is the loss of the existing charters and comprehensive plans which establish strategy, density, structural heights, zoning, quality of life issues, etc. Loss of these plans has the potential to create a negative impact on the Island community and be disruptive to both businesses and residents. Either scenario is disruptive and almost certain to be met with strong legal opposition, thus making such an effort costly as well as time-consuming and delaying any savings from services consolidation.”
Regarding the consolidation of similar city services, the Anna Maria response says, “This option would be the least disruptive and potentially reap the quickest taxpayer savings. Island businesses, residents, and visitors could all benefit from service consolidation. If successful, the consolidated services could bring about taxpayer savings as well as streamlined processes for all three cities.”
ANNA MARIA – On Nov. 16, each of the three Anna Maria Island mayors received a letter requesting information from the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), which is conducting a study on consolidating city services and governments.
The study was requested in January by the Manatee County Legislative Delegation that consists of Sen. Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton), Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton), Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), Rep. Tommy Gregory (R-Lakewood Ranch) and Rep. Mike Beltran (R-Apollo Beach).
On Nov. 16, Mayor Dan Murphy and the Anna Maria City Commission discussed the OPPAGA study, the request for information received earlier that day and the initial Zoom meeting that Murphy and Commission Chair Mark Short had with OPPAGA representatives on Nov. 7.
Speaking first, Short said he learned during the Zoom meeting that OPPAGA Staff Director Emily Leventhal is overseeing the three-person team assigned to conduct the study.
“The scope of their project is to look at the possibility of consolidating services across the three Island cities; and separately, to do an analysis of the consolidation of government structure (the three city governments),” he said.
Short said that each city will be analyzed separately, but the analysis and data pertaining to all three cities will likely be combined into a single report.
“Their goal is to provide options with respect to what could be done and provide both pros and cons with respect to each of those options. They told us they are not making recommendations about what to do. It is unlikely they will recommend any specific course of action,” Short said.
Short said the first step for the city is to provide OPPAGA with the requested information by Dec. 8, if possible. He said OPPAGA representatives will also interview city officials as the study continues.
“They will then prepare a report that will be made available to the state Legislature. That report will be made available to them, not to us. Their goal is to have this analysis done by July of 2024. Probably the most surprising thing I heard on this call was that they are not obligated to share their report with us,” Short said.
After noting that OPPAGA is exempt from public records requests, Short said, “They will share it if the Legislature authorizes them to share it with us. Otherwise, they have no obligation to share with us whatever’s in this report, which, personally, I found to be extremely disappointing.”
Mayor Dan Murphy hopes the OPPAGA study can help reduce property taxes. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy provided an overview of the questions posed and information requests made in the letter. Most of them pertain to city services, but there’s also a three-part question about the potential consolidation of the three Island cities and their governments, he said.
The information request period spans from 2018-23. OPPAGA requested a list of current services the city provides, including, but not limited to, law enforcement, public works projects, public safety, elections, solid and liquid waste disposal treatment, code enforcement and building and planning services. OPPAGA wants email addresses and contact information for the appropriate city official to contact for each service listed, and the total budgeted amounts and actual expenditures for each service.
OPPAGA also wants a description of how the city services provided by Anna Maria could be consolidated with the other two Island cities.
Commissioner Robert Kingan said he doesn’t see how the projected cost savings for the consolidation of services between three cities can accurately be estimated.
Regarding the potential consolidation of the three city governments, the OPPAGA request letter says, “Please provide the following information on government consolidation: A description of the benefits and challenges to individual citizens as well as to government operations related to the following potential options for local governance on Anna Maria Island.
“Option 1: All three cities on Anna Maria Island are consolidated into one new city on the island.
“Option 2: All three cities on Anna Maria Island were incorporated as part of the city of Bradenton.
“Option 3: All three cities on Anna Maria Island remain as incorporated municipalities on the island and work to consolidate existing services where that makes sense,” the request letter says.
OPPAGA’s request for information does not mention Manatee County as a possible consolidation/annexation option.
Commission discussion
Murphy said he received a phone call from Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown the previous day and Brown told him he had not received any consolidated study-related correspondence from Boyd or Robinson.
According to Bradenton Public Records Liaison Bill Ackles, as of Nov. 18, Brown and the city of Bradenton had not received any correspondence from OPPAGA.
In the consolidation study-related letter that Boyd and Robinson sent to the three Island mayors in August, the state legislators stated their goal was to reduce property taxes by consolidating similar services provided by each Island city.
“If the purpose of this study is to reduce taxes, which is what they said at the very beginning, there might be some good in this,” Murphy said.
However, noting that Anna Maria’s property tax millage rate is 2.05 mills and Bradenton’s millage rate is 5.8 mills, he added, “Can you imagine what that would do to your taxes?”
Short noted the two biggest tax levies on an Anna Maria property owner’s tax bill are the taxes levied by Manatee County and the taxes levied by the Manatee County school district. Short said property taxes levied by the city of Anna Maria only account for approximately 10% of a property owner’s total tax bill.
“I think this is something we can embrace and we might get some good out of it and we might be able to shave people’s tax bills,” Murphy said. “I met with a couple yesterday who showed me their tax bill of $50,000 for their home. They’re not homesteaded. They’re retirees from Atlanta. They built a house and didn’t take into consideration the tax implications. Granted, a lot of that is the school board and Manatee County, but a portion of it is ours. I think the push in the next budget year is to reduce our ad valorem taxes. If OPPAGA can help us do that, let’s do it. If we can reduce taxes, we can attract more people to live here,” Murphy said.
Commissioner Jon Crane said, “I’m going to exercise my right to be a little skeptical.”
During public input, Anna Maria resident John Kolojeski suggested the city do some legal research on annexation and whether the state Legislature can force a community to be annexed into another community.
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.
Sen. Jim Boyd supports a consolidation study. – Flsenate.gov | Submitted
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
Rep. Will Robinson Jr. supports a consolidation study. -Myfloridahouse.gov | Submitted
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.
ANNA MARIA – The three Island mayors are united in their response to Sen. Jim Boyd and Rep. Will Robinson Jr.’s ongoing efforts to consolidate city services to reduce property taxes.
During the Aug. 24 Anna Maria City Commission meeting, Mayor Dan Murphy and Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie presented a statement on behalf of all three cities, noting that they have Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth’s permission to speak on her behalf. The mayors announced their support for a study on the consolidation of city services, but they do not support a study on the consolidation or elimination of the Island’s three city governments.
On Jan. 12, the Manatee County Legislative Delegation, consisting of Boyd, Robinson, Sen. Joe Gruters, Rep. Tommy Gregory and Rep. Mike Beltran, all Republicans, expressed a collective desire for a consolidation study conducted by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA). On Jan. 19, Boyd sent a letter to Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo requesting her approval for the study.
During the Florida Legislature’s 2023 legislative session that began in March, Murphy traveled to Tallahassee to meet with Boyd and Robinson. According to Murphy, he helped convince them to delay the study and give the mayors time to discuss and propose potential consolidations of service. Those mayoral discussions have not yet produced any tangible results.
On Aug. 21, Boyd and Robinson sent a letter to the three mayors stating the legislative delegation was prepared to resume its pursuit of an OPPAGA study because the mayors had not yet presented “implementable concepts” regarding the potential consolidation of police, building department and public works department services as tax-cutting measures.
Mayors’ response
During Thursday’s Anna Maria commission meeting, Murphy referenced Boyd and Robinson’s letter.
“I must say it does not come as a surprise,” he said when acknowledging the three mayors’ lack of progress thus far.
Murphy said he met with Chappie and Titsworth earlier that morning to discuss their collective response to the letter and the study.
“Unanimously, we agreed that the right thing to do is to embrace this study. If this study can reduce our taxes, which it probably could, and if it could also enhance and improve the scope of services to the residents of this Island, we’re all in. All three of us,” Murphy said.
“On the other hand, I think it needs to be very clear that’s the scope of the study. The scope should not be the consolidation or the elimination or the de-annexation of the three municipalities on this Island,” Murphy said.
“The three of us agreed there are three very distinct cultures in the cities on the Island. To maintain that difference, we need to have a separate government addressing the needs and the wants of that community. If we can do it for less money, I’m all for it. And if this study can generate that, I’m all for that; and so is Judy Titsworth and so is John Chappie,” Murphy said.
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie feels a consolidation of services study could be beneficial to Island residents. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Murphy then asked Chappie to speak.
“I agree with everything Mayor Murphy said,” Chappie said. “I’m here as a sign of unity. We are one Island community and three distinctive individual cities. We work together. We live here together. We’re neighbors.”
Regarding the study, he said, “We embrace the opportunity to help us possibly lower our taxes, help improve our services, and improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors.”
Chappie shared some research he did on OPPAGA studies.
“It is a research arm for state legislators. They provide data, valuational research, and objective analysis. Objective analysis is required to be impartial, detached, neutral and unbiased. I look forward to, and I think the other mayors do too, to the state being able to help with some of the things we need to do that would help improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors. I think we need to take advantage of this tool,” he said.
Chappie said he and the Bradenton Beach Commission will discuss the OPPAGA study at their next meeting.
He added that Titsworth would have attended the commission meeting, but she was with her pregnant daughter who was overdue to give birth.
When contacted Friday and asked if she supported a study focused on consolidating services, Titsworth said, “Yes. If a study is being done, it would be nice if the city mayors could have input on the parameters as we all look for ways to reduce taxes for our property owners.”
During Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Jon Crane said he’d prefer that the OPPAGA study focus on consolidating services rather than city governments.
Murphy briefly mentioned the potential consolidation of law enforcement services – an idea that has not garnered public support from Chappie or Titsworth.
Law enforcement is generally among the largest annual expenses a local government incurs. For the coming 2023-24 fiscal year, Anna Maria is budgeting $1.34 million for law enforcement services provided by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Bradenton Beach is budgeting $1.77 million for law enforcement services provided by its police department. Holmes Beach is budgeting $4.53 million for law enforcement services provided by its police department. The three cities combined are budgeting $7.64 million for law enforcement.
Commissioner Charlie Salem said it might be useful to ask the legislative lobbyists from each city to interact with those requesting the study.
“These studies get done all the time and how they’re used with the Legislature is going to be an important part of whether or not this goes the way we’d like,” Salem said.
Murphy said he spoke with Anna Maria’s lobbyist Wednesday evening who agreed that the mayors should support a study on consolidating services.
During public input, Murphy was asked if he’d received any indication from Boyd and Robinson that they’re amenable to consolidating services without consolidating the city governments.
“It’s premature at this point. I think ultimately that discussion has to happen, and it has to happen soon,” Murphy said.
ANNA MARIA – State legislators say they no longer intend to commission a state-funded feasibility study on the potential consolidation of the three Anna Maria Island cities and their respective city governments.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy made the announcement during this afternoon’s Anna Maria City Commission meeting.
Murphy returned to Anna Maria today after spending Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Tallahassee meeting privately with the five members of the Manatee County legislative delegation – Rep. Will Robinson Jr., Sen. Jim Boyd, Sen. Joe Gruters, Rep. Tommy Gregory and Rep. Mike Beltran.
State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. is no longer pursuing a consolidation study. – MyFloridaHouse.com | Submitted
On Jan. 12, Robinson announced that the delegation intended to seek during the upcoming 2023 legislative session a state-funded study on the feasibility of consolidating or dissolving the three Island cities. During that same meeting, the delegation also announced its intent to file state legislation that could potentially preempt the city of Holmes Beach’s land development code and city charter to allow Manatee County to build a multi-story parking garage on county property to provide more public parking for beachgoers and other visitors.
An outcry erupted from many elected officials and their constituents in the Island’s three cities, Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, that state officials were attempting to destroy home rule, the ability of the Island cities to govern themselves. Concerns were voiced that consolidating or dissolving the Island cities would put them under Manatee County’s jurisdiction, eliminating local codes including building height restrictions and paving the way for a new set of rules for development.
Regarding the consolidation discussions he had with Robinson in Tallahassee, Murphy said during today’s meeting, “He has agreed to pull that from the table for this year. That won’t be an item this year. Sen. Boyd agreed.”
During a recent Anna Maria commission meeting, Murphy said that Robinson told him he sought the state-funded consolidation study because he’s received numerous complaints about taxes being too high on Anna Maria Island. The proposed consolidation study would have looked at whether consolidating some or all of the similar public services provided by each of the three Island cities might produce lower property taxes for the Island’s property owners.
Consolidating Island city services
However, Murphy said, “They would like the three Island mayors to have some formal discussions as to what can be consolidated because they are getting pressure from constituents about the tax rates here on the Island. What can we do from a service point of view? To that end, I asked the other two mayors to meet with me here at city hall this morning on my return from Tallahassee. We agreed that the three of us will work on what can be consolidated. What’s the low-hanging fruit that can quickly be captured? Long-term and short-term, what can we do here with the idea of saving taxpayers money?” he said.
Murphy said the three mayors will meet every two or three weeks to discuss what can be done regarding the consolidation of shared services. He said the mayors would likely address one potential point of consolidation at a time. He said the three mayors will also solicit input from their commissioners and city staff members and provide their commissions with regular updates.
“I feel comfortable that my fellow mayors will give it a fair and honest shot,” Murphy said.
When asked if he could provide any examples of services that might potentially be consolidated, Murphy said it was too early to do so. He said those details would be released when there’s a solid plan in place. Murphy said listing potential areas of consolidation now could cause city employees in all three cities to become apprehensive about the potential impacts consolidation might have on their jobs and livelihoods.
A few years ago, Murphy proposed consolidating the Anna Maria and Holmes Beach public works departments but those efforts proved unsuccessful.
“We need to have a serious effort on the consolidation. We’ve made efforts in the past and that went nowhere. This time it’s serious and we need to have a serious conversation. I have every confidence, after my meeting this morning with the other two mayors, that we’ll make progress with some form of consolidation,” Murphy said.
Murphy said if left to the state, the complete consolidation of the three Island cities is a possible scenario.
For his efforts, Murphy received a round of applause from the commissioners and others who attended today’s meeting.
Parking concerns
Murphy said the Legislature’s continued concern about parking in Holmes Beach is not an issue that directly impacts the city of Anna Maria.
“That’s an issue between Holmes Beach and the state. This is not a county issue anymore,” he said.
Murphy referenced the streetside parking spaces the city of Holmes Beach eliminated during its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Approximately 650 parking spaces were eliminated in Holmes Beach. The county, through the state, wants some reprimands for those. They’re gone and they’d like to have them back. I think everybody recognizes that a parking garage is not a panacea. You could put up a dozen and you still wouldn’t have enough, but 650 spots are 650 spots. They were taken and is there some way to get that back?” Murphy said.
He added that the parking reductions in Holmes Beach have “created a lot of angst” with people on the mainland who feel their ability to visit the public beaches has been negatively impacted by those actions.
“Was it the right thing to do or not? At this point, the ship has sailed,” Murphy said of that past decision.
He said Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth has reached an agreement with the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation in Holmes Beach to provide some additional public parking spaces in the church parking lot. Murphy said he was asked to meet with the priest at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Holmes Beach, where Murphy is a member, and there’s a willingness there to also provide some additional public parking spaces.
BRADENTON BEACH – A recent incident involving a stolen car, a stolen gun and a skirmish brought residents and police to city hall to tell commissioners about fear and inadequate funding.
On April 26 at 8:50 p.m., Bradenton Beach Police Officer Kyle Orms responded to a report of a possible fight in progress at the Summer Sands condominium complex near the 1100 block of Gulf Drive North. On the way, Orms was advised that a gun and 10 or more people were involved.
“Upon arrival, I observed approximately 10 subjects gathered in the street around one male subject on the ground. The male subject, later identified as Jonathan France, 17 years old, appeared to be being held down by a female subject later identified as Laketa Taylor. After the group parted and Mrs. Taylor let Mr. France go, Mrs. Taylor began yelling that Mr. France had stolen her vehicle and a gun and was trying to get away; and that she had been holding him there for the police,” Orms stated in his report.
While speaking with Taylor, Orms learned she had previously filed a report with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in which she alleged France stole her vehicle and a gun from her residence.
“While attempting to detain Mr. France, he began slamming his head into a nearby vehicle. I then took Mr. France to the ground and was able to secure him in handcuffs. After securing Mr. France, multiple subjects began getting into their vehicles and leaving the scene,” Orms stated in his report.
Officers from the Holmes Beach Police Department arrived to provide additional assistance. Bradenton Beach Police Officer Thomas Ferrara also later responded to the scene.
Taylor had learned on Facebook that France was on the Island and brought several people with her to confront him, according to the report. When confronted, France tried to run, the group stopped him and he fell, “yelling that he wanted to kill himself” and slamming his head into the concrete.
Taylor held him down while her husband, Dwight Evans Jr., grabbed a gun that was laying on the ground. Evans left, returning when Orms asked Taylor to have him bring the gun back to the scene, according to the report.
According to Ferrara’s report, Taylor’s husband found his stolen handgun – a loaded 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol – while searching for the stolen vehicle that was found parked at the nearby Bridgeport condominium complex. Ferrara’s report notes Taylor’s car had a dead battery but was otherwise undamaged.
Orms ran a check that revealed France had been reported as missing and was the subject of multiple arrest warrants issued by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and one warrant issued in Sarasota. France was placed under arrest and transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton. After being medically cleared, he was transported to the juvenile assessment center.
“I was advised that due to Mr. France’s statements, he would need to be transported to Centerstone for Baker Act,” Orms stated in his report.
Residents’ concerns
Addressing the commission on May 5, Bradenton Beach resident Ken McDonough said, “What happened that night was a wake-up call to us on 10th, 11th and 12th Street North. Five carloads of individuals came to the neighborhood.”
McDonough said many of the individuals wore “dark hoodies” and some tried to enter the Summer Sands pool area, which was locked.
Resident Ken McDonough described the April 26 incident to the city commission. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“This wasn’t the normal thing for our neighborhood. As I went up towards 11th Street, I saw a bunch of individuals, one on the ground, and people screaming. At that point, somebody did get a hold of the police,” McDonough said.
“When the first officer showed up, everybody started to run in different directions. I was on the north side of the condominium garage. I went around to the south side and three carloads went out the south side of the garage, up Gulf Drive and crossed over the Cortez Bridge at a high rate of speed. The first policeman that showed up had his hands full. I was concerned for him because there were individuals screaming and running and by this time it was dark. I found out the next day that after the police left, two individuals came back into that garage and were looking for things,” McDonough said.
“In all the years I’ve been here I’ve never felt unsafe in Bradenton Beach. That night, everybody did in our neighborhood,” he added.
Resident Sheryl Blinde described her efforts to contact the police. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sheryl Blinde was walking her dog as the events unfolded. Blinde told the commission she called 911 and explained what was happening to the operator. After being put on hold, she had to explain the situation again when her call was transferred to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
“I was frightened and I just wanted to get a hold of the police,” she said, questioning whether there’s a more effective way to handle calls for police assistance.
Chief’s concerns
The police chief also addressed the commission.
“There was a young man in town that’s been having some issues and maybe he was thinking about taking his life. He’d been on the Island for a while and was at another condo resort. They knew he was out of place and he was there for a few hours just sitting in his car and nobody called us. This could have been taken care of right then. If something doesn’t look right, call,” Cosby said.
“Speaking with people over the past couple days, they were concerned because after the incident became under control, people were still lingering around and none of the officers appeared to be talking to them. The other officers there were from Holmes Beach. Their job is only to assist our officers if something is physically happening, which at that point it wasn’t.
“I only had one officer on duty. Holmes Beach had three to four officers on duty and that’s why they responded as the backup. Our officer was tied up dealing with the young man and wound up Baker Acting him. Half-hour to 45 minutes later, our second officer, which is our midnight officer, came on duty. He processed the car and processed the gun. So, he also was out of commission dealing with those two things,” Cosby said.
Cosby then addressed the annual budgets for two neighboring police departments.
“The city of Holmes Beach has three to four people on duty every shift. His budget is $3.5 million. The town of Longboat Key has three to four people on duty. They actually have it written in their manual that no less than two people can be working per shift. Their budget is $3.5 million. My budget is $1.36 million. I can’t provide that kind of service, so you’re getting what you pay for. Every year, the department heads are told, ‘We’re not raising taxes. Make do with what you have,’ ” Cosby said.
“As the county grows, and more people continue to move here, these types of incidents are going to become more prevalent. We have to figure something out because we can’t keep doing this. Somebody’s going to get seriously hurt. I only have so many people and I can only do so many things, so it falls back to you,” Cosby told the commission.
Cosby also discussed the city phone system the public uses to contact the police department.
“The phone system has been in disarray for five years. Every year we were told there’s no money to fix it. We paid $30,000 to put a patch in that doesn’t work,” Cosby said.
“The way the phone system’s supposed to work is at 4 o’clock we forward it to the sheriff’s office front desk. The deputies that work the front desk take the call, send it up to dispatch and an officer responds for a non-emergency. You know what happens? When they call the after-hours number, once in a while it will go through to the sheriff’s office. The second option is the call drops or it goes to the voice mail for the police department,” Cosby said.
Cosby said the phone system is finally getting replaced thanks to federal funds the city received as part of the federal government’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
Regarding the police department budget, Mayor John Chappie said, “Every year we talk about the police department. We know you’ve been short-handed.”
Commission response
Chappie said Cosby recently told him the starting salary for a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy is increasing to $62,000. According to Cosby, the starting salary for a Bradenton Beach officer is $47,000.
Cosby said he’s still operating with nine officers instead of 10 because one officer is still recovering from an injury suffered long ago while making an arrest. Chappie said he and Cosby have talked about having two officers on duty at night.
“We’ve got to do something,” Chappie said.
Mayor John Chappie shares the police chief’s concerns. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Chappie said he and the two other Anna Maria Island mayors recently met with state Sen. Jim Boyd and state Rep. Will Robinson. The mayor said he reminded the legislators that the single-family homes once occupied by three or four people have been replaced by large vacation rental homes occupied by 10-20 people, which puts more pressure on the police department and the city’s limited resources.
Chappie said he encouraged Boyd and Robinson to help change the state law that currently prohibits cities and counties from using tax revenues generated by the county’s 5% tourist tax for infrastructure improvements and law enforcement.
“You can’t ask the citizens of Bradenton Beach to be burdened with that extra expense,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said. “It’s got to be coming from the county or someplace else because Bradenton Beach cannot afford to have a big police department.”
“Since Manatee County is growing so big, they need to contribute a little extra or allow us to take some of the tax dollars for the police department,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said.
Cosby said the city of Holmes Beach has made multiple police funding requests to the county, but to no avail.
Commissioner Marilyn Maro said investor-owned vacation rental homes are placing a greater burden on the police department and those investors should be required to help fund the additional policing needs.
Chappie said he and Cosby have talked to City Attorney Ricinda Perry about the potential implementation of a public safety impact fee for new construction.
“That is something we are going to be looking at seriously,” Chappie said.
Commissioner Jake Spooner said it’s unlikely the city will receive any additional outside funds for the police department.
“There’s not much fat in our budget, but we’ve got to make it happen,” Spooner said.
ANNA MARIA – As the Florida Legislature winds to a close, city officials are watching several bills closely.
The 60-day 2022 legislative session began on Jan. 11 and was scheduled to end its 3-day extension on Monday, March 14.
Anna Maria officials remain concerned about legislation that, if signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would allow businesses to sue cities and counties for lost revenues incurred as a result of local governmental actions.
They’re pleased that legislation failed that would have capped vacation rental registration fees and legislation that would have required city and county governments to prepare a business impact analysis before adopting a new ordinance.
The Legislature also appears to support two state appropriations requested by the city of Anna Maria for a total of approximately $1.4 million.
State appropriations
During the March 10 city commission meeting, Mayor Dan Murphy said state legislators supported the city’s $1.28 million request for state funds to assist with the Reimagining Pine Avenue sidewalk, crosswalk and lighting improvements. Murphy said current and future funding requests for the Reimagining Pine Avenue project could eventually total $5 million, depending on what that project ultimately entails.
State legislators also supported the city’s $207,450 request to help develop a plan for a new and extended Lake La Vista jetty. Murphy said the jetty would extend further out into Tampa Bay and alleviate the need to dredge the channel entrance every two or three years at an average cost of $200,000-$300,000.
Murphy said the initial jetty funds would be used for design and engineering. Future funding requests for the construction of a new jetty could potentially bring the total project-related funding requests to about $3 million, he said.
Murphy noted both funding requests are subject to DeSantis’ budgetary approval.
“Nothing’s a done deal, but our lobbyist feels very confident the governor will sign them,” Murphy told the commission.
Commission Chair Carol Carter said two other legislative acts, if supported by DeSantis, would return more control to local municipalities regarding tree removals and tree protections and would also allow cities and counties to ban smoking on public beaches.
Local Business Protection Act
Senate Bill 620 and its matching bill in the House of Representatives were adopted by the majority vote of the respective legislative bodies. If signed into law by DeSantis, this legislation would allow businesses to sue city and county governments for lost revenues resulting from the adoption or amendment of local ordinances or charter provisions.
According to the matching bills adopted by the Senate and House, “A private, for-profit business may claim business damages from a county or municipality if the county or municipality enacts or amends an ordinance or charter provision that has or will cause a reduction of at least 15 percent of the business’ profit, as applied on a per location basis within the jurisdiction, and the business has engaged in lawful business in the jurisdiction for the three years preceding the enactment of or amendment to the ordinance or charter.”
The proposed Local Business Protection Act notes cities and counties would not be liable for business damages caused by an ordinance or charter provision that’s required to comply with state or federal law; local emergency ordinances or orders adopted under the State Emergency Management Act; a temporary emergency ordinance that remains in effect for no more than 90 days; an ordinance or charter provision relating to growth policies, county and municipal planning and land development regulation, or an ordinance or charter provision related to the adoption of a budget or budget amendment.
Representing Manatee County and a portion of Hillsborough County, Sen. Jim Boyd voted in favor of the legislation. Representing Manatee County, State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. also voted in favor of the legislation. If signed into state law, the legislation would take effect July 1.
Potential impacts
City Attorney Becky Vose said the proposed state law could make it more difficult for some cities and counties to regulate adult entertainment businesses and other less-desired business activities. She noted Anna Maria’s code of ordinances already prohibits adult entertainment establishments.
Regarding the legislation’s potential impacts, Murphy said, “The biggest potential impact is in the building department. We do all of our codes by ordinance. If we change an ordinance and a builder sees that it’s having an impact on his revenue, not only can the homeowner come after us on a Bert Harris claim but then the builder can come after us.”
Murphy noted the proposed law, if enacted, would only apply to new ordinances, ordinance amendments or charter provisions and would not apply to existing city ordinances and charter provisions.
Mayor Dan Murphy expressed some concerns about the Local Business Protection Act’s potential impacts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Carter said a reduction of hours in which landscapers and other service providers are allowed to operate within the city could result in a business owner suing the city for lost revenues.
Through its Home Rule Florida website, www.homerulefl.com, the city of Anna Maria encourages concerned citizens to send emails or letters to DeSantis requesting that he veto the proposed legislation.
“It’s going to go to the governor’s desk, so we’re going to ask him to veto it,” Carter said.
Commissioner Robert Kingan suggested the commission, at a future meeting, adopt a city resolution to be sent to DeSantis in opposition of the proposed law.
Failed legislation
Senate Bill 280 proposed cities and counties be required to prepare a business impact analysis before adopting a new local ordinance or amending an existing ordinance. This failed legislation would have potentially subjected local governments to the significant costs associated with preparing budget impact analyses or paying outside firms to prepare them. The Senate bill also proposed making local governments responsible for the suing entity’s attorney fees if the suing party prevailed in court.
Another piece of failed legislation, Senate Bill 512, proposed the annual registration fee for vacation rentals be limited to $50 for an individual or $100 for a collective vacation rental registration.
Bradenton Beach appropriation
According to Bradenton Beach City Attorney Ricinda Perry, the state Legislature supports Bradenton Beach’s $3 million appropriation request. If approved by DeSantis, the state funds will be used for the ongoing efforts to underground utility lines throughout the city.
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida House has adopted HB 425 by a 63-56 vote.
The vacation rental bill championed by Mike La Rosa (R-St. Cloud) seeks to end the local regulation of vacation rentals by mandating that all local ordinances and regulations must apply equally to all residential properties, whether they are used as short-term rentals or permanent residences.
On Thursday, April 27, the House members rejected by a 37-78 vote an amendment filed by Rep. George Moraitis (R-Ft. Lauderdale) that would have allowed cities to continue regulating rentals.
Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton), the Island’s elected representative, voted against the amendment on Thursday and in favor of the un-amended bill on Friday. During Thursday’s session, Boyd described the local vacation rental ordinances he was aware of as “draconian.”
The question that remained at the beginning of this week was whether the Senate would adopt the now city-friendly, committee-amended version of the vacation rental bill, SB 188, originally filed by Greg Steube (R-Sarasota). As of Monday morning, SB 188 had not yet been scheduled for a second reading that could lead to an amendment or a third reading and final vote.
Many elected officials and Island residents expressed concerns that the amended Senate bill that passed through committee would be amended by the entire Senate in a manner that brought it back in line with the House’s intent to eliminate city’s home rule authorities to regulate vacation rentals.
If such an amendment was proposed and supported by the Senate majority, the three Island cities would essentially lose the ability to regulate vacation rentals. Enacting HB 425 as law would allow for rental registration programs, but no registration fees could be charged and the registration programs would be for informational purposes only, with no accompanying enforcement component.
If the Senate bill were to be adopted as it read Monday morning, the two bills would be drastically different and would need to be reconciled with via last-minute House/Senate compromise – or the contrasting bills would die and the regulatory balance struck in 2014 would be retained for at least one more year.
The legislative session is scheduled to end Friday. If so, Island residents, property owners and elected officials will know the fate of the two vacation rental bills on or before Cinco de Mayo.
