Tag: Kevin Van Ostenbridge

Holmes Beach officials critique consolidation study

Written by Joe Hendricks on January 21, 2025. Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

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.

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 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.

Cortez Village Marina requests denied

Written by Joe Hendricks on September 9, 2024. Posted in Community News, Cortez, Featured.

CORTEZ – Manatee County commissioners unanimously denied Cortez Village Marina’s request to expand current operations.

The Chicago-based MHC Cortez Village LLC purchased the marina in 2024, one of many Loggerhead Marina properties that the parent company owns and operates throughout the U.S.

Matthew Gillespie, of the Kimley-Horn engineering firm, presented the marina owners’ request to construct 12 additional Jet Ski storage spaces inside one of the marina’s three dry storage buildings, to add boat maintenance as an allowed use inside that same building and to add a boat washing area outside another dry storage building.

To bring the marina property into compliance with county code, Gillespie also proposed removing or relocating a non-compliant shell parking area and relocating a non-compliant trash dumpster location.

According to the county staff report, the marina property was rezoned in 2006 and is allowed 272 dry slips, 10 wet slips, 12 staging slips and a marina office.

When discussing the request, District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge was highly critical of the marina’s non-compliant operations.

Gillespie said the shell parking lot was in place when the current owners bought the marina.

“The previous owner wanted more storage, more trailer parking so they added it at some point,” Gillespie said.

“Illegally, I might add,” Van Ostenbridge noted.

Van Ostenbridge said during his four years as the District 3 commissioner, he’s received more complaints about the marina property than any other business in the district.

“You guys have been more than bad neighbors. You’ve been abusive neighbors up to this point,” Van Ostenbridge said.

“I’m well aware from complaints from neighbors that there are far in excess of the amount of boats you’re allowed to store on the property. They were on top of handicapped parking spaces,” Van Ostenbridge said.

Regarding the expansion requests, Van Ostenbridge said, “You’ve not been fair actors up to this point. Why should we believe you guys would be compliant with this going forward? You’re here because residents raised hell, and we eventually had to send code enforcement out there and they found violations.”

In response, Gillespie said, “I can’t speak to previous ownership. All I can speak to is current ownership. They’re making the corrections. We’re getting rid of all the extra storage.”

Commissioner Jason Bearden asked county staff member Chris Klepek about the marina’s current state of compliance.

“Is it in compliance currently or is it getting into compliance?” Beardon said.

“It’s not in compliance at the current moment,” Klepek said.

“That’s all I need to know,” Beardon said.

“Is this approval required to get them into compliance?” Commissioner George Kruse asked.

Klepek said commission approval is needed for the additional Jet Ski storage, boat wash and maintenance areas but not to correct existing code violations.

“They could theoretically be in compliance before asking us for more?” Kruse asked.

“You’re right. They could just come into compliance,” Klepek responded.

Canal concerns

To reach the nearby Intracoastal Waterway, marina clients use a man-made canal owned by adjacent Hunters Point developer Marshall Gobuty. Gobuty owns the portion of the canal that extends from the east end of the marina property to the humpback bridge at 127th Street West, near the Seafood Shack. In 2022, Gobuty’s attorney filed a still-pending civil lawsuit against MHC Cortez Village seeking a court order that would prohibit the marina and its clients from using the privately-owned canal.

During public input at the land use meeting, Gobuty expressed concerns about additional Jet Ski traffic posing a risk to the manatees in the canal.

“The last thing we need is more Jet Skis going down the canal. It’s a lot of noise and a lot of aggravation that’s unnecessary,” Gobuty said.

He also expressed concerns about the boat washing and maintenance activities potentially releasing harmful fluids into the canal.

Gobuty referenced a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) permit application in which a marina representative stated the marina had 10 in-water boat slips, 55 outside dry slips and 300 inside storage slips. He noted that far exceeds the 294 slips allowed by FDEP and the county.

Citing the safety of the manatees and dolphins in the canal, Hunters Point resident William Fulford was among the residents who opposed the additional Jet Ski, boat washing and maintenance activities.

Representing the marina owners, attorney Meredith Delcamp noted that Gobuty’s plans to install 49 boat slips along the canal that abuts the Hunters Point property will also increase traffic on the canal.

After public input, Van Ostenbridge noted the marina is owned by a “huge conglomerate” that operates multiple marinas and should be well aware of what’s required of them.

Pedicini clients fare poorly in primary election

Written by Joe Hendricks on September 3, 2024. Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Seven Manatee County candidates paid Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm a total of $526,508 in the recent primary election, according to the candidates’ campaign treasurer reports.

Six of those seven Pedicini clients lost their Republican primary races and their election bids are over. District 3 school board candidate Jonathan Lynch is the only one of the seven to advance to the general election.

District 7

District 7 at-large primary candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $193,455 leading up to the Aug. 20 primary election. Van Ostenbridge’s campaign raised $239,344 and spent $203,517 on his unsuccessful bid to unseat incumbent District 7 commissioner George Kruse. Van Ostenbridge’s current term as the District 3 county commissioner will end in November. Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed Van Ostenbridge’s unsuccessful District 7 bid. To date, Kruse’s campaign has raised $67,591 and spent $63,004. Kruse now faces Democrat Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election. Valimaki’s campaign has raised $10,828 and spent the same amount.

Supervisor of elections

Supervisor of Elections Republican primary candidate James Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS $101,379. Satcher’s campaign raised $122,121 and spent $119,804 in an unsuccessful bid to serve as Manatee County’s next elected Supervisor of Elections. That seat will go to former elections office chief of staff, Scott Farrington, whose campaign raised $78,724 and spent $75,966. In April, DeSantis appointed Satcher to fill the remaining months of former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett’s four-year term, after Bennett retired in March.

District 3

District 3 Manatee County Commission candidate April Culbreath’s campaign paid SIMWINS $90,895 in her unsuccessful bid to defeat Tal Siddique in the District 3 primary race.

Culbreath’s campaign raised $100,393 and spent $99,088. Siddique’s campaign raised $65,668 and spent $58,901. Siddique now faces Democrat Diana Shoemaker in the general election. Shoemaker’s campaign has raised $40,526 and spent $15,515.

District 5

Appointed District 5 County Commissioner Ray Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $66,072. Turner’s campaign raised $89,220 and spent $71,218. Turner, who was appointed by DeSantis, lost his election bid to Republican primary challenger Bob McCann.

To date, McCann’s campaign has raised $41,431 and spent $38,675. McCann now faces non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo in the general election. Di Bartolomeo’s campaign has raised $9,278 and spent $2,320.

District 1

Seeking to fill the District 1 County Commission seat that Satcher vacated in April, Republican primary candidate Steve Metallo’s campaign paid SIMWINS $63,045. Metallo’s campaign raised $101,155 and spent $73,191. Metallo lost his primary race to fellow Republican Carol Ann Felts, who raised $17,011 and spent $12,925.

Felts now faces Democrat Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the general election. Pearson’s campaign has raised $10,539 and spent $9,986. Hamey’s campaign has raised $16,912 and spent $5,408.

School board

District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch’s campaign paid SIMWINS $4,850. To date, Lynch’s campaign has raised $39,450 and spent $7,834. As the second leading vote-getter in the primary race, Lynch now faces leading vote-getter Charlie Kennedy in the general election. Kennedy’s campaign has raised $13,532 and spent $10,969.

District 1 school board candidate Alex Garner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $6,552 and his third-place finish ended his election bid. Top vote-getter Heather Felton’s campaign has raised $10,276 and spent $8,613. Second place finisher Mark Stanoch’s campaign has raised $34,457 and spent $30,966. Felton and Stanoch now face each other in the general election.

Related coverage: Six candidates report SIMWINS expenditures

Primary voters produce change in leadership

Written by Joe Hendricks on August 26, 2024. Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Anna Maria Island voters helped determine the winners of three key Republican primary races that saw Tal Siddique, George Kruse and Scott Farrington emerge with victories on Aug. 20.

Island voters joined voters countywide in rejecting several candidates associated with political consultant Anthony Pedicini and the divisive, developer-beholden political ideology that has defined county politics since the 2020 elections. Pedicini clients April Culbreath, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, Ray Turner and Steve Metallo lost their primary races.

District 3

Siddique defeated Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race. Siddique received 6,070 votes (61.07%) and Culbreath received 3,870 votes (38.93%). Siddique now faces Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election in November.

The District 3 commissioner directly represents a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and portions of Bradenton. Of the 9,940 votes cast in the District 3 race, approximately 14% were cast by Anna Maria Island voters.

District 7

In the countywide at-large District 7 Republican primary, Kruse, the incumbent, received 24,225 votes (58.43%) and Van Ostenbridge received 17,232 (41.57%). Kruse now faces Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos- Valimaki in the general election.

In late May, Van Ostenbridge dropped his District 3 reelection bid and chose instead to challenge Kruse in the countywide District 7 race. Culbreath then dropped out of the District 7 race and entered the District 3 race instead.

Supervisor of elections

In the Supervisor of Elections race open to Republican voters countywide, Farrington received 24,327 votes (58.79%) and Satcher received 17,051 (41.21%). With no Democratic candidate in the general election, Farrington’s primary victory means he’ll return to his former workplace on Jan. 7.

Farrington spent 12 years working at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office before resigning in April after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, then the District 1 county commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that long-time supervisor Mike Bennett vacated in March. Despite his primary loss, Satcher will remain in office until Jan. 7 and will still oversee the upcoming general election.

School board

Island voters helped determine the top two vote-getters in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Charlie Kennedy received 7,370 votes (47.53%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,655 (30.02%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,481 votes (22.45%). Because no candidate received 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.

Non-island races

Several other primary races were decided without input from Island voters. Seeking to fill the District 1 commission seat Satcher vacated, Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in that Republican primary and now faces Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the general election.

In the District 5 county commission race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated DeSantis appointee Ray Turner and now faces non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo in the general election.

Heather Felton and Mark Stanoch were the top two vote getters in the District 1 school board race and will face each other in the general election.

Voter turnout

Voter turnout was 24.86%, with 68,211 of Manatee County’s 274,383 registered voters participating in the primary. Voter turnout was 40% in Anna Maria, 36% in Holmes Beach and 33% in Bradenton Beach, with 1,411 of Anna Maria Island’s 3,848 registered voters casting votes.

According to the elections office, 2,316 non-Republican county voters switched their party affiliation to Republican to participate in the Republican primary.

Post-election reaction

“I am thrilled with the results of the election,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said. “Talk about a clean sweep! I feel the threat of a parking garage in our city has passed with the results of this election. I have great relations with all current candidates and they are all big supporters of home rule and assisting Holmes Beach as needed. I attended the watch party with Scott Farrington, George Kruse and Tal Saddique and it was a memorable and exciting night.”

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “The election turned out to be a great day for Manatee County and the Island cities. The winning candidates took the time to visit the city and look at the parking improvements we have completed. Those candidates spoke about their objection to the parking garage and the consolidation of the Island cities.”

Speaking on behalf of herself and her husband, Richard, Holmes Beach resident Margie Motzer said, “This was our best-case scenario; it was not only a clean sweep, but they were all very decisive wins. Those who care about good governance couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. It should not only send a message to the ‘developer darlings’ and their political consultant, but it was also a repudiation of the local developers backing them.

“In addition, it should send a clear message to the remaining commissioners that voters want good governance, fair representation, ethics, integrity, accountability and clean grassroots campaigns – not smear campaigns with a deluge of mailers and attack ads containing false or misleading information.

“We believe this election will go down in the history books. We believe the proposed parking garage will not have the same support it had under the commissioners who will be leaving office. However, we hope the whole experience will encourage a team effort between city and county officials to look at alternative solutions,” Motzer said.

Siddique reaction

“By running a grassroots campaign as a first-time, unknown candidate I knew I had a difficult path ahead of me,” Siddique said. “I believe this win can be attributed to having the right message, a strong work ethic and great local media that kept voters informed. Voters want someone who will represent them fairly instead of casting them aside for developers or special interest groups. I take the results as a signal that voters are tired of negative campaigning with fiery rhetoric. I was disgusted with the outright lies spread about my work history, the involvement of elected officials in supporting that campaign and the attacks on my wife. We have filed a number of cease-and-desist letters against SIMWINS (Pedicini) and other organizations and are not ruling out future legal action.

“I was in the room with George Kruse and Scott Farrington with dozens of our supporters on election night. As the results came in, I could feel hope and optimism fill the air throughout the night until we reached the crescendo when we realized that not only did Scott win, but that we would see a total shift on the board of county commissioners. I am grateful to all the local journalists, volunteers, political clubs, community organizations, grassroots Facebook groups and Manatee County voters for having the courage to act and fight for their community,” Siddique said.

Farrington reaction

“I am incredibly humbled by the trust that the voters have placed in me,” Farrington said. “I believe the outcome of the election shows the voters want to trust their elections office. I was very optimistic going into election day, but the margin was greater than I expected.”

Regarding the campaign tactics utilized by SIMWINS and Satcher’s campaign, Farrington said, “These tactics are designed to affect the less informed voter; and in my conversations, it seemed more voters had taken an interest and become involved. However, the ads and mailers were constant and deceptive and I didn’t discount that they would have an effect. I hope the outcome of this election will set a new tone for future campaigns. I believe these results prove that you do not need to bombard voters with constant negativity, and it shows that voters want engaged candidates that are willing to communicate and speak to them.”

Looking ahead to the general election to be conducted under Satcher’s supervision, minus four elections office employees that Satcher fired after the primary election, Farrington said, “I want the November election to go well. I am concerned about what I have read in the letters from the staff and I am concerned about the lack of knowledge that the office now has.”

Kruse reaction

“Tuesday, Aug. 20 was a pivotal day for Manatee County. The entire community, regardless of party or affiliation, came together to show the special interests that we are now, and forever will be, an informed voter base,” Kruse said. “The tactics of recent election cycles will no longer convince unsuspecting voters to vote against their best interests. The collective efforts of everyone in our county have turned the tide of our government and our future for the better. I am excited and optimistic about the next four years and beyond for Manatee County. Thank you everyone for your efforts, your resolve and your support this primary season.”

Related coverage: Fired elections office employees speak out

Farrington, Kruse, Siddique win key primary races

Written by Joe Hendricks on August 20, 2024. Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County’s Republican voters opted for change during today’s primary election.

In doing so, the county’s registered Republican voters rejected the far right, hyper-partisan political atmosphere that has dominated Manatee County politics since 2020.

Five of the primary losers utilized Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm.

The unofficial election results posted at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website must still be certified by the independent three-member canvassing board. Subject to potential change, the vote totals listed in this story were as of 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, with some mail ballots still being counted. Voter turnout was 23.57%, with 64,683 of Manatee County’s 274,385 registered voters participating in the primary election.

Supervisor of Elections

Former Supervisor of Elections Office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington will serve a four-year term as Manatee County’s next elected supervisor of elections, having defeated incumbent gubernatorial appointee James Satcher.

In the closed primary race that was open to registered Republican voters only, Farrington received 23,376 votes (58.92%) and Satcher received 16,299 votes (41.08%). Because there is no Democratic challenger in this fall’s general election, Farrington wins the supervisor of elections race.

County Commission races

Tal Siddique defeated April Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race that pitted two first-time candidates against each other in a closed primary race open only to registered Republicans who reside in District 3 – a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and a portion of Bradenton.

Siddique received 5,783 votes (60.91%) and Culbreath received 3,712 votes (39.09%). Siddique will now face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the District 3 general election race that concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Incumbent District 7 at-large Commissioner George Kruse defeated current District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge in the District 7 Republican primary race. Kruse received 23,245 votes (58.48%) and Van Ostenbridge received 16,503 votes (41.52%). Kruse will now face Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election.

Seeking to fill the District 1 county commission seat that Satcher vacated in April – when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve the remaining months of former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett’s four-year term – Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in the District 1 Republican primary. Felts received 5,427 votes (54.07%) and Metallo received 4,610 votes (45.93%). Felts will now face Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the District 1 general election.

In the County Commission District 5 race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated gubernatorial appointee Ray Turner. McCann received 5,744 votes (54.31%) and Turner received 4,833 votes (45.69%). McCann will now face non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo.

Property Appraiser, Clerk, Sheriff

In a countywide race open to all voters, Incumbent Manatee County Property Appraiser Charles Hackney defeated Republican challenger Darin George. Hackney received 48,830 (80.98%) votes and George received 11,469 votes (19.02%).

Running unopposed, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Angel Colonneso will serve another four-year term in that role. Running unopposed, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells will serve another four-year term as sheriff.

School board races

Charlie Kennedy was the leading vote getter in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Kennedy received 6,970 votes (47.39%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,426 votes (30.09%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,311 votes (22.51%). Because no candidate received a 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.

Heather Felton was the leading vote-getter in the District 1 school board race. Felton received 6,100 votes (38.96%), Mark Stanoch received 4,960 votes (31.68%) and Alex Garner received 4,596 votes (29.36%). Because none of these candidates secured a 50%-plus-one additional vote, the top two vote-getters, Felton and Stanoch, will face each other in the general election.

Island city races

The winners of the Anna Maria mayor’s race and the Holmes Beach city commission race will be determined in the general election this fall.

Guest Column: Vote to end destruction of nature

Written by SUN contributor on August 12, 2024. Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

My name is Brice Claypoole. I’m 16 years old. I have a deep love for our nature and a passion for protecting it. I’ve been following Manatee County politics – and their impact on our community and environment – for several years. I get involved where I think I can make a difference, like advocating for mangroves and wetland buffers. It’s been a frustrating experience, with a Board of County Commissioners (BCC) that consistently serves special interests at the expense of their own constituents. If you follow local politics, you probably know the routine – lots of people speak out against a detrimental project only to have their comments fall on deaf ears. How did our BCC come to abandon fair representation?

It began in 2020, when Commissioner Vanessa Baugh introduced a major sponsor of local political campaigns, developer Carlos Beruff, to political consultant Anthony Pedicini. Beruff has long been involved in Manatee politics where he is frequently accused of using campaign donations to effectively “bribe” commissioners to make decisions friendly to his development business.

Beruff and Pedicini formed a plan to take control of the county commission, Beruff funding several candidates while Pedicini acted as their consultant. They funneled tens of thousands of dollars into misleading attack ads smearing opponents. Their strategy paid off when Baugh was elected, along with developer-funded candidates George Kruse, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and James Satcher.

The new board majority hit the ground running. Likely under the direction of Beruff, they immediately fired our highly qualified county administrator and began the unprecedented move of completely reshaping county government. This new BCC’s goals were to consolidate power and eliminate all barriers to development, which became even easier when developers took the entire board in 2022.

The takeover was marred by scandals, mismanagement and corruption. Commissioners were investigated for theft, ethics violations and Sunshine Law violations. Baugh admitted to corruptly abusing her power to obtain COVID-19 vaccines and resigned shortly after to be replaced by former developer lobbyist Raymond Turner.

A FORK IN THE ROAD

The most prominent developer-controlled commissioner is Kevin Van Ostenbridge (aka KVO) who won a seat in 2020 and soon became board chair. Van Ostenbridge has unwaveringly served special interests who bankroll his campaigns. He has faced ethics complaints and potential Sunshine Law violations. In 2023, he served 90 days probation for theft of a bougainvillea plant. One of his biggest controversies is his attack on home rule in Holmes Beach and threats to build a parking garage against the community’s will.

Van Ostenbridge continuously shows contempt for those who oppose his actions, such as during the 2022 scandal where he called former Commissioner Besty Benac an obscene name. He provoked outrage again in a 2023 hearing when he called me a “political pawn” of “communists” due to my support of wetland protections. It was a stunning moment for me to realize that Van Ostenbridge did not care about his constituents, apparently viewing children as an obstacle to his agenda.

Another commissioner elected in 2020 was George Kruse. Then a political ally of Van Ostenbridge, Kruse often voted with the pro-developer block. He faced several high-profile controversies culminating in a car crash and accusations of driving under the influence in April 2022. Kruse denied the allegations and was never charged with DUI.

Since the incident, Kruse’s votes began to diverge from the board majority. “I heard the perception of me,” Kruse wrote in a recent Substack. “I saw the outrage against me. I spoke with people in our community and outside of it who were impacted by drunk driving. I took these to heart. I reevaluated my life with sincerity. I made a renewed vow to focus on doing the right things for the right reasons… I know I’m a substantially better person today as a result of April 2022. I can’t change the past. But I’ve made every effort to change the future.” Kruse has shown intelligence, humility and a willingness to learn. Despite mistakes, he has grown as a commissioner and become the voice of the public on an otherwise unhearing board.

Now Van Ostenbridge and Kruse are up for reelection, facing off in an unprecedented race between incumbent commissioners. Van Ostenbridge and Commissioner Raymond Turner are joined by Beruff and Pedicini’s two other candidates, Steven Metallo and April Culbreath, in running expensive developer-funded campaigns. Rather than engaging with the community ahead of the election, these candidates are relying on their unlimited funding and mass attack ads against their opponents.

Kruse joins Republican challengers Talha Siddique, Robert McCann and Carol Felts in contending against the status quo. Instead of taking developer money and churning out negative mailers, these candidates are running grassroots campaigns, talking with community members and promising a return to representation and responsible policy making.

THE TIPPING POINT

The impacts of bad governance are real and tragic. We have suffered from increasing traffic, irreversible loss of green space and degrading water quality. I have seen the collapse of seagrass meadows and the destruction of mangrove forests. Lyngbya algae choke waterways each spring, and red tides kill wildlife. One of the most awful things I’ve ever seen is dead sea turtles lying on the beach during red tide. It astounds and saddens me that our commissioners continue to let this happen.

If Van Ostenbridge and allies win this election, it will show that local politicians have to sell their souls to developers and turn a blind eye to the community’s suffering. Developers will maintain control of the BCC, and the public will continue to have little say in policymaking. The impacts on our community – the failing infrastructure, the traffic, water pollution and lost resources – will be irreversible. What will be left when my generation assumes responsibility for this land?

If, on the other hand, people wake up to the influence of developers and look past Pedicini’s misleading mailers, then we can turn things around. If Kruse and other community advocates win, it will prove that you can successfully run a clean, grassroots campaign. We can elect the candidates who promise to rebuild Manatee County’s government, restore integrity, and immediately work to save our county’s natural wonders.

I don’t have a vote, but as someone who will inherit the legacy of today’s decisions, I feel a responsibility to speak out. Now, it’s up to you to take back Manatee County from developers. How can you help? First, share this article. Everyone has to be informed about the state of Manatee politics if we are to turn things around. And make sure you vote on Aug. 20!

Here are the candidates I recommend.

DISTRICT 1: CAROL FELTS

Carol Felts is an eighth-generation Floridian who promises to fight over-development and conservatively steward tax dollars. Felts has been active in local politics for years, often speaking at commission hearings and advocating for community-friendly policies.

DISTRICT 3: TAHLA “TAL” SIDDIQUE

Tal Siddique served with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and has a record as a Republican community leader. He brings a focus on accountability, public safety and environmental protection.

DISTRICT 5: ROBERT “BOB” MCCANN

Dr. Bob McCann is a physician and veteran of the U.S. Navy. The most important issues for him are protecting our environment and improving the quality of life for residents. He is focused on protecting parkland, reducing overdevelopment and traffic and supporting local veterans.

DISTRICT 7: GEORGE KRUSE

Commissioner Kruse is the only incumbent commissioner with a history of fighting for the community rather than pandering to developer interests. He has successfully raised impact fees, supported veteran housing projects, and worked to rein in reckless development. Kruse’s record shows a responsible public servant deserving of a second term.

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS: SCOTT FARRINGTON

Along with BCC races, the Supervisor of Elections is an essential race this year. Developer-controlled incumbent James Satcher has showed that he’s dangerously anti-democratic, making it imperative to vote for highly qualified challenger Scott Farrington. Farrington has over two decades of experience running elections. As a Certified Elections Administrator and Master Florida Certified Election Professional, he promises to bring integrity and security to the office.

– Bryce Claypool

Six candidates report SIMWINS expenditures

Written by Joe Hendricks on July 29, 2024. Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Three more Republican candidates seeking office in Manatee County have reported campaign expenditures made to Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm.

Pedicini and his firm utilize television ads and campaign mailers to promote their Manatee County clients as true conservatives while painting their Republican primary opponents who may hold more moderate views as liberals.

Anthony Pedicini’s firm represents six Manatee County candidates. – Facebook | Submitted

During the July 13-19 campaign reporting period, District 3 Manatee County Commission candidate April Culbreath, District 1 County Commission candidate Steve Metallo and District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch listed their first reported campaign payments to SIMWINS, according to campaign treasurer reports on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website.

On July 18, Culbreath’s campaign paid SIMWINS $46,802 for campaign mailers and $800 for palm cards. Culbreath’s campaign has sent out numerous mailers since her District 3 campaign began.

On July 15, Metallo’s campaign paid SIMWINS $40,110 for mailers.

On July 15, Lynch’s campaign paid SIMWINS $4,850 for yard signs.

During the same reporting period, Supervisor of Elections candidate James Satcher, District 7 at-large County Commission candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge and District 5 County Commission candidate Ray Turner made additional payments to SIMWINS.

On July 15, Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS $6,484 for text messaging services and $20,000 for a media ad. On July 17, Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS an additional $15,000 for a media ad. To date, Satcher’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $82,929.

On July 18, Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $95,000 for a media ad. To date, Van Ostenbridge’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $193,420.

On July 17, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $48,562 for mailers. To date, Turner’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $66,072.

To date, the six Republican candidates have reported paying SIMWINS a total of $434,983.

Mail voting has begun for the primary election that concludes on Aug. 20. In-person early voting will take place at various polling locations Saturday, Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Related coverage: Pedicini consulting for Satcher, Van Ostenbridge, Turner

Cleanup in aisle 3

Written by SUN contributor on July 17, 2024. Posted in Guest column, Opinion.

To err is human, the old axiom goes, and we Republicans proved ourselves all too human in 2020 when we put Kevin Van Ostenbridge (KVO) on the Manatee County Board of Commissioners (commission). Now, in 2024, we have the opportunity to prove ourselves insane, as well, by doing it all over again.

Van Ostenbridge currently holds the commission’s District 3 (Dist-3) seat, meaning it was Dist-3 residents, me included, who voted him onto the commission in 2020. Dist-3 covers Cortez, the three Anna Maria Island cities, the Palma Sola area, and the northwest part of Bradenton.

When Van Ostenbridge filed his election papers early this year, they were for his Dist-3 seat.

Then, in late May, KVO announced he had terminated his Dist-3 campaign and was now running for the commission District 7 (Dist-7) seat. Dist-7 covers all of Manatee County. What happened was, KVO and April Culbreath, a friend and ally of his, had swapped election campaigns. So he is the Dist-7 candidate now, and she is running for his Dist-3 seat. Culbreath, you may have read, carries some interesting baggage herself.

The reason for the KVO-Culbreath switcheroo is Van Ostenbridge knows his chances of rewinning the Dist-3 seat are nil. He misrepresented himself to Dist-3 voters in 2020, and his conduct these past four years has so angered Dist-3 communities and residents that most Dist-3 voters – people of all political stripes – can hardly wait to throw the bum out.

Because commission Dist-7 has approximately five times more residents than Dist-3, Van Ostenbridge figures its commission seat is one he can win. The disdain he has earned for his Dist-3 blunders and plunders will be diluted considerably in Dist-7’s much larger voter base. Also, KVO will have the financial and other support of his posse (those he controls) and those who control him. Money is no object for many of them, and money yields votes (and, as we painfully know, pays for scurrilous campaign ads).

Van Ostenbridge also figures that, should he win the Aug. 20 commission Dist-7 Republican primary election, the November general election is his to lose. Unfortunately, I have to agree with him on this, and many others do as well.

In fact, I am hearing that a sizable number of you Democrats and No Party Affiliations have changed your voter registrations to Republican so you, too, can vote on Aug. 20 to end KVO’s reign.

Hopefully, more of you will do the same – enough more to ensure George Kruse, KVO’s Republican opponent and the current Dist-7 seat holder, wins the Dist-7 Republican primary election.

If you too wish to vote in the Aug. 20 Republican Dist-7 primary, the deadline for changing voter registrations to Republican is this July 22. You can change yours easily online, and then back again after Aug. 20 (as you know, in the November general election you can vote for any candidate on the general election ballot you like, regardless of your and his or her party affiliation).The Election Office web address is: https://www.votemanatee.com/. Its helpline number is: 941-741-3823.

Also, if you wish to vote by mail in the Aug. 20 Republican primary, the deadline for enrolling in the Election Office’s VBM directory is Aug. 8. This can be done online or by telephone (to remain active in the VBM directory, you must reenroll every two years).

Back in 2020, when Van Ostenbridge was running for his commission Dist-3 seat, his campaign rhetoric was similar to what it is now. In short, KVO said he was a principled, free-market conservative, detests government waste, wants Manatee County to run more businesslike, and will work with fellow commissioners to find common-sense solutions to residents’ problems. This sounded good, but what a crock of brown gumbo algae it turned out to be!

Upon joining the commission, Van Ostenbridge essentially declared himself the new sheriff in town and bullied his way into the powerful chairman position. Then, poof, Campaign KVO, the would-be principled conservative, became Commission Chair KVO, an unabashed, spend-happy, crony-capitalist. And the constituents whose problems he said he would work to solve? Well, they obviously are not us ordinary and regular tax-paying residents.

Thus, it comes as no surprise Van Ostenbridge’s developer/builder cronies and other real estate-industry benefactors have amassed for him a huge 2024 campaign fund. Per June 25 Election Office records, it is $234,300 so far, a staggering sum for county-level elections. It is four times more than what the other two Dist-7 candidates have received, combined.

Ergo, one cannot help wondering if some of Van Ostenbridge’s various misfeasances and malfeasances can be explained by the generosity of his big-money campaign benefactors.

Especially things KVO has done or promoted that otherwise make no sense at all, such as the notorious Manatee Beach parking garage.

The garage is the $40-$45-million, multi-level, pay-to-park parking garage that Van Ostenbridge is clamoring to erect on the sands of beautiful Manatee Beach in the island City of Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. KVO justifies this parking garage on the unsupported notion that this beach is underused due to a shortage of convenient, publicly-available parking spaces that prevents off-island County residents and visitors from using and enjoying the beach on weekend and other high-use beach days.

Van Ostenbridge knows this unsupported notion is false. Knowledgeable officials and KVO’s own eyes tell him the predominant impediment to off-islanders using Manatee Beach on high-use beach days is the terrible, bumper-to-bumper, snail-pace-or-worse traffic they face just getting over to Anna Maria Island. Moreover, this geographically small neighborhood beach is not underused. On high-use beach days, with “just” the 425 onsite parking spaces it currently has, the beach typically is packed shoulder-to-shoulder and umbrella-to-umbrella with beachgoers.

It is no wonder commission Dist-3 residents and others are so angry about the garage.

It will make a terrible traffic situation substantially worse, congestion-wise and public-safety-wise; it will sully the natural pristine beauty of this Gulf Coast beach; it will put the beach’s iconic, uberpopular beachfront establishments out of business; it will eliminate all 425 existing fee-free onsite parking spaces; and, during its projected two-year-plus construction phase, there will be no onsite parking opportunities at all.

Although the animosity created by the garage is reason enough for Van Ostenbridge to cancel his Dist-3 campaign and pursue George Kruse’s Dist-7 seat, KVO is also vindictive. Kruse has angered KVO by raising important questions that beg for answers before the county proceeds any further with the garage. Shame on Kruse to want the county to run itself businesslike.

In closing, I will leave you with another old axiom: Every vote counts. And in an election as close as the Aug. 20 commission Dist-7 Republican primary threatens to be, every vote is important. Van Ostenbridge has had his way with our county long enough, so let us work together to stop the hurt now.

And let us commission Dist-3 residents combine forces to see that Van Ostenbridge’s ally and proxy, April Culbreath, loses her Aug. 20 commission Dist-3 Republican primary election to her opponent, Tal Siddique.

Jerry Newbrough

Holmes Beach

Pedicini consulting for Satcher, Van Ostenbridge, Turner

Written by Joe Hendricks on July 15, 2024. Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – During a recent Supervisor of Elections debate, candidate James Satcher refused to acknowledge he’s using Anthony Pedicini as his political consultant.

Manatee County Commission candidates Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Ray Turner are also utilizing the campaign consulting services of Pedicini and his Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) consulting firm.

In 2020, Pedicini helped Satcher, Van Ostenbridge, George Kruse and Vanessa Baugh win their respective Manatee County Commission races and he remains actively involved in Manatee County politics.

Supervisor’s race

On April 12, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, then the District 1 county commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett vacated when he retired in March.

Bennett’s longtime Chief of Staff Scott Farrington also sought the gubernatorial appointment and he resigned after DeSantis appointed Satcher, who had no previous experience working in an elections office or supervising an election.Farrington and Satcher now face each other in the Republican primary race that concludes on Aug. 20. With no Democratic candidate in the general election, the primary will determine who serves as Manatee County’s Supervisor of Elections for the next four years.

On June 19, the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club hosted a debate between Farrington and Satcher. The first question posed by the moderator sought the names of the political consultants and the consulting firms being utilized by the two candidates.

“I’m tempted not to answer that question. I don’t know what it has to do with my performance as the Supervisor of Elections. Sure, I have a political consultant,” Satcher responded without disclosing the name of his consultant or consulting firm.

After noting that Satcher didn’t answer the question, Farrington said he’s received informal consultation from Bennett and one of Bennett’s past associates. According to Farrington’s campaign treasurer’s reports, he had spent no money on political consulting services as of July 13.

According to Satcher’s campaign treasurer’s reports, Satcher has paid Pedicini’s SIMWINS consulting firm $41,445 during the current 2024 election cycle. On June 21, two days after the debate, Satcher’s Supervisor of Elections campaign paid SIMWINS $40,000 for media services. On Feb. 6, Satcher’s now-suspended District 1 county commission campaign paid SIMWINS $1,250 for consulting services. On March 15, Satcher’s District 1 campaign paid SIMWINS $195 for a WebElect subscription.

Additional clients

In late May, Van Ostenbridge suspended his District 3 reelection bid and decided instead to run against Kruse in the countywide District 7 race that now pits two sitting commissioners against each other.

According to campaign treasurer’s reports, Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $98,420 for consulting services as of June 28. On June 24, Van Ostenbridge’s District 7 campaign paid SIMWINS $83,500 for media services. On Nov. 2, Van Ostenbridge’s District 1 campaign paid SIMWINS $3,915 for campaign consulting services. On Feb. 26, Van Ostenbridge’s District 1 campaign paid SIMWINS $3,950 for advertising and consulting services.

To date, Turner’s District 1 campaign has paid SIMWINS $17,510. On June 17, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $11,565 for services related to a petition mailer. On Jan. 31, April 23 and May 18, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $1,250 for consulting services on each of those occasions.

On Dec. 26, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $750 for campaign notecards. On Dec. 7, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $1,250 for consulting services. On Nov. 7, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $195 for an online subscription.

Satcher, Van Ostenbridge and Turner each list Wendy White as their campaign treasurer, as do District 1 county commission candidate Steve Metallo, District 3 county commission candidate April Culbreath and District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch. White’s Campaign Accounting Services LLC lists the same Tampa address as Pedicini’s SIMWINS firm. According to their campaign treasurer’s reports, Metallo, Culbreath and Lynch did not list any campaign expenditures made to Pedicini or SIMWINS as of June 28.

KVO attack ad

Van Ostenbridge’s campaign is currently airing a TV campaign ad that makes the following claims about Kruse: “When radical environmentalists backed by George Soros attacked our property rights, spineless Kruse sided with Soros. When the liberal media called DeSantis the village idiot for securing our elections, Kruse sided with the liberal media. Spineless George Kruse, so liberal he’s basically a Democrat.”

On July 8, Kruse published a lengthy written rebuttal at his Substack website.

“Before qualifying even ended, over $50,000 of airtime was bought to run an attack ad entirely devoid of facts,” Kruse wrote. “As he (Van Ostenbridge) can’t run on any fact-based record, the assumption is the baseless attacks will continue until Aug. 20. The broadest of their attacks is that I’m a liberal, communist, Democrat, RINO (Republican in Name Only), whatever term they have on hand at that time. Their definition of ‘conservative’ is so warped at this point that it’s lost all meaning. They have fought tax cuts, spent your hard-earned money freely on pork projects they can campaign on, grown government to stratospheric levels and weaponized their power against their residents and your voice. No self-respecting Republican would want to be associated with whatever brand of ‘conservative’ these people are.

“They further try to claim that any news (agency) is liberal if they don’t bow down to their corrupt and destructive actions. Even The Observer, by far the most conservative paper in town, was called the ‘liberal media’ in their pathetic TV ad for daring to have an opinion different than theirs,” Kruse wrote.

Regarding the ad’s claim about his views on DeSantis, Kruse wrote, “I’m not a member of a cult and I don’t blindly believe every single thing a politician does is correct. I fully believe the governor made a huge mistake appointing our current Supervisor of Elections (Satcher) over a far more experienced and qualified candidate in Scott Farrington. I would venture to guess 99% of informed Manatee County residents feel the same way. These are non-partisan issues that need the voice of the entire electorate.”

Regarding non-Republicans switching their party affiliation to Republicans to vote in the Republican primary, Kruse wrote, “The other side has no problem filing fake ghost candidates as write-ins to lock down primaries so they can use their ‘more conservative than you’ playbook.”

During the recent debate, Satcher referred to the completely legal practice of changing party affiliation as “election interference.”

“When we recommend non-Republicans change their party to have a voice in the governing of their county, it’s called election interference,” Kruse wrote. “Their playbook only works if they can con the furthest right of the base. If others start paying attention, they have no counter for that.”

Kruse noted July 22 is the deadline for voters to change their party affiliation at registertovoteflorida.gov.

Van Ostenbridge switches races

Written by Joe Hendricks on June 3, 2024. Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Incumbent District 3 Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge announced he’s no longer seeking reelection in his current district.

He will instead seek election to the District 7 at-large seat currently held by George Kruse, who seeks re-election to another four-year term in that seat. The two sitting county commissioners will square off in the District 7 at-large Republican primary that concludes on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

On May 31, Van Ostenbridge filed his campaign redesignation letter with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, as did former District 7 Republican candidate April Culbreath, who is now running against Tal Siddique in the District 3 Republican primary.

The winner of the District 7 Republican primary will then face the winner of the Democratic primary between Aliyah Hurt and Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election. The winner of the District 3 Republican primary will face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election.

On May 31, Van Ostenbridge distributed the following text announcement regarding his political lane change: “For me, it boiled down to this: Manatee County Republicans deserve a truly conservative representative who believes in the free market; who will never apologize to liberals; and who will protect and defend every God-given constitutional right. I can continue to represent west Bradenton and at the same time restore the promise of conservative representation to the county as a whole. George Kruse is a liberal. I am a staunch Trump conservative. George Kruse thinks the government knows best. I know the people know best.”

Van Ostenbridge shared his pro-Trump campaign statement the day after a 12-person New York jury found the former president guilty of all 34 felony charges alleged against him.

On June 1, Kruse provided The Sun with the following written response to Van Ostenbridge’s statement: “Both the decision to run away from the District 3 race and the context of his announcement are not a surprise to anyone. After a lifetime of living in his district and four years of ‘representing’ his district, the residents out west made it clear through their polling that Kevin only represents himself and a very small handful of people in Manatee County and his district wants him out. I’m happy for those residents and I’m hopeful they’ll once again have a commissioner who actually cares about their voice and their future.

“His announcement of this change is a reflection of how they’ll campaign throughout 2024. When you know you can’t run on your record, you deflect and distract in hopes of finding enough uninformed voters to manipulate into voting against their best interests. Kevin’s consultant (Anthony Pedicini) will deflect everything wrong with him onto me while they continue pushing their revisionist history of the facts. Kevin has consistently fought to stifle the voices of the people he claims ‘know best.’ Through his actions on Anna Maria Island and throughout the county, he has proven to be the foremost advocate of authoritarian, big government, tax-and-spend policies Manatee County has had on our board in a very long time,” Kruse stated.

“I’m hopeful that our community has finally been pushed too far by Kevin and his syndicate. The public is waking up and an informed electorate is not their voter base,” Kruse stated.

DISTRICT DIFFERENCES

Van Ostenbridge has invited opposition on Anna Maria Island due to his ongoing efforts to build a three-story parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach. Since being elected to the District 3 seat in 2020, Van Ostenbridge has frequently feuded with Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and Police Chief Bill Tokajer about beach parking and other parking allowances.

District 3 includes all of Anna Maria Island, all of Cortez, the northern half of Longboat Key, west Bradenton and portions of Bradenton. It was long-rumored that Van Ostenbridge would switch to the District 7 at-large race if early polling numbers indicated he might not win the District 3 race, which features fewer total voters and a higher percentage of Island voters. Island voters make up a significantly smaller percentage of the total votes cast in the countywide District 7 at-large race.

When winning the election for the first time in 2020, the then-relatively unknown Van Ostenbridge received 23,213 (58%) of the 39,766 votes cast in the general election in which he faced non-party-affiliated opponent Matt Bower. Van Ostenbridge was the only Republican primary candidate in that race.

When winning the election for the first time in the 2020 District 7 at-large Republican primary, Kruse received 21,184 (57%) of the votes cast in the primary race that also included former county administrator Ed Hunzeker. When later running unopposed in the general election, Kruse received 159,894 (93%) of the 171,437 votes cast, with unnamed write-in candidates receiving 11,543 votes.

CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING

According to the latest campaign fundraising reports, Van Ostenbridge has raised $214,253 so far. Kruse raised $37,088, Valimaki raised $500 and Hurt has raised nothing. In the District 3 race, Siddique has raised $26,933, Culbreath has raised $19,993 and Shoemaker has raised $25,767.

Monday, July 22 is the deadline to register to vote in the August primary. July 22 is also the deadline to change one’s party affiliation to vote in the Republican primaries that will help determine who ultimately wins the county commission seats up for grabs in this year’s general election.

Editorial: Selling access to the sand

Written by Sun staff on May 21, 2024. Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

Manatee County commissioners are on a roll when it comes to disappointing their constituents.

Despite overwhelming protests from the community, commissioners have approved $2.9 million for three pre-design criteria packages for three parking garages, one at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.

Even Commissioner George Kruse, whom Island residents were starting to rally around, voted in favor of the budget amendment.

Commissioners’ intent with these packages is to seek a public-private partnership agreement for a private developer and builder to come in with a bid package to build and run these parking facilities. The reason a private company or investor would do such a thing, as was said on the county commission dais on May 14, is so they can profit from the paid parking facility.

There goes Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s supposed reason for going around Holmes Beach officials to build the parking garage at the beach, which was to give more people access to the beach. Instead, by this plan, only those willing to pay for the privilege of parking on Anna Maria Island will have access to the beach.

Van Ostenbridge already stated that he has no intention of seeking a reduced or free rate for Manatee County residents. Now he and the other five members of the county commission are actively spending tax dollars to build a revenue stream for the developers – and possible campaign contributors – they select at the expense of taxpayers and Manatee County residents.

Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth is the only Anna Maria Island mayor who has taken a stand against paid parking and doesn’t allow it in her city. Holmes Beach has the only free and truly accessible beach access left on Anna Maria Island and county commissioners have gone all the way to the state Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis to make sure that it’s closed to only those willing to pay a premium to access the sand.

With the current slate of county commissioners, this is your tax dollars at work, something voters should remember at the ballot box in the Aug. 20 Republican primary, where many of our local elections are decided, and in the Nov. 5 general election.

Boat ramp being renamed in Moore’s honor

Written by Joe Hendricks on May 20, 2024. Posted in Community News, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – The Coquina North Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach will be renamed the Captain Scott Moore Boat Ramp in honor of longtime Holmes Beach resident and well-known fishing guide and charter captain Scott Moore.

During the May 14 Manatee County Commission meeting, Moore gave a short presentation about the condition of the area’s local fisheries and the importance of preserving mangroves as fish habitats and breeding grounds.

After the presentation, Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge surprised Moore by proposing the county attorney’s office draft a county resolution that, when adopted, will result in the Coquina North Boat Ramp being renamed in Moore’s honor. The nearby Coquina South Boat Ramp will be renamed as Coquina Boat Ramp.

MOORE PRESENTATION

When introducing Moore, Van Ostenbridge said, “He’s 50 years on the water and there’s no better expert.”

“He’s a legend,” Commission Chair Mike Rahm added.

As he began his presentation, Moore said, “Despite recent challenges with red ride, Piney Point issues and freezes, I’m pleased to report that our fish populations are recovering. There are reasons for this recovery and I’d like to highlight the crucial role that the mangroves play in our area.

“Throughout the years, decisions made by past commissioners and present regarding the preservation of mangrove areas such as Robinson Preserve and Emerson Preserve have significantly enhanced our fisheries. The leaf litter from the mangroves is essential for nurturing fish populations. The leaf litter that comes from them is so important, and it also affects our fishery inshore and offshore, both recreationally and commercially. Protecting these mangrove habitats is paramount to sustaining our fisheries. It’s the most important thing that we have,” Moore said.

“While we still face water quality issues – and those solutions I’ll leave up to the scientists – safeguarding our mangroves is a step in the right direction. One particular area I want to emphasize is Rattlesnake Key, a vital fish-producing region,” Moore said.

Moore noted that in the Tampa Bay area, the waters at Emerson Point have historically been a significant area for snook to spawn and preserving those mangroves has benefitted the area’s snook population and assisted in its recovery.

“Snooks really got hit. We had a freeze (in 2015) and it took out a lot of fish. It takes years. You have recruitment in these fish populations and it takes time for this to happen,” he said, also noting the past impacts of red tide.

He said the fish population would not have recovered as well without the mangroves and fish habitats available at Emerson Point Preserve, Perico Preserve and Robinson Preserve.

“Robinson Preserve is a big producer of redfish because of the inner shore area we have now,” he said, noting that Robinson Preserve serves as an important fish habitat and breeding area in addition to being a great place to bicycle, hike and enjoy other recreational activities.

Moore has long been a proponent of the state and/or county buying Rattlesnake Key and designating it as a park and preservation area.

In 2022, the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis earmarked $23 million to purchase the 671-acre island known as Rattlesnake Key and designate the property as a state park, with Manatee County contributing an additional $3 million to purchase the land. To date, that sale has not materialized and the earmarked state funds are scheduled to expire in June. In April, the corporate owners of the Rattlesnake Key property and several surrounding properties collectively listed those properties for sale for $75 million.

Despite the decreasing likelihood that the state will buy Rattlesnake Key, Moore remains hopeful.

“Rattlesnake Point is a huge area that produces fish commercially and recreationally,” he said. “As you drive south across the (Sunshine) Skyway entering Manatee County, what are you going to see? You’re going to see Rattlesnake Key. Consider the legacy we leave for generations to come. We need to preserve that.”

After noting that he’s a “little disappointed” with the state regarding the Rattlesnake Key purchase, Moore said, “Use our money wisely, but we want that done if you can do it.”

RENAMING BOAT RAMP

After Moore’s presentation, Van Ostenbridge noted that in addition to being a legendary fishing guide, Moore serves on fishery committees, has formed partnerships with scientists and other fishermen, has spent many hours educating local students about the importance of conservation and has “enlightened countless individuals on the importance of sustainable fishing practices and the delicate balance of marine life.”

Van Ostenbridge noted Moore founded the Coastal Conservation Association in the 1980s and still sits on that board. He also said he’s earned many awards and honors in recognition of his work – including a $3 million donation that philanthropists Carol and Barney Barnett made to the Sarasota-based Mote Marine Laboratory in Moore’s name.

“We could go on and on and on for all the things that he has done for this county and the local waters around here. If there’s ever a person that was going to be memorialized or remembered for their contributions in their specific field and specific industry, I think Capt. Moore is somebody who deserves that kind of recognition,” Van Ostenbridge said.

“Out at Coquina, we have two boat ramps; one’s called Coquina North and one’s called Coquina South. I always thought that was kind of silly, so I move that we direct the county attorney’s office to draft a resolution for this board to name the Coquina North Boat Ramp the Captain Scott Moore Boat Ramp and the Coquina South Boat Ramp the Coquina Boat Ramp, Van Ostenbridge said.

In response, the surprised Moore said, “Wow. Thank you so much.”

Rahm seconded Van Ostenbridge’s motion and the commission voted unanimously in favor of having a resolution drafted that sets the renaming efforts in motion.

In closing Rahm said, “Thank you so much for what you do for our community.”

County pushes for fire district mergers

Written by SUN contributor on May 7, 2024. Posted in Community News, Manatee County, West Manatee Fire Rescue.

MANATEE COUNTY – County commissioners asked the county’s seven fire chiefs to consider merging their districts at an April 23 meeting.

Commissioners said they would support doing a study to look into the benefits of consolidating fire districts, adding that they would bring state leaders and the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability into the conversation if needed.

Manatee County Administrator Charlie Bishop reminded commissioners that they have no authority over fire districts, which are special districts and governed by the state of Florida.

The conversation was brought to the dais by District Four Commissioner Mike Rahn as a result of the volunteer Duette Fire Department seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) for non-transport advanced life support capabilities from the county. Receiving a COPCN is one of the many steps for district firefighters to be certified to provide the same care as an EMS first responder. Non-transport ALS means that the firefighters can provide the same medical care as EMS workers but cannot transport patients to the hospital or other care facility. West Manatee Fire Rescue, the department that covers Anna Maria Island, Cortez and the west side of unincorporated Manatee County, is a non-transport ALS provider in addition to having fire response, water rescue and dive team capabilities, among others.

During the meeting, Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge said that Duette does not meet the minimum capabilities to provide non-transport ALS service to its residents and encouraged the fire chiefs to consider merging districts.

Duette Fire Chief Rocky Parker took to social media to dispute Van Ostenbridge’s claim. Parker said that he believes the district meets the requirements to provide the service to residents and will continue to seek COPCN approval, despite the county commission’s argument that the Duette fire department doesn’t meet the requirements because its firefighters are volunteers.

Van Ostenbridge said that there are positives and negatives to living “out in the country” with one of the negatives being that there is less access to emergency services. He suggested that Duette and Parrish fire districts consider consolidating with North River Fire District to provide more services to residents and property owners.

While fire districts are allowed to consolidate, they can only merge with ones contiguous to their established boundaries within the county.

During the discussion, Van Ostenbridge singled out WMFR as a fire district that would be interested in merging with another district. While Chief Ben Rigney said that the district is always willing to keep its options open to better serve residents and property owners, he doesn’t see a merger coming any time soon.

“It seems to come up every five to 10 years or so,” Rigney said of the talk of fire district consolidation in Manatee County. “I did not feel that West Manatee was being targeted or threatened by the discussion from the Manatee County commission meeting. The commissioners are trying to ensure that the fire districts remain fiscally responsible to their communities. I feel that our district has continued to be responsible with taxpayer monies and are always open to working with them on providing a better service.”

Van Ostenbridge said he doesn’t want to see services reduced but would like to see administrative costs reduced.

Commissioner George Kruse said he thinks it’s important to continually look at opportunities but he’s not sure what the opportunity would be. He said he doesn’t want to see residents have different kinds of safety services based on where they live. He said he would rather see fire safety capabilities standardized across Manatee County. Kruse added that he doesn’t want safety services dictated by where people can afford to live.

“I would just encourage people to have that conversation,” Kruse said. “I would like this to be a bigger discussion. Maybe the (state) delegation needs to get involved in it. We seemingly can get free OPPAGA studies at a snap of a finger. It doesn’t commit to anything, but it can support data for future discussion.”

“I want you guys to keep control of all of this, keep control of your own destiny,” Van Ostenbridge said. When the state delegation and OPPAGA studies are involved, he said that the fire districts would start to lose control of their futures.

Siddique, Shoemaker enter county commission race

Written by Joe Hendricks on September 26, 2023. Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – Democrat Diana Shoemaker and Republican Talha “Tal” Siddique both seek the District 3 Manatee County Commission seat currently held by Kevin Van Ostenbridge.

Shoemaker announced her candidacy on Sept. 22. Siddique announced his candidacy on Sept. 19.

District 3 includes all of Anna Maria Island, Cortez, Palma Sola, and a portion of west Bradenton. The county commission primary election will conclude on Aug. 20. The primary election winners will square off in the general election that concludes on Nov. 5.

Tal Siddique

Siddique earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational sciences with a minor in computer science from The George Washington University and he’s served with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Air Force.

Siddique is a member of the 2023-24 class of Leadership Manatee. He’s also a member of the Bradenton Kiwanis Club, Manatee Young Professionals, Young Republicans, Lakewood Ranch Republican Club, Lakewood Ranch Young Leaders Alliance, the Elks Lodge, Manatee Tiger Bay Club, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Alumni Board and his community advocacy group, Speak Out Manatee.

“I have had a tremendous amount of encouragement from Manatee County residents, which has been humbling. Our residents are frustrated with mismanagement, and the scandalous theft of property and personal data by politicians who think this is an appropriate use of their power and our taxpayer dollars. They clearly want to see new leadership, as do I,” Siddique stated in his campaign announcement press release.

The press release notes that Siddique and his wife, Kristen Truong, are deeply rooted in the Manatee County community and devoted parishioners of Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles Catholic Church.

“Tal’s candidacy for Manatee County Commission, District 3, is founded on a genuine desire to advocate for the needs and aspirations of the community, bringing forth a fresh and inclusive perspective to enhance the lives of all residents,” his press release says.

Siddique has already been endorsed by Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer.

Learn more at www.votetal.com.

Diana Shoemaker

Shoemaker was president and CEO of Manatee Habitat for Humanity until 2021. For 12 years, she worked to create affordable housing for Manatee County residents.

In 2021, she became executive director of the Elders Action Network, a non-profit organization that works to create greater social and environmental justice.

From 2007 to 2009, she served as director for Family Promise of Manatee County, a non-profit providing shelter and resources to homeless families. She was the chair of the Manatee County Affordable Housing Task Force in 2016 and a member of the Bradenton Housing Advisory Committee. She graduated from the Leadership Manatee program and the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Executive Academy.

Shoemaker grew up in Long Island, N.Y. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Ohio University and a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1988. She, her husband, Mark, and their two children moved to Bradenton in 1999.

According to her campaign announcement press release, Shoemaker is running to restore the voice of District 3 voters whose concerns have been overlooked or ignored on issues such as wetlands protection or the proposed parking garage on Holmes Beach.

“It’s time that we have leadership that understands their responsibility to listen to their voices,” she said.

“What we want from those who lead our community is integrity, open dialogue and attention to critical local issues necessary for creating fair and balanced policy. In recent years, leaders have pushed through policy decisions over and sometimes in spite of clear opposition from the public they represent. The issues we’re struggling with right now are nonpartisan issues. Having clean water and solving traffic problems are nonpartisan issues,” Shoemaker said.

Learn more at www.electshoemaker.com.

Kevin Van Ostenbridge

First elected in 2020, Van Ostenbridge filed his District 3 reelection campaign paperwork on June 1 and he’s already received $170,000 in campaign donations.

In a written statement provided to The Sun, Van Ostenbridge said, “Conservatives in Manatee County know that in my first term, I have led their county commission in delivering two tax cuts, record investments in traffic-relieving infrastructure, renewed our commitment to our sheriff’s office and its deputies and kept the economic engine of our community open for business.

“Conservatives know we’ve gone to unprecedented lengths to protect the right to life and the second amendment in Manatee County.

“Conservatives know that protecting our environment is a priority of mine including moving forward with conserving hundreds of acres of environmentally sensitive lands for future generations to enjoy. I have also played an integral role in writing the final chapter of Piney Point. The closure of phase 1 at the Piney Point site is now complete,” he said.

County moves forward with beach garage design

Written by SUN contributor on August 15, 2023. Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

MANATEE COUNTY – Parking garage plans for Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach are moving forward despite pushback from Anna Maria Island residents and one commissioner.

During an Aug. 14 work session, county commissioners discussed four potential parking garages, one of which is the proposed parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach that was approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year. When initially discussed, Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge proposed a three-story 1,500 parking space garage costing an estimated $45 million. The garage proposal presented to county commissioners during the work session is expected to cost $30-35 million to build and have about 900 parking spaces. While the actual look of the garage is not yet decided upon, the garage is planned to cover the entirety of the existing beach parking area, including the concession, retail and restroom areas. The new parking garage would include concession, retail, restroom and other facilities.

Commissioner George Kruse said he’s concerned about the cost of the four proposed parking facilities. He said that three of the garages are “niceties,” but the proposed downtown Bradenton replacement garage is the only one that is actually needed. The current garage has structural issues and must be replaced for safety reasons. Out of the four proposed garages, the downtown garage is estimated to cost the most at around $100 million.

Kruse said that rather than serving the public interest, he feels the Manatee Beach parking garage is being considered strictly to support a narrative constructed around a lack of beach parking. Having toured the city’s available parking, he said he feels that the 600 additional spaces the garage would provide over and above the current 300 in the parking lot are unnecessary and that the construction of the garage, planned to take anywhere from 18-24 months, could cause significantly more damage to the area than it helps, reducing facilities and beach access over two high tourism seasons. He also noted that the garage is currently an unfunded expense for the county.

Kruse’s comments received a round of applause from members of the public in the commission chambers. However, Van Ostenbridge said he feels that the rest of the board doesn’t share Kruse’s concerns.

Commissioner James Satcher said that if he could just choose one parking garage on the list of proposals, he’d pick the Manatee Beach parking garage. “People are clamoring to get to the beach. This is the right thing to do,” he said. “This should definitely be number one on our list.”

PUBLIC OPINION

During public comment, several people spoke against the parking garage, including Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer, former Holmes Beach mayor and former county commissioner Carol Whitmore, city attorney Erica Augello and Titsworth.

“We do have adequate parking and I want to show you so bad,” Titsworth said to the county commission. “Please, before you act, take me up on my offer. Come take the tour and see our available parking.” She did note that Bearden agreed to come visit the city in the next week.

Some of the issues with parking in residential neighborhoods that Titsworth noted include lack of bathrooms, resulting in people defecating in sea oats, and lack of lifeguards down the entire length of the beach.

Resident Bruce Meyer also spoke and said he feels that he’s being “punished” and is not represented by the county commission. He said that 600 spaces wouldn’t make a difference with the amount of people who want to come the county beaches.

Augello noted that the proposed revenue stream for parking garage, paid parking, is not an allowable use in Holmes Beach and would not be allowed. If pursued, she said it could potentially end in litigation.

Owner of the Bamboo Beach Apartments, Alice Sutton, invited the county commissioners to come for a free weekend stay on a day of their choice and help her pick up used diapers, condoms and other debris from the sea oats and beach, help direct parking and explain to naked people why they can’t change in the complex’s laundry room.

Holmes Beach Commissioner Carol Soustek said that the issue isn’t availability of parking, it’s not addressing the issues with traffic and not addressing multi-modal transportation. She noted that the city commission is responding to the concerns raised by the residents they’re elected to represent to reduce on-street beach parking in residential neighborhoods. She said the city is not limiting access to the beach.

“We want to accommodate everyone we can,” she said. “We just can’t accommodate all of the cars.” Soustek encouraged county commissioners to look at some of the studies that have been done concerning traffic and congestion for additional solutions to issues with beach access, such as multi-modal transportation.

Holmes Beach Commissioner Greg Kerchner addressed Bearden’s comments about planning for the future of the county with the potential for residential growth of 100,000 people over the coming years. He said that if the county wants to plan for the future, leaders need to look at more sustainable options than 600 beach parking spaces.

Closing out the meeting, both Kruse and Bearden spoke again with Kruse reiterating his earlier concerns that there are more pressing infrastructure issues in the county, such as the $60 million Fort Hamer Bridge project and the downtown Bradenton parking garage, that need to be addressed before a mere 600 parking spaces at Manatee Beach that will tie up facilities and parking for years is considered. Bearden said that he believes the 600 spaces will make a huge difference to people who live on the east side of the county who are waiting in traffic to get to the beach.

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