While we’re still on the cusp of some of the year’s most exciting fishing, let me encourage you to express your opinion to your local state representative, Will Robinson Jr., on a very important issue that is addressed in Suncoast Waterkeeper’s February newsletter: adopting new legislation that fixes the state law created in 2025 by the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ adoption of Senate Bill 180 .
The Suncoast Waterkeeper newsletter says, “For those familiar with the Save Our Wetlands campaign in Manatee County, Senate Bill 180 will carry heavy connotations. Last year, SB 180 is exactly what prevented Manatee County Commissioners from reverting wetlands buffer protections back to their previous state.
“Senate Bill 180, Section 2(b) states: ‘For one year after a hurricane makes landfall, an impacted local government may not propose or adopt: A more restrictive or burdensome amendment to its comprehensive plan or land development regulations.’ This language prevents counties (and cities) from taking action to protect wetlands and wetland buffers, among other things, which are crucial in maintaining coastal resiliency,” the newsletter says.
“Suncoast Waterkeeper has been sharing an action alert from 1000 Friends of Florida which aims to find a fix for last session’s SB 180. As of now, Senate Bill 840 offers the chance to restore limited, but essential local planning authority. But Senate Bill 840 cannot be passed without a companion in the House. Enter House Bill 217. 1000 Friends of Florida suggests this would be the best option to put on the agenda and amend language to match SB 840,” the Suncoast Waterkeeper newsletter says.
“To be clear, this is the only pathway to restoring Manatee County wetland buffer protections any time soon. Many representatives haven’t prioritized fixing SB 180 because they don’t see or experience the damage it has done to local planning efforts to safeguard our communities against increasingly extreme weather conditions. Write to the chair and members of the Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee and share how SB 180 has impacted our life here on the Suncoast, respectfully request that they put HB 217 on the agenda and amend it to match SB 840,” the newsletter says.
“A special shout-out and appreciation to Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse for his unwavering leadership on this issue. If we want the House to act, they must hear from you!” the newsletter says in closing.
State Rep. Berny Jacques chairs the House Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee. The phone number for his Tallahassee office is 850-717-5059 and his email address is berny.jacques@flhouse.gov. The phone number for Will Robinson’s Tallahassee office is 850-717-5071 and the number for his Bradenton office is 941-242-8430. Robinson’s email address is will.robinson@flhouse.gov.
There are so many important issues now, including the proposed cruise ship port and preserving the home rule rights that would allow reversing the county’s wetland setback reductions. It’s never been more important to stay informed and act to protect the waters we call home. Let’s make sure our actions today ensure an exciting fishing future for generations to come.
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.
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.”
HOLMES BEACH – Holmes Beach city commissioners discussed the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA)’s consolidation study on Nov. 14, which lists the city of Bradenton as a possible annexation destination for Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach.
Reading aloud a statement, Commissioner Greg Kerchner said, “When I offered up my last soliloquy, I poured out my concerns over the influence of local developers, about state and county politicians not having our best interests at heart and about the threat of a consolidation being forced down our throats.
Commissioner Greg Kerchner stressed the importance of providing OPPAGA with all the pertinent facts. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“But maybe we can turn this threat into an opportunity. Our job now must be to help the evaluators follow their own guidelines. We must ensure that they learn the unblemished truth about what has already transpired and must guarantee that they have all the facts they need to reach fair and just conclusions so that their recommendations are in the best interests of everyone involved, islanders and off-islanders alike,” Kerchner said.
“We need to wipe away any taint of political wrangling by clearly and fairly highlighting the relevant facts while insisting that all pertinent issues are considered. Unfortunately, this includes all the issues around visitor parking in Holmes Beach, which, for whatever reason, continues to play an outsized role in all our interactions with legislators and other governments,” Kerchner said.
Commission Chair Terry Schaefer said the consolidation of the Island cites would be “the granddaddy of destruction and overriding home rule in our community.”
Commissioners also discussed statements that Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth and State Rep. Will Robinson Jr. (R-Bradenton) made the previous week regarding the study.
Titsworth said she hadn’t planned on addressing the OPPAGA study again until she read Robinson’s comments in the newspaper.
“Just because they’re saying something doesn’t mean it’s true. Just because they keep repeating the same thing doesn’t make it any more true. I don’t know how to respond to this continued narrative – and it’s always directed at me, it’s always directed at our city. We are upholding our charter, our comprehensive plan, our land development code. We care about quality of life. We are showing up to work every day,” she said.
“They keep pointing at the mayor that’s ‘putting up roadblocks,’ the mayor’s ‘that’s not doing what she says.’ I have done every single thing that’s been asked of me except putting unlimited parking in our residential districts. Name me one coastal community that has unlimited parking. There are none. We’ve proven that we have excess parking on any given day. Everybody who wants to can come right now; they just don’t want to because there’s too much congestion and traffic,” Titsworth said.
She noted the city recently created additional public parking spaces along Holmes Boulevard. She also noted she previously took Manatee County commissioners George Kruse and Jason Bearden on tours of the city’s available parking spaces.
“During that peak season tour, there were empty parking spaces in our city right of ways. I showed him (Kruse) the church parking available for overflow. He was amazed. Same thing with Bearden. Spring break, height of season, there were empty parking places everywhere. How can you continue to say we’re preventing families from coming out here? It’s wrong and I’m over the false narrative,” Titsworth said.
Titsworth said the consolidation study is “a power grab from the top down” being driven by state legislators and not by the Island residents and property owners who will have no input on the consolidation study requested by Robinson, Sen. Jim Boyd and the other members of the Manatee County Legislative Delegation.
Titsworth said all three Island cities are thriving.
“Why wouldn’t somebody want the city of Holmes Beach?” she asked. “We have zero debt. We have $12 million in reserves. At a height limit of 36 feet, we have a $3 billion taxable value in our little city of Holmes Beach. The city of Anna Maria is $2 billion. The city of Bradenton Beach is $1 billion. Our three tremendous little cities equal the taxable value of the city of Bradenton and all their high rises and everything else.”
According to the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office, the total taxable value of all Bradenton properties in 2023 is $5.91 billion. The total taxable value of all Anna Maria Island properties is $6.15 billion.
The current millage rates in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach are 2.05 mills. The current millage rate in Bradenton Beach is 2.3329. Bradenton is 5.8351 mills and Manatee County is 6.2326 mills.
“Consolidate us into the city of Bradenton, they just doubled their taxable value. This is not about parking. It has never been about parking. It’s about doing what they want to do,” Titsworth said. “I don’t want to play these games. I want them to leave us alone. I promised OPPAGA we are going to work with you and give you every single thing you want from our city. We are a good city. We have so much to be proud of and we have every right to continue to be a city that serves the people who want to be here.”
Titsworth refuted Robinson’s statement that the Holmes Beach population has declined.
“That is not true. Our population is increasing, and it’s because of the hard work of our commission and our boards; and because it’s paradise out here,” she said.
In his recent statement, Robinson said he would support maintaining the height limits currently established in each of the three cities’ charters.
Earlier this year, Robinson co-sponsored state legislation that allows Manatee County to build a three-story parking garage at Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.
“Representative Robinson said he’d respect the limits we have right now, but he told me if he could have had six stories, he could have gotten 1,500 to 1,700 parking spaces,” Titsworth said.
Commission Chair Terry Schaefer believes the consolidation study is motivated by financial interests. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
In support of Titsworth’s comments, Commission Chair Terry Schaefer said, “The commission stands squarely behind you. It seems like some legislators have forgotten where they came from.”
Schaefer expressed confidence that the information provided by each of the three Island cities would support their continued operation as independent cities.
“I was encouraged to hear elected officials will be interviewed. I was discouraged to hear the plan is not to hear from the public,” he said.
Shaefer said he’s been researching the city of Bradenton and Manatee County regarding their debt obligations and financial reserves.
“It’s an eye-opener, folks. Strong positive reserves in all three Island cities. Not so much the case in the alternative. I don’t have any doubt that the whole motivation is financial. I think the garage was a smokescreen. I think it was an issue that they took up to try to taint and create ill will to divide people from off-Island and those of us who live and serve here. I think it backfired,” Schaefer said.
“If anyone is wondering why, the why is the money and the dissolution of charters. Height restrictions go away. If you don’t think there are aggressive developers out there who wouldn’t like to have an opportunity to build something higher than 36 feet in our city and on our beaches, pay more attention to what’s happening where communities don’t have control,” he said.
On Nov. 16, the city of Holmes Beach received a request for information letter from OPPAGA. That letter can be read here.
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.
We applaud our Holmes Beach mayor and commissioners and their fellow civic leaders in Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach for defending longstanding, reasonable local “home rule,” certainly a tradition one would not expect to have attacked by Republican legislators like Rep. Robinson and Sen. Boyd.
But then who would expect that elected officials across the bridge in Bradenton would have such evident disregard and disrespect for the special “old Florida” vibe of Anna Maria Island? An expensive, intrusive parking garage? Really? On an island that, except for the high-rise condos on 53rd Street, has a unique character compared to Longboat Key and other beachfront communities?
Extensive, appealing, public beach access (with ample parking) is regularly underused at picturesque Coquina Beach. As several residents have wisely observed and our police chief’s recent survey of ample available parking spaces proved, we have “a traffic problem, not a parking problem.”
Yet the facts are unimportant. It’s all about political muscle and optics! As the mayor’s recent reasonable compromise proposal suggests, this is a political battle we are in danger of losing. One hopes that this very workable compromise did not come too late.
Holmes Beach has perhaps appeared to be insufficiently attentive to concerns raised about parking for daytime visitors. And to be fair, the tightening of parking regulations and removal of formerly available spaces pose an inconvenience for long-time homeowners like us – part-time or full-time residents for almost 25 years. Two wide, beach-block streets (67th and 77th streets) now suddenly forbid parking on both sides, though vehicles and pedestrians would still have ample, safe passage. The latter change is especially regrettable for those of us aged and/or requiring shelter from the sun, as 77th has a welcome beachfront shelter but few parking spaces remaining (even though golf carts have additional protected spaces).
Let’s hope that our state’s legislative representatives engage in genuine dialogue with local leaders, so we have a plan that responds appropriately to the need for parking for non-residents. But essential is a plan that recognizes and respects the primary responsibility of the Island’s elected officials to protect the quality of life for homeowners as well as visitors and the special character of Anna Maria Island.
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.
Rep. Will Robinson Jr.
Rep. Mike Beltran
Rep. Tommy Gregory
Sen. Jim Boyd
Sen. Joe Gruter
Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge
It has taken me several days to compose my anger at you and ALL of the other members of the local state legislative delegation. Who do you think you are and how dare you make an attempt to subvert our three local governments? I can’t tell you how disgusted and terrified I am with every one of you. I have always been under the impression that Republicans believed in as little government intervention as possible. It seems as though that has changed with you. Our democracy is now being taken over by a dictatorship!
I discovered early on that Commissioner Van Ostenbridge, who supposedly represents Anna Maria Island, does not support his constituents, apparently, unless they are investors, realtors or wealthy folks who can line his political pockets. He does not think or care about the residents of our three cities. He certainly appears to be another self-centered politician who is only interested in his own well-being. Now, unfortunately, it has become apparent that ALL of you legislative delegates are only interested in your own political futures. Why don’t you come out to the beach two to three times a month, especially during the summer months, and observe that there is no room for one chair, let alone for a group. The overcrowded beaches are becoming unsafe for all of us. But NO!! We have to continue to advertise all over the world and bring more and more tourists here. And then you complain that there is inadequate parking for the thousands of off-island beachgoers and then threaten us with a four-story parking garage.
I have lived here for 30 years and my parents for 20 years before that, so 50 years of being high taxpaying residents while watching AMI lose its quiet charm, especially in the last 10 years. Do you see what is happening to local residents who are leaving in droves? Do you even really care? No, because you receive more money and support from investors, etc.
Now I wonder if we need to warn residents from Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough and other counties with small coastal communities that they may be next? Why don’t you take over Mar-a-Lago???
Please contact the delegates and voice your dissent before it is too late.
MANATEE COUNTY – Members of the local state legislative delegation are making plans to permanently change the face of Anna Maria Island, beginning with a parking garage and potentially ending with the dissolution of the three Island cities.
A citizens’ action group, Save AMI Cities, has already sprung up on Facebook with the intent of making voter and stakeholder voices heard by state legislators.
During a Jan. 12 legislative delegation meeting, Rep. Will Robinson Jr. brought up beach access and parking issues in Holmes Beach. Robinson, a Republican, proposed introducing a bill during the upcoming state legislative session to pre-empt Holmes Beach city leaders’ decision to ban parking garages. His plan would allow a four-story parking garage on the Manatee County-owned parcel at Manatee Beach, one story higher than the city’s limit. His fellow Republican members of the delegation, Rep. Tommy Gregory, Rep. Mike Beltran, Sen. Jim Boyd and Sen. Joe Gruters, voted unanimously in favor of the proposal and putting the bill forth for consideration at the state level.
Rep. Will Robinson Jr.
If the proposed bill makes it through all of the levels of state government, including committees and the Senate, and gains the approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis, it would allow Manatee County commissioners to subvert local government regulations and issue their own building permits for construction on county-owned property, regardless of the city the property is located in.
“I thought it was incumbent for the Legislature to step in and pre-empt that authority to allow a four-story parking garage if the county commission so votes and funds that parking garage to be built,” Robinson said. “It is fundamental for anyone to be able to visit our public beach and, in my view, parking spaces have been strategically taken away over the last few years under the guise of COVID to not allow folks to access the beach. Folks are getting frustrated – they can’t park, they can’t access the beach, they’re turning around and they’re going back home. And, to me, there’s nothing more important than to allow a person, a taxpayer, who pays for that beach, by the way, to visit that beach.”
Currently, the majority of beach renourishment funding comes from state-funded renourishment programs and the county resort tax, paid by visitors, not local tax dollars.
Parking problems
Public beach parking in Holmes Beach has been a point of contention between city and county leaders for more than two years. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to local beaches was restricted by the state to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
In Holmes Beach, city leaders closed public beach parking during the lockdown. When the beaches were allowed to be reopened, city leaders took the opportunity to create a long-planned permit parking area on some residential streets near the beach. The plan was to not only give city residents who don’t live near the beach a place to park but to also reduce traffic, trash and beachgoers relieving themselves on residential streets. Permits are available to city residents only and permit parking takes up approximately 642 spaces located solely on the sides of city streets. Other streets were labeled as no parking zones at the request of residents or due to the narrowness of the roads, eliminating about 300 parking spots. The city still has more than 1,200 public parking spots, including the parking available at Manatee Beach, within a quarter mile of the beach and more along other residential streets further away from beach access points.
During city commission meetings, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer has reported counting more than 40,000 vehicles coming and going on Manatee Avenue, just one of three Island access points, on an average busy beach day. That number can jump higher over holiday weekends.
City leaders have met with state and county representatives to discuss parking problems in Holmes Beach with few resolutions found. The city’s website features a parking map to show where vehicle and low-speed vehicle/golf cart parking is located near the beach. Plans to create an interactive parking app also are underway.
When Holmes Beach commissioners met to discuss banning parking garages last year, Manatee County Commission Chair Kevin Van Ostenbridge stepped up during public comment to issue a warning if they moved forward with the ban. Van Ostenbridge said he had plans to present a proposal to build a multi-level parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach. Commissioners chose to move forward with the ban. The city of Bradenton Beach, where the county owns property including Cortez Beach and Coquina Beach along with two boat ramps, also has a ban on multi-level parking garages.
Holmes Beach’s three-story height limitation on structures is written into the city’s charter, meaning it would take a charter amendment being approved by a majority of voters or the dissolution of the city to remove the restriction. Abolishing it would pave the way for high-rise development.
Robinson said that he feels “very confident” in the proposed parking legislation and that he feels it will pass during the state legislative session beginning Monday, April 10.
Dissolving Island cities?
The state legislative group decided last week to look into the possibility of engaging The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to study how feasible it would be to dissolve the three city governments on the Island. If that were to happen, Robinson said it would remove the city governments in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, replacing them with Manatee County commissioners and administration.
He said it could be a good tax break for residents who would no longer have to pay city taxes.
In Florida, the Legislature can dissolve a municipality if either the residents of the municipality vote for dissolution or by special act. In the event of a special act by the state, a bill would have to be introduced during a legislative session, pass votes by state representatives and senators and be signed by the governor before it’s effective. The requirements for a special act involving the dissolution of a municipality state that the city in question must not be substantially surrounded by other municipalities; the county or an adjacent municipality must be willing to take on the governing of the area and arrangements have to be made to provide compensation for employees of the city.
The closest adjacent municipality to any of the three Island cities is Longboat Key, where leaders are working diligently to have the entire town under Sarasota County jurisdiction, leaving only Manatee County leaders to take over Anna Maria Island if its three cities were dissolved. If that happened, all infrastructure, building and zoning regulations and governing would fall under the same leadership as unincorporated Manatee County – the board of county commissioners currently led by Van Ostenbridge as its chair. Instead of being represented by their fellow Island residents, Islanders would be represented by commissioners elected by residents from all over the county.
Local elected officials’ reactions
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth issued a statement in reply to the legislative delegation discussions.
Mayor Judy Titsworth
“I am disappointed at the position that Will has taken regarding pre-empting city ordinances to construct a parking garage in a coastal community when the city currently and historically has always exceeded the number of parking spaces required for state-funded beach renourishment and interlocal agreements with the county,” Titsworth said. “As a mayor in his district, I would have appreciated Mr. Robinson to have, in the very least, given notice prior to getting out of his lane in making such a bold move. At this point in time, I shouldn’t be surprised about anything that comes from this district. I do not feel Mr. Robinson needed the support of the local delegation to move on this bill but next time he moves on a bill that will affect the lives of our city residents, I hope that he would first reach out to the representatives of the city so he can become better informed. A four-story parking garage at the entrance to our city is not in keeping with the historical character of our quaint city. For this to happen, the potential gutting of our height restrictions would also be in play. These restrictions are in our city charter. This undoubtedly is what led to the next proposal by the representative which is the consideration of the consolidation and/or dissolution of the three Island cities.”
“I believe that is probably the biggest overstep and attack on home rule yet,” she continued. “Holmes Beach has been incorporated for over 70 years. We are a vibrant and prosperous city. Our population continues to grow. Our city is responsible for the majority of the contributions to the tourist development tax in the county and has contributed over $30 million since its inception. We continue to improve roads, sidewalks and storm infrastructure and continue to make public safety a number one goal. We have a very strong commission and numerous appointed boards. All board positions are readily filled by residents who desire to give their time to civic duty. The city of Holmes Beach is proud of not only retaining its residents but providing a tourism experience that is a top vacation destination. Property values continue to soar and our city has investors from all over the world. For a representative to single out Anna Maria Island to study dissolving our city chartered governments is a wake-up for all cities of this state. Because of this, I do not believe this will receive the legislative act that this representative is seeking.”
In a Jan. 13 discussion with The Sun, she said she feels that any action to dissolve the cities would be the equivalent of a “hostile takeover” by the county commission. “What happened to the will of the people?” she asked, noting that it was supposed to be a politician’s job to work in the best interests of the voters.
Addressing Robinson’s comment concerning taxes, she said there is currently a difference of $17 million between taxes paid by homesteaded residents and those without a homestead exemption in Holmes Beach. If the Island cities were dissolved and development were allowed to go unchecked, Titsworth said she feels that residents would leave, potentially allowing more properties to be acquired by short-term rental investors.
“This is a much bigger issue,” she said. “This is about more than parking.”
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie echoed Titsworth’s statement, telling The Sun that while he doesn’t agree with how leaders in the neighboring city amended their parking restrictions, he too feels that the attempts by the state to subvert local government ordinances and dissolve the three cities have to do with more than just the loss of a few hundred parking spaces.
When contacted by The Sun, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said he does not support the state legislative delegation’s actions and does not think dissolution is a good idea. He added that he does, however, feel that there are opportunities for the three cities to share resources and work together better that are currently being missed.
MANATEE COUNTY – Members of the local state legislative delegation are making plans to permanently change the face of Anna Maria Island, beginning with a parking garage and potentially ending with the dissolution of the three Island cities.
During a Jan. 12 legislative delegation meeting, Rep. Will Robinson Jr. brought up beach access, specifically beach access and parking in Holmes Beach. Robinson, a Republican, proposed introducing a bill during the upcoming state legislative session to pre-empt Holmes Beach city leaders’ decision to ban parking garages and allow a four-story parking garage to be built on the Manatee County-owned parcel at Manatee Beach. His fellow Republican members of the delegation, Rep. Tommy Gregory, Rep. Mike Beltran, Sen. Jim Boyd and Sen. Joe Gruters, voted unanimously in favor of the proposal and putting the bill forth for consideration at the state level.
If the proposed bill makes it through all of the levels of state government, including passing votes through committees and the Senate, and gains the approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis, it would allow county commissioners to subvert local governments and issue their own building permits for construction on county-owned property regardless of in which municipality the property is located. It also would allow for the construction of a parking garage in excess of the city of Holmes Beach’s building height restrictions, which limits structures to three stories tall.
Rep. Will Robinson Jr.
“I thought it was incumbent for the Legislature to step in and pre-empt that authority to allow a four-story parking garage if the county commission so votes and funds that parking garage to be built,” Robinson said. “It is fundamental for anyone to be able to visit our public beach and, in my view, parking spaces have been strategically taken away over the last few years under the guise of COVID to not allow folks to access the beach. Folks are getting frustrated – they can’t park, they can’t access the beach, they’re turning around and they’re going back home. And, to me, there’s nothing more important than to allow a person, a taxpayer, who pays for that beach, by the way, to visit that beach.”
Currently, the majority of beach renourishment funding comes from state-funded renourishment programs and the county resort tax, paid by visitors, not local tax dollars.
Dissolving Island cities?
The group also agreed to look into the possibility of engaging The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to do a study to see how feasible it would be to dissolve the three city governments on the Island. If that were to happen, Robinson said it would remove the city governments in Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, replacing them with Manatee County commissioners and administration. He said it could be a good tax break for residents who would no longer have to pay city taxes.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth issued a statement in reply to the legislative delegation discussions.
Mayor Judy Titsworth
“I am disappointed at the position that Will has taken regarding pre-empting city ordinances to construct a parking garage in a coastal community when the city currently and historically has always exceeded the number of parking spaces required for state-funded beach renourishment and interlocal agreements with the county,” Titsworth said. “As a mayor in his district, I would have appreciated Mr. Robinson to have, in the very least, given notice prior to getting out of his lane in making such a bold move. At this point in time I shouldn’t be surprised about anything that comes from this district. I do not feel Mr. Robinson needed the support of the local delegation to move on this bill but next time he moves on a bill that will affect the lives of our city residents, I hope that he would first reach out to the representatives of the city so he can become better informed. A four-story parking garage at the entrance to our city is not in keeping with the historical character of our quaint city. For this to happen, the potential gutting of our height restrictions would also be in play. These restrictions are in our city charter. This undoubtedly is what led to the next proposal by the representative which is the consideration of the consolidation and/or dissolution of the three Island cities.”
“I believe that is probably the biggest overstep and attack on home rule yet,” she continued. “Holmes Beach has been incorporated for over 70 years. We are a vibrant and prosperous city. Our population continues to grow. Our city is responsible for the majority of the contributions to the tourist development tax in the county and has contributed over $30 million since its inception. We continue to improve roads, sidewalks and storm infrastructure and continue to make public safety a number one goal. We have a very strong commission and numerous appointed boards. All board positions are readily filled by residents who desire to give their time to civic duty. The city of Holmes Beach is proud of not only retaining its residents but providing a tourism experience that is a top vacation destination. Property values continue to soar and our city has investors from all over the world. For a representative to single out Anna Maria Island to study dissolving our city chartered governments is a wake-up for all cities of this state. Because of this, I do not believe this will receive the legislative act that this representative is seeking.”
Robinson said that he feels “very confident” in the proposed legislation and that he feels it will pass during the state legislative session beginning Monday, April 10.
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.
