Manatee County will soon start spending sales tax revenue. These citizens will make sure they do so correctly.

While Manatee County has yet to start spending the sales tax revenue it has begun to receive, county officials are already looking into the future.

Transparency will be key so in 15 years when the infrastructure sales tax will be up for renewal, “everyone will think it is a no-brainer to keep this tax where it is,” Jan Brewer, the county’s financial management director, told a group of Manatee County residents tasked with ensuring the county spends money appropriately.

Tuesday was the first meeting of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the infrastructure sales tax. Last November, Manatee County voters approved the half-cent sales tax, which will be in effect for 15 years, generating $30 million a year, with about $5 million allocated for the cities.

“We went through a very long journey to get to this point,” Brewer said.

During Tuesday’s meeting, county staff walked through the process of how the sales tax came to fruition, the responsibilities of the advisory committee and a background on the Sunshine Law. The committee is required to meet a minimum of once per year.

The committee, which consists of seven residents from all portions of the county, is tasked with ensuring the county properly spends revenue from the half-cent infrastructure sales tax.

Taura Denis, Norma Kennedy, Cathy Woolley, Charles Slater, Norm Luppino, Timothy Collins and Craig Copeman are the committee members, who all attended Tuesday’s meeting. The members elected to decide who the committee’s chair and vice-chair will be at the next meeting on Oct. 3.

“The Committee shall provide an annual report to the County on the expenditure of the sales surtax proceeds by the county no later than December 31 of each calendar year in which sales surtax proceeds are expended,” according to the county’s website.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Manatee County will soon start spending sales tax revenue. These citizens will make sure they do so correctly.."