Should Manatee protect more land from development? You may have a say in 2020 election
Residents have been loud and clear about demanding that county officials balance out the trend of land development by also preserving green space. Now, that choice could be up to Manatee County voters.
Land conservation representatives presented their plan to help the Board of County Commissioners test the waters and poll the community about its interest in contributing to a new dedicated fund for buying land to be used as a natural open space.
“Citizens are very concerned about growth — about infrastructure — how we’re going to continue to pay for it, but you know what, there’s one thing about land: they’re not making any more of it,” said Commissioner Betsy Benac.
Commissioners voted last March to allow the Trust for Public Land, a national group that raises money for conservation, to begin the process of measuring voter support for slightly higher taxes or fees so the county can buy land for conservation. The group has been successful in other Florida counties, such as Sarasota and Hillsborough.
Sarasota voters in 2018 overwhelmingly approved issuing up to $65 million in bonds for the renovation and extension of the Legacy Trail.
“It’s very common for Florida counties to take these kind of questions to the ballot, asking voters to dedicate money for land conservation,” said Will Abberger, director of conservation finance with the Trust for Public Land.
The goal is to include a question on the general election ballot in November asking Manatee voters to approve or deny the measure.
Abberger walked board members through three difference finance options at Tuesday’s work session.
Manatee officials need to decide if the fund would be paid for with bonds, slightly higher property taxes or a 0.5 percent increase to the Infrastructure Sales Tax. In the next month, Abberger says researchers will begin conducting public opinion surveys to see which option is favored by residents.
“It’s all about what voters what. Polling is a great way to test the temperature,” said Commissioner Misty Servia.
“I truly believe the citizens should have a say in this,” Commissioner Carol Whitmore added. “We’ve had many citizens who want us to buy something that’s about to be developed, but we just don’t have a funding mechanism right now, so this is great.”
The county’s largest land acquisition came in the 1980s when voters approved the purchase of the 22,000-acre Duette Preserve. In more recent years, Manatee has also obtained smaller pieces of land, such as Perico Preserve, Ungarelli Preserve and Neal Preserve. Manatee’s latest purchase came in 2018 when the board approved $1.7 million to buy the Johnson Preserve at Braden River.
Commissioners said they were happy to have the polling process begin, but some expressed concern about the possibility of a new tax being levied.
“I hear what you’re saying about conservation, but I think it will be very hard with what I’ve heard from residents. They don’t want any more taxes. I got attacked on stormwater and I wasn’t even for it,” said Commissioner Vanessa Baugh.
“People don’t want to increase any taxes. They want something done on the roads, which costs a fortune to do,” she continued. “I’m not sure if now is the time for this. I just don’t know, and so I’m not going to sit here and tell you I think it’ll pass (a referendum vote) easily — I don’t.”
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy echoed concerns about the financial impact a dedicated conservation fund might have on his constituents.
“My more specific concern is educating the community and making sure they’re aware of the impact of what’s coming forward, as well as the potential financial burden,” he said. “There’s a lot of struggling people in our community.”
Abberger noted that if polling shows that residents aren’t welcome to the idea, they won’t move forward with an effort to put the question on the ballot in November. That scenario happens about a third of the time, he told the board.
Environmental activists argued that the board’s concerns were small when compared to the big picture — ensuring the next generation has outdoor areas dedicated to nature and recreation.
“This is about smart growth and preserving natural resources for all of us. We can’t let negativity stop us. We need to think long term about future generations,” said Gary Hebert, president of Friends of Keep Woods. “We need a funding source to save land. We can’t delay.”
Christine Johnson, president of Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, told the board that her organization is prepared to engage the public with an information campaign explaining why land protection should be a priority.
“We’re going to ensure citizens are informed, that they understand the reason, they understand the mechanism and they understand the purpose,” Johnson said.
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 3:36 PM.
