Manatee referendum asks voters to raise taxes to pay for new parks, conservation land
Are slightly higher taxes the way Manatee County should pay for new parks and conservation land? Voters will decide during the Nov. 3 election.
Environmental advocates say it’s the right method to protect land in a rapidly developing area, but fiscally conservative opponents are pushing the county to find another funding source for those land purchases.
The Trust for Public Land, a national conservation group, worked with the Manatee County to put the referendum on the General Election ballot. Voters throughout the county will decide whether to approve the 0.15 mill property tax increase in November.
For the average homeowner, that comes out to an extra $29 a year. For the county, it should raise about $5 million a year, which can be used to buy, improve or manage land that can help protect drinking water sources and water quality, preserve fish and wildlife habitat, prevent stormwater runoff pollution and provide parks,” according to the final ballot language.
Experts discussed the merits of the upcoming referendum in a Zoom meeting hosted by the League of Women Voters of Manatee County on Monday afternoon.
“Manatee County is growing fast and new developments are popping up, taking the place of natural areas and forests,” said Alice Newlon, president of the LWV’s local chapter, who also urged voters to support the ballot measure.
Newlon was joined by several environmental advocates, including Christine Johnson, president of the Gulf Coast Conservation Foundation; Dick Eckenrod, president of the Manatee Fish and Game Association; and Damon Moore, environmental program manager in the county’s Parks and Natural Resources Department.
Johnson, who was involved in pitching the idea to the Manatee Board of County Commissioners earlier this year, explained that it’s important to put the referendum in perspective. She said the benefits will be plentiful and pointed to the fact that the county plans to publicly audit the funds annually.
“It’s about $2 a month. That’s a really small price to pay for a huge payoff,” she said. “Land cost and development continue to increase dramatically. We have to act now to protect Manatee’s last remaining natural areas. Protecting those habitats will preserve our quality of life for future generations so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy what we enjoy today.”
County Commissioner Stephen Jonsson has been an outspoken critic of the referendum, arguing that the county should find a way to pay for land without any sort of tax increase for residents. With COVID-19 and rampant unemployment, the timing just isn’t right, he said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald Monday afternoon.
“I’m all for conservation and buying land. I think that’s a great resource of county money when the time is right and the property is available,” Jonsson said.
“Philosophically, I don’t think it’s fair to taxpayers at this point. Maybe in two years when the economy is rocking and rolling,” he added, noting that he also took issue with the lack of information about potential site purchases. “Or maybe if they came back and told us a specific project for a specific cost, then I’d be a lot more sympathetic to it.”
Johnson said her organization typically tries to keep possible land acquisition secret for as long as possible so that the landowner doesn’t raise the price once they find out that the government is interested in buying.
Other commissioners have voiced support for the opportunity for voters to have their say in a referendum, pointing to neighboring counties with similar practices. Every other Southwest Florida county, including Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Lee and Collier, already has a similar land conservation tax program in place.
The average Florida county has preserved 30 percent of its land, but Manatee has only protected 13 percent, according to Johnson.
Moore, who is actively involved in the county’s land acquisition process, described the steps Manatee takes when purchasing and improving land for a new park or conservation area. From identifying the species on the property to designing the concept and partnering with outside organizations, it’s a slow operation.
“It’s the same way as when you look at one of these new neighborhoods go up. It’s years from when you see the survey flags to when people actually start moving in. We have the same process and we can’t cut any corners,” Moore said, referring to permitting that can take months or years.
The result is a new recreational area for the entire county to enjoy, Moore noted.
“These are the people’s preserves. We do everything we can to get people out there to enjoy them,” he said.
There is precedent for Manatee County to approve the ballot measure, which would allow the county to spend up to $50 million in bonds to purchase new land. Once that amount of money has been used, the county would need to ask the public again with another referendum vote in the future.
Eckenrod explained that the county’s purchase of the 21,000-acre Duette Preserve was the result of two referendum votes in the 1980s. It remains the largest preserve in Manatee County.
“Manatee County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida and our last remaining undeveloped natural areas and wildlife habitats are rapidly disappearing. Unfortunately, due to a lack of dedicated county funding, many important natural areas have already been lost to development,” Eckenrod said. “It is our responsibility to act now.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2020 at 4:49 AM.
