Manatee County’s 3 new commissioners sworn in. What are their first-year priorities?
Three new public officials took the oath of office Tuesday morning to become Manatee County’s newest commissioners.
Surrounded by family, friends and county staff, Amanda Ballard, Mike Rahn and Jason Bearden participated in a swearing-in ceremony at the Manatee County Administration Building. The newly elected officials received a warm welcome from existing board members.
Following the brief ceremony, the brand-new commissioners took a seat at the dais for the first time and posed for photos with their new coworkers.
For the first time in about 30 years, the Manatee County Commission is made up entirely of Republican officials. Ballard, Rahn and Bearden join Commissioners James Satcher, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Vanessa Baugh and George Kruse on the Manatee County Commission.
The new board will host its first public meeting together Nov. 29.
In interviews with the Bradenton Herald, each commissioner discussed their priorities heading into their first year as an elected official.
Amanda Ballard — District 2
“My top priority — that I think is a little bit unique compared to some of the other commissioners — is the opioid crisis,” said Commissioner Amanda Ballard, who recently defeated Reggie Bellamy to represent District 2.
“It’s been a problem here in Manatee County for quite a while. I want to make sure the sheriff’s office has the resources they need to deal with the problem and that we’re also having a two-pronged approach to make sure we are prioritizing treatment for the ones that are suffering,” she added.
Mike Rahn — District 4
“Priority one is infrastructure, working with the Public Works Department and transportation to get our roads built that are already in the (Capital Improvement) Plan to get our shovel-ready projects moving forward,” said Commissioner Mike Rahn, who defeated Misty Servia to represent District 4.
“Other issues for me are stormwater management, and we definitely have some crime issues in District 4 that we need to work on, as well as homelessness,” he continued.
Jason Bearden — District 6
“I’m going to really concentrate on our infrastructure. I think infrastructure is one of the most important aspects of this county, so I really think we have the board to hone in on our infrastructure, catch up on our infrastructure and see if we can cut down those times,” said Commissioner Jason Bearden, who defeated Carol Whitmore to represent District 6, a countywide seat.
“I believe that once we fix our infrastructure, everything else will fall in place where it needs to be,” he added. “We’re on that road currently as we speak now today.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 1:35 PM.
