‘A terrific legacy.’ Bill Evers, Bradenton mayor who brought big changes, dies at 90

William “Bill” Evers, who served as Bradenton’s mayor for two decades, died Friday at age 90.

Evers was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1934. He moved to Cortez with his family as a child and graduated from Manatee High School in 1952.

After serving as a merchant mariner and in the U.S. Army, Evers launched a career in law enforcement with stints as a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and a lieutenant at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

After several unsuccessful bids for county offices, including a run for sheriff, Evers found his future with the City of Bradenton. Voters elected him to Bradenton City Council in 1973 and 1977 and then to the mayor’s office in 1979.

Evers oversaw major changes in Bradenton

Evers served as Bradenton’s mayor from 1980 to 2000. He oversaw major infrastructure upgrades, including stormwater and sewer rehabilitation and the conversion of the city’s many remaining dirt roads to paved.

Other projects included the grant-funded creation of Rossi Park, the rebuilding of McKechnie Field (now LECOM Park) and the construction of new police and fire stations.

In his first term, Evers led the push for a major expansion of the city’s drinking water reservoir after a drought threatened a water shortage. City officials voted to name the new 1.4 billion gallon reservoir, south of State Road 70 and west of Interstate 75, after Evers.

Evers’ approach was to try to do a lot with little money, according to Bradenton Herald archives. He kept taxes low, city expenses tight and often sought to fund local improvements with state and federal grants. His political passion projects included bringing new life to a then-sleepy downtown Bradenton and the construction of new city offices on the waterfront at City Centre — a controversial move but one that Evers defended as a “catalyst for the revitalization of downtown.”

After his defeat by Wayne Poston in 1999, Evers remained politically active, running for mayor several more times.

He also remained active in the community over the years, volunteering with local organizations including the DeSoto Boys Club, Salvation Army and Feeding Empty Little Tummies (FELT, Inc.).

Evers was also an advocate for local government. He was a member and past president of the Florida League of Cities and won the organization’s prestigious E. Harris Drew Award for “Outstanding Municipal Officer” in 1981.

Bradenton mayors react to Evers’ death

Former Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston, who held the seat from 2000 to 2020, characterized Evers as, “a really good mayor who loved this community.”

Poston shared that when he moved to Bradenton fresh out of graduate school, he rented his first apartment from Evers and his wife.

Though they eventually become political opponents, clashing for the mayor’s office multiple times, Poston said they kept mutual respect for one another.

“We both were crazy about the city. We believed in growing the city, though we didn’t always agree about how to do it. We often talked about that,” Poston said.

“He has a terrific legacy and did a good job for the City of Bradenton,” Poston said. “He served not only as mayor but in lots of organizations that supported the community.”

Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown praised Evers’ ability to make big infrastructure improvements while spending tax dollars carefully. Brown also praised Evers’ foresight in expanding the city’s drinking water reservoir.

“At a time when our city needed a water system, Bill did a great job of setting us up for the future,” said Brown, who became mayor in 2020. “Bradenton now has its own water instead of relying on other municipalities. Without that, where would we be? Now other communities have to buy water from us.”

Bill Evers funeral service

Evers’ wife, Jane, died in 2013. He is survived by his children Cindy, Billy and Lillian, along with their families, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Visitation and services are open to the public and will take place this week at Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory, 43rd Street Chapel, 604 43rd St. W., Bradenton, according to the funeral home.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The services will be streamed online.

A private family graveside service will follow.

In lieu of flowers, the Evers family asks for memorial donations to FELT, Inc. or Tidewell Hospice.

Visit BrownAndSonsFuneral.com for more info.