Manatee dedicates $100,000 to prevent future vandalism at Palmetto cemetery
After community members discovered vandalism at a historic Palmetto cemetery last week, Manatee County commissioners approved financial support to protect the site.
At the Board of County Commission meeting on Tuesday, commissioners unanimously approved using $100,000 to enhance safety and security at the Old Memphis Cemetery at 202 25th St. W., Palmetto.
Those funds will be used to build a fence, install lighting and — possibly — install cameras around the cemetery.
“I think it’s an important issue for the community to see that these abandoned cemeteries are taken care of,” Commissioner Tal Siddique said. “Not just because they abut property ... but fundamentally because this is the right thing to do.”
Last week, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said it began investigating vandalism at the cemetery where 17 gravesites were damaged, headstones knocked down, vaults were smashed and some headstones spray-painted with “Trump.”
Manatee commits $100K to cemetery repair
According to the sheriff’s office, evidence showed that some of the gravesites were defaced “during or before” March. Investigators found no evidence that human remains were removed from the site.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard, whose district includes Palmetto and the Old Memphis Cemetery, said a citizen reached out to her last week to report the vandalism. Ballard then went to look at the cemetery and reported the crime to the sheriff’s office.
“However, as more information emerged, it became clear that cemetery had been in this state for months, but no one had relayed that information to the county, and in fact, in doing some significant research, it turns out that there have actually been concerns about Old Memphis Cemetery going back 40 years,” Ballard said.
While the county conducts some maintenance at the cemetery, commissioners also directed staff to look into how an existing ordinance can be changed to allow for long-term maintenance.
According to a historical marker at the site, the Old Memphis Cemetery was originally plotted in 1904 and became a resting place for many African Americans who worked in local farming fields, groves and packing houses.
Ballard said the county “jumped into action” along with other community leaders when the vandalism came to light.
County debates long-term maintenance
Since the news broke, various community members stepped up to repair vault lids and broken headstones, remove graffiti and provide food for an upcoming cleanup day.
“I really appreciate the community involvement and the step-up in this. I think this is fantastic,” Commissioner Bob McCann said.
Several community members spoke at Tuesday’s commission meeting to support the immediate response to the vandalism, but stressed the need for ongoing maintenance and security.
“I need it on record, I need to know what we’re going to do long term with this,” said Tracey Washington, the Manatee County NAACP president. “How do we move forward from here? I get it that it’s not the county’s responsibility, but it is a landmark.”
According to county officials, the site is designated as an abandoned cemetery, but the county does not technically own the property. A county ordinance from 1988 allows the county to clean the cemetery but does not obligate them to do so.
For at least the past three years, the county’s offender work program has been responsible for mowing the lawn at the cemetery.
“We will continue to have the offender work program go out to do the basic mowing, but after we get the cemetery restored and into the state where it belongs, we were going to be relying on the community to keep it up, and keep it nice, and keep it to the standards where we want to see it,” Ballard said.
A community cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 starting at 9 a.m. The county said those interested in volunteering should be prepared for “outdoor clean-up work.”
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to contact investigators at (941) 747-3011.
