Weekly Rewind: This week’s top stories from the Bradenton Herald

From Gov. Ron DeSantis signing tax transparency bills in Bradenton to a surge in beach rescues along Manatee County’s coast, local headlines this week covered politics, public safety and community development.

Here’s a quick recap of the top stories from the Bradenton Herald:

• Gov. Ron DeSantis visited State College of Florida on Wednesday to sign Senate Bill 4-F and House Bill 1329, limiting how much local governments can raise property taxes and requiring them to post budget details like expenses and employee salaries online.
• DeSantis defended the upcoming transfer of USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College of Florida, calling the $44 million dormitory and STEM facility transfer “very beneficial” despite an audit showing New College costs $494,715 per degree.
• Manatee County commissioners approved a one-year contract extension with CIP Solutions to keep the Piney Point treatment plant running, after reporting a $23 million reimbursement shortfall from the state of Florida.
• Manatee County Commission candidate Tony Barrett, 59, says he will continue his campaign for the District 6 seat despite being arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge involving his ex-girlfriend.
• Despite mounting complaints about heat stress and inadequate shade at Bishop Animal Shelter’s new $12 million pre-fabricated kennels, Commissioner Bob McCann’s motion to explore replacing them with a brick-and-mortar facility failed to get a second from fellow commissioners.
• A May poll found majority support among Manatee County voters for a new 0.16 property tax millage paired with $75 million in bonding capacity for land conservation, prompting commissioners to unanimously pursue a November referendum.
• The City of Palmetto will break ground July 4 on the new $5 million Patriot Park, featuring eight pickleball courts, a basketball court, a playground and a 0.7-mile walking trail, with completion expected in mid-2027.
• Manatee County lifeguards recently rescued 136 people over three days and spotted more than 125 rip currents, prompting officials to remind beachgoers about warning flag colors and heat safety.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.