Manatee County Commissioner Larry Bustle makes his official return to commission

MANATEE -- Manatee County District 1 Commissioner Larry Bustle made his return to the dais Tuesday. Bustle was greeted by a sea of applause from his fellow commissioners and the audience at Tuesday's meeting.

Bustle, who has been recovering from a stroke suffered in May, has been joining commission meetings by phone for the past month.

"Today we are extremely pleased to have Commissioner Bustle back with us," Commission Chiarwoman Betsy Benac said. "We know we wouldn't be able to keep this guy down. He's a fighter."

Bustle suffered the stroke during a Manatee County Chamber of Commerce breakfast in May featuring briefings from state lawmakers. In a August update to the county, Bustle said: "By September, I should be able to participate in regular County Commission meetings by telephone, and by October I expect to attend meetings in person."

Tuesday is the commission's first regular meeting of October.

Bustle, 80, a former mayor of Palmetto, had filed to run for a third four-year term on the commission in the 2016 elections but withdrew his name Monday.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published October 6, 2015 at 9:22 AM with the headline "Manatee County Commissioner Larry Bustle makes his official return to commission ."