How will Manatee become the No. 1 place to move to? Here’s what the county did in 2021.
As Manatee County welcomes thousands of new residents every year, the government is making a serious effort to attract business, reduce traffic and lower taxes to improve local quality of life, Administrator Scott Hopes said Wednesday.
“We believe that Manatee County should be the No. 1 place in the southeast United States to move to, start a business, grow a business, raise your children, educate your children and enjoy life and capitalize on everything we have,” Hopes said.
Speaking with community leaders during a State of the County address hosted by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Hopes recounted a list of the county’s 2021 accomplishments Wednesday afternoon. After joining the government in April, he said the county worked hard to fulfill a number of goals throughout the year.
Traffic improvements
Resolving Manatee County’s congested roads has been a key focus for the local government. Commissioners recently approved a new spending plan that tackles several traffic choke points across the county.
“There’s going to be detours and road closures, but in the end, it’ll make this great place even better,” said Hopes.
Hopes detailed some of these areas as targets for construction and improvement:
- Erie Road
- Moccasin Wallow Road
- 59th Street West
- 75th Street West
- 63rd Avenue East
- Lorraine Road
- Upper Manatee River Road
- Adding sidewalks and bike lanes in new areas
“At the end of this marathon, you’re looking at nearly $650 million investment in transportation,” Hopes said.
Attracting new business
The debut of Amazon’s last-mile warehouse on the corner of U.S. 301 and Tallevast Road is just one of many new businesses that are eager to move their operations to Manatee County, said Hopes. The county provided $1.35 million in incentives to secure that project, and county officials say more are in the works.
“I cannot tell you how many companies want to be in Manatee County — not Hillsborough County, not Sarasota County, not Pinellas County,” Hopes said. “They want to be here really bad, and you are going to see major projects get unveiled.”
Affordable housing
The rising cost of housing has been another major concern for business owners. Hopes assured them that additional workforce housing is on the way, thanks to his new approach to handling the county’s surplus property.
After putting together a list of land that the county owns and doesn’t have any plans to use, Hopes has directed staff to begin rezoning that property for the best purpose, such as affordable and workforce housing, before selling it to a developer that can bring more units to the housing market.
Piney Point
Not even two hours into Hopes’ tenure, the environmental disaster at Piney Point reached a breaking point. A breach in the massive ponds holding contaminated water eventually resulted in a 215 million-gallon spill. In the weeks that followed, Hopes recalled working closely with county, state and federal officials to secure funding for the site’s permanent closure.
In November, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced that it plans to issue the required state permit to allow the construction of an underground injection control well, which would pump the remaining contaminated water about 3,000 feet below ground.
“I’ve heard from everybody, from snake oil salesmen to other technologies and the only way that we can ensure it’s done as an environmentally sound process is to use a deep injection well,” Hopes said.
Lower taxes
The Manatee Board of County Commissioners worked with Hopes to approve a $923 million budget while lowering property taxes for the first time since 2008. The tax cut saved the average homeowner $50.
This year’s tax cut was made possible by previous boards that opted to build up the budget reserves. Hopes said his administration decided to use that money to pay for major infrastructure projects.
“We immediately began focusing on the need to address infrastructure. Prior boards and administrations had built up strong reserves and when it exceeded a maximum statuary.
“We put forward taking that money and putting it to work for us in these projects,” said Hopes, noting that the increased funding will pay for major new projects like the Lincoln Park Pool, the East County Library and much-needed road improvements.
COVID-19 assistance
Hopes praised the county’s vaccine distribution and an early decision to fully reopen county facilities with safety precautions in place.
In an effort to support local businesses, the county was able to distribute about $20 million in CARES Act funding to assist businesses with protective equipment or advertising to attract customers. More than 1,330 businesses were able to take advantage of that program.
Another federal program has allowed the county to provide housing assistance for residents impacted by COVID-19. So far, the county has been able to send out $3.2 million to about 500 households. That money can be used to pay overdue rent bills, even if the resident owes money to a former landlord, and funds are still available.
For more information on how to apply, visit www.MyManatee.org/RentHelp.
The Manatee Chamber of Commerce will host the next event in its Headliner series to discuss hospital care in Manatee County on Jan. 12. For more information, visit www.ManateeChamber.com.
