The island mayors made it look easy.
In reality, it took seven months of negotiations.
The three mayors presented an unprecedented unified front to gain $1 million from the Manatee County beach concession fund, which made an impression on county commissioners.
So much so, the joint request for $1,020,520 from a $1.144 million surplus in the fund was granted quickly at the May 22 county commission meeting in Bradenton.
Holmes Beach Mayor Bob Johnson characterized the county discussion as “quick, crisp and very supportive.”
“It’s a good example of things coming together the way they are supposed to come together,” Johnson said.
Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, a resident of Holmes Beach and former commissioner and mayor, credited mayors Dan Murphy of Anna Maria, John Chappie of Bradenton
Beach and Johnson with submitting the first unified island request since guidelines for the use of surplus concession revenues were established in 2014.
“You came to us with a plan,” said Whitmore, an at-large commissioner.
“It’s really refreshing to see you all working together,” said Commissioner Steve Jonsson, who represents the island.
Surplus concession revenues can only fund projects serving all Anna Maria Island residents and requests must be approved by the three city commissions before submission to the county.
“I didn’t know this was the first time you all were able to agree on a funding request,” said Commissioner Betsy Benac.
Most of the money will go to three projects, including $400,615 for a bike path, $330,000 to rebuild the Anna Maria City Pier after it was damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and $100,000 for infrastructure needs at the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.
The money comes from lease payments and a percentage of profits that exceed the contracted fees from United Park Services Inc., which operates concessions at Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, and Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach.
The funding is nearly split in thirds: Anna Maria, $333,000; Bradenton Beach, $298,230; and Holmes Beach, $292,290.
There are strings attached. Manatee County requires island cities provide 50 percent matching funds on most project requests.
Chair Judy Titsworth took a moment later in the night at the Holmes Beach Commission meeting to credit Whitmore for her encouragement and direction in gaining the funding.
“Carol Whitmore was really a champion on this one,” Titsworth said.
And somewhere, former Holmes Beach Commissioner Jean Peelen was smiling. One of her last acts as commissioner in 2017, having chosen not to run for re-election, was taking all three island mayors to task for not acting to access the available funds.
Peelen scolded the mayors at a Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials meeting for leaving island money in the county’s coffers.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked. “There’s $1 million sitting in the Holmes Beach concession fund. We have not asked for it.”
They have now.