Manatee County commissioners revved up the money machine.
They voted Oct. 6 to authorize spending $1 million-plus on two vessels and the launch of a water taxi service.
Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Conventions and Visitors Bureau, who has been spearheading the effort to establish a water taxi service in Manatee County, made the request.
The proposed service would be a 40-minute ride with stops in downtown Bradenton, the Anna Maria City Pier in Anna Maria and the Historic Bridge Street Pier and the South Coquina Boat Ramp in Bradenton Beach.
The service would begin with Friday-Sunday operations, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., and the 50- to 55-foot pontoon-style vessels would carry up to 49 passengers.
The taxi would have different price points: an adult one-way pass would be $8; seniors and children older than 3 would pay $6; a hopper pass for multiple rides would cost $10; while children 3 and under ride free.
Gulf Coast Water Taxi, an offshoot of Clearwater Ferry Services Inc. in Pinellas County, is in negotiations with the county to operate the service, but the county will own the boats.
Clearwater Ferry Services has been under contract with the city of Clearwater since 2015 to run an operation similar to the one proposed in Manatee.
Falcione said staff would bring back a draft agreement between the county and CFS for the board’s consideration.
Despite a unanimous vote Oct. 6 on spending for the water taxi, some commissioners expressed concerns over the funding plans.
Falcione is calling for the county to invest up to $700,000 for the two 49-passenger vessels and carry a lien on the vessels.
Also, the county would subsidize Gulf Coast Water Taxi for up to $350,000 per year for the first two years of service.
Falcione pegged funding for the initiative from Coquina Market revenues, beach concession funds and the tourist development tax.
But the Coquina Market has yet to launch and there’s a county agreement with the island cities for spending the beach concession funds.
Commissioners Carol Whitmore, George Kruse, James Satcher and Misty Servia indicated the beach market is not a viable source of funding since it has yet to begin operating.
Whitmore also said the plan to utilize beach concession revenue to subsidize the taxi could represent a policy change without a vote from the commission.
The agreement between the county, Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach is to allot funds from the beach concession surplus — money paid to the county by the beach concession contractor above the contract amount — to the cities for projects related to infrastructure and improvements.
“We have $300,000 in that account now and I know the mayors are all coming together to come up and apply for that money for their cities,” said Whitmore. “I’m just telling you: you are interfering with an agreement that as a policy board we haven’t asked you to change yet.”
Satcher motioned to defer the beach market issue until a Nov. 29 meeting in favor of an immediate vote on the water taxi. Commissioner Vanessa Baugh seconded the motion, which passed 6-0, with Whitmore dissenting. The deferral means a delay in the early November opening of the market, as previously proposed by Falcione.
A motion was put forward by Whitmore to allow for the purchase of the two vessels to be used as water taxis. The motion was seconded by Satcher and the vote was 7-0.
The county tourist development council, which will meet Oct. 17 at the county administration building, is expected to further discuss the water taxi.
It’s time for all these big spenders to explain what they really want these boats for, since the current MCAT transportation system is much more efficient, equally as capable, is underused, and too is unable to pay for itself being subsidized by grants and local taxes. Sounds like an attempt to use the resort tax money for a waterborne sightseeing business in competition with those individuals already in that business, but as a transportation issue it fails.