It’s unclear when the threat of island consolidation might rear its controversial head.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth told The Islander Oct. 26 that she’d seen no sign of progress on a potential study into consolidating Anna Maria Island’s three municipal governments.
The study by the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, a research arm of the Florida Legislature that supports state lawmakers by providing data, research and analysis to assist budget and policy deliberations, was proposed by local legislators.
It was introduced at a January Manatee County Legislative Delegation meeting by state Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, who pointed to low voter roles and questioned the number of governments needed to govern the island.
Robinson motioned to commission a study on the island’s governing structure and to present options to the local legislative delegation for its 2024 session.
The delegation unanimously approved Robinson’s motion.
Legislators tabled the proposed study in February and requested the island mayors discuss options for consolidation among themselves, but those talks didn’t make it far — until August.
State Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, and Robinson brought consolidation back to the table with an Aug. 21 letter to the mayors in which they called for feedback about the study ahead of their Oct. 5 delegation meeting.
The mayors responded by agreeing to embrace the study in hopes of reducing taxes or improving municipal services but they pushed to change the scope of the study to explore consolidation of services rather than municipalities.
However, there was no discussion of the consolidation study at an Oct. 5 legislative delegation meeting and there has been no subsequent clarification on the matter.
Robinson briefly touched on island governance at an Oct. 24 Bradenton Kiwanis Club meeting, when he claimed 90% of the city of Bradenton Beach residences are vacation rentals.
“I’m personally concerned that, as the voting population goes down, there are fewer and fewer people to vote, and either crazier people get in, or you don’t have people that can run for office,” Robinson said. “That small amount of people voting affects the other 90% of property owners. That’s when the Legislature has to step in.”
According to the West Manatee Fire Rescue District, which is responsible for inspecting vacation rental units on the island, 76% of Bradenton Beach’s 952 properties are registered as transient lodging establishments with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
The cities of Anna Maria and Holmes Beach comprise about 39% and 24% registered TPLEs respectively, according to WMFR.
Robinson added that he wanted to “respect” the individuality of the island cities but simultaneously called for island unification.
“I want to make sure the island is set up as strongly as possible and as unified as possible,” he said. “I would expect this session to be very robust.”
Titsworth said the state legislators had yet to address the mayors’ request to limit the study’s scope or provide any update.
“I haven’t heard a thing. Not a peep,” Titsworth said.
She added that, while the legislators have made it clear they’re interested in such a study, she hopes they will take their time and engage the cities.
“We’re just sort of in the dark,” Titsworth said. “We don’t know what direction — if any — they’re going to take. … It sure isn’t fun. It would be way more productive if we were all on the same page with communication.”
The 2024 state legislative session will begin Jan. 9 and is set to run until March 8.
Boyd and Robinson did not respond to Oct. 26 calls from The Islander.