It might be hard to see the big picture when the puzzle lacks an important piece.
But Bradenton has not received an information request from the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability regarding its Anna Maria Island consolidation study as of Jan. 12, according to the city’s public information office.
OPPAGA is a research arm of the Florida Legislature that supports the Legislature by providing data, research and analysis that assist budget and policy deliberations.
Last year, the five-member Manatee County Legislative Delegation unanimously backed state Rep. Will Robinson Jr., R-Bradenton, in calling for an OPPAGA study into the potential consolidation of the island’s three municipalities.
The study began last November with OPPAGA information requests sent to the island cities with 15 questions, many of which required information and documentation for the past five fiscal years.
It came with a Dec. 8, 2023, response deadline.
OPPAGA included a question that posed three possibilities for the island municipalities’ futures:
- All three cities are consolidated into one new city on the island;
- All three cities are incorporated into the city of Bradenton;
- All three cities remain incorporated municipalities on the island and work to consolidate existing services where that makes sense.
Despite the fact that one of the options would involve consolidation into the city of Bradenton, OPPAGA as of Jan. 12 had not requested information from the city.
Robinson has said that potential consolidation would be intended to save taxpayer money, but the city of Bradenton’s 5.8351 tax rate dwarfs the 2.05 rates in Anna Maria and Holmes Beach, as well as the 2.3329 millage rate in Bradenton Beach.
Bradenton’s tax base covers its fire department, while Anna Maria Island is served by a separate entity, West Manatee Fire Rescue District.
Island consolidation into the city of Bradenton, therefore, would lead to higher costs — and duplication of some services — for island property owners.
The Bradenton mayor’s office declined to comment about the study in a Jan. 12 call with The Islander.
OPPAGA staff director of government operations Emily Leventhal did not respond to a Jan. 12 email from The Islander.
The results of OPPAGA study will be shared with the state legislature but not the public, as OPPAGA is exempt from Florida’s Sunshine Law.
The study is projected to be completed by July.
Holmes Beach voices opposition to preemption bill
The gavel sounded Jan. 9 and the 2024 Florida Legislative Session began.
And there are bills related to vacation rental regulations that have Holmes Beach officials concerned.
City commissioners reached consensus Jan. 11 to send a letter to voice opposition to Senate Bill 280, which would limit local governments from charging more than $150 per rental unit for processing a registration application.
SB 280 is sponsored by state Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, and has a companion in House Bill 1537, which is sponsored by state Rep. Philip Griffitts Jr., R-Panama City.
SB 280 was filed last November and passed the Senate’s Regulated Industries Committee with a unanimous vote. It will go before the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee for discussion on Thursday, Jan. 18.
SB 280 would preempt vacation rental licensing and the regulation of advertising platforms to the state, as well as limit rental registration fees to $150 per unit and $50 for renewals.
The city charges $545 per unit for registrations and another $545 every two years for renewals.
Those fees pay the cost of enforcing the city’s vacation rental registration program, and restricting the charges would hamstring the city’s ability to enforce its regulations.
Meanwhile, a companion bill, HB 1537, was filed Jan. 8 and has yet to make it in front of a committee.
The city’s letter states, “Passage of this bill will strip away local government’s ability to regulate vacation rentals in neighborhoods throughout the state.”
The letter argues that the potential results of passing SB 280 and HB 1537 could include:
- Increased public safety issues;
- More fraud in the vacation rental industry;
- Devaluation of residential property;
- Negative impacts on residential quality of life.
“The bill only benefits out-of-state big business interests. For these reasons, we request you either amend SB 280 and exempt our city from its impact or amend this bill so that our local government can retain home rule regulatory authority with regard to the vacation rental industry which we have accomplished in fairness to all stakeholders,” the letter reads.
The session is set to end Saturday, March 9.
— Ryan Paice
The City of Bradenton provides virtually all of the municipal services of traditional municipalities, many of which the island communities chose not to provide.
The cities chose to provide no water or sewer services, ambulance or fire services, emergency management services and varied levels of police services, and all agree that their principal contribution is three political forums for which there seems to be difficulty in finding representatives. The three political forms seem to be the sole reason the three may not consolidate to improve service to the community. While consolidation of services has been bandied about for decades, the failures have been due to the three political forums regardless of who was leading what at the time. Seems turmoil provides them distinction.