At their annual meeting, they override local concerns over Port Authority change.
By Dania Hefley
Original Air Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Yet another state versus home rule battle played out at a meeting Monday. Tensions between the area’s four Republican state legislators and local officials were evident at the Manatee County Legislative Delegation’s annual meeting at Bradenton City Hall. Dania Hefley reports.
Dania Hefley: Senator Jim Boyd and representatives Will Robinson, Michael Owen, and Bill Conerly were all on the same page. The Manatee County Legislative Delegation voted to advance a bill that would MOVE the Manatee County Port Authority from oversight by the Manatee County Commission, changing it from a dependent body to an independent special district. The Port Authority itself, made up of county commissioners, did not approve the measure, which failed on a 3-3 tie vote.
Proponents, including past Port Chairs, argued the change would allow the Port to grow independently as the region’s “largest economic generator.” They assured the public the measure would have zero impact on Manatee County taxpayers. The question of who bears the financial risk was a point of confusion and contention. Commissioner Mike Rahn commented.
Mike Rahn
Mike Rahn: This has zero impact, as Mr. [???] said, on the citizens of Manatee County. We take no ad valorem like other ports do.
DH: But the longest-serving Port Authority member begged to differ. Joe McClash criticized the move as “unprecedented” and questioned the loss of local government oversight. The former county commissioner and now publisher of the Bradenton Times also demanded an explanation for the rushed timing:
Joe McClash
Joe McClash: What’s the rush?
DH: McClash also raised concerns about how removing the port from local oversight could limit environmental protection.
JM: One of the biggest advantages is that we were able to protect the environmental areas of Manatee County, Tampa Bay, by having policies that were in line with Manatee County government. You can’t do that if you destroy this type of governmentship.
DH: Despite the split local position, the delegation voted 4-0 to put the bill before the State Legislature.
The delegation tried to please the home rule crowd by voting to repeal a 1981 state act governing the Manatee County Library Advisory Board. County Commissioner Amanda Ballard advocated for the bill, framing it as a way to gain over the libraries. This control would allow the County Commission to expand the board’s size and mandate greater local input on matters like collection development, better reflecting the county’s tripled population and shifting demographics. The delegation unanimously approved to back the repeal 4-0.
State legislators want to remove SeaPort Manatee, a regional economic engine, from county oversight. Photo: Courtesy SeaPort Manatee
A significant amount of public comments were dedicated to criticizing a controversial state law, Senate Bill 180, which originally intended to aid hurricane recovery. Opponents argued the bill strips local governments of home rule authority by freezing their ability to adopt stricter land-use regulations. Critics focused on Sections 18 and 28, which they said create a legal “chokehold” on planning efforts for everything from stormwater protection to managing growth.
County Commissioner George Kruse noted the widespread frustration over this pre-emption.
George Kruse: I think the implied intent of the legislature when you all voted for it is not how it’s actually being enacted and interpreted by some of the agencies up in Tallahassee. We’re just trying to clarify that so we can have our proper growth management.
DH: Lawmakers on the delegation committed to revisiting the bill to address the unintended consequences that are limiting local government action across the state.
The Manatee County Commission earlier this year postponed reinstating wetland buffer restrictions and raising impact fees on new development after state officials told them they would be violating the law. Manatee recently joined other Florida counties and cities in a lawsuit against SB 180.
The delegation also heard testimony from parents and advocates for people with developmental disabilities regarding the state’s move toward a Managed Care model over the current iBudget Waiver program. The central request was for the waiver system to remain a protected option.
The state is rolling out a Managed Care pilot program, but families are worried it will shift services away from the personal, people-first approach they rely on to one run by for-profit companies. Advocates said these companies earn more when they spend less on care, creating what they called a “savings rebate” system. They fear this change would replace their trusted Waiver Support Coordinators—the people who know their families best—with the distant call-center caseworkers who don’t.
Advocates warned that forcing a switch would risk stripping individualized services and cause harm.
Lindsey McIlwaine: The whole iBudget waiver program is important to us, and I would have to say that it is the linchpin to our life.
DH: Delegation Chair Will Robinson assured the public that the optional status was a priority:
Will Robinson
Will Robinson: My position is the same as yours. We need to keep the system optional. You can stay with who you want and your son can keep on the path that works best for him.
DH: Family members who have experienced abuse of loved ones in health care facilities also advocated for a law allowing electronic monitoring devices and cameras in nursing home rooms. This legislation failed to pass for several years. Stephanie Seifert, whose mother-in-law was sexually assaulted in a nursing home, explained the need for protection.
Stephanie Seifert: The employee is working somewhere. I’m sure people that want to do that to patients are looking for places that say “No cameras here.”
DH: The request was for lawmakers to champion a new bill being drafted to make the installation of these monitoring devices mandatory.
For WSLR News, this is Dania Hefley.
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