Commissioners unanimously vote to sue, and lobby against law that limits their ability to control development.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: July 30, 2025
Host: It was a busy return for the Manatee Board of County Commission in its first meeting back from a month-long recess. The commission made steps to address the state’s opposition to developer pushback. They also responded to a recent inquiry from Tallahassee’s DOGE committee. And the board agreed to the purchase of two properties to be shielded from development. WSLR’s Noah Vinsky has the details.
“Say no to SB 180”
Noah Vinsky: The months-long cold war between Manatee County and Tallahassee progressed once more on Tuesday. Commissioners unanimously voted to direct county lobbyists to repeal and oppose Senate Bill 180, which restricts the ability of the county to adopt land-use changes. The county’s approved restoration of wetland buffers and raising developer impact fees have been met with significant pushback from the state. Commissioner Bob McCann spoke about the possibility of Manatee County joining in on a potential lawsuit against Senate Bill 180 that is set to be filed in Leon County in September.
Bob McCann
Bob McCann: We do have a lawsuit happy-county. If you say the word “no,” you’re going to be sued. We have to be careful of that. We are in the sights of Tallahassee; there’s no doubt about that.
NV: McCann suggested the commissioners review the proposal and vote on it at a later date. He said joining the lawsuit would cost the county $10,000. Commissioner Carol Ann Felts said that’s a small price to pay to stand up for Manatee County.
Carol Ann Felts
Carol Ann Felts: It’s going to be hard to explain to people if we don’t join this and we can throw $13 million to buy them a park here and a couple million here and a couple million there and a couple million to look at form-based zoning—whatever we have here—that we wouldn’t spend $10,000 to stand up for ourselves and stand up for the things that we all pretty much were elected for.
NV: Government efficiency and savings were back on the table just days after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directed the state’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to audit Manatee County. The county went ahead with appointing five members to its own task force, called the Government Efficiency Liaison Committee, which was proposed by chairman George Kruse in April.
The commission also approved the purchase of two properties for conservation purposes. A roughly 10-acre swath of land on Rye Road will be purchased for $858,000 as an addition to the 530-acre Rye Preserve. In June, the board agreed to purchase four and a half acres on Rye Road to buffer a cemetery, which sits within the preserve, from nearby development.
The board also agreed to purchase a 40-acre property in Bradenton that housed Mixon Fruit Farms, which closed in 2023 after 84 years of business.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard led the charge for the $13.5 million purchase of the farm. There are several ideas for the usage of the property, including event spaces, a heritage citrus grove and area to lease to young farmers. Ballard said it’s crucial the county preserves the history of the land.
Amanda Ballard: —that, as we grow, we don’t lose sight of who we are. Mixon is Manatee County in a nutshell. There are very few places that represent old Florida in the way that this location does for Manatee County, and I think it would be an absolute shame to let this pass us by.
NV: Noah Vinsky for WSLR News.
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