County to discuss health care dilemma

Manatee County commissioners to hope to find resolution to an issue the county’s been facing for years: the depletion of funding for Manatee’s health care trust fund.

Commissioners will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, at the county administration building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, to discuss the topic. 

A health care trust fund that provided about $9 million annually for medical and mental care to people in need will be depleted this year. Commissioners have allocated about $145 million annually from property tax collections for similar needs in addition to that cost.

Currently, the county plans to make up the funding gap by using reserves, Manatee County Administrator Ed Hunzeker said.