- August 3, 2026
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Tip O’Neill, the late speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, used to say, “All politics are local.”
Manatee County commissioners make most of the decisions that affect east county residents’ day-to-day life. Their votes determine if a piece of land will be rezoned or if a new park should be built.
But over the past few years, state legislators have passed bills that have diminished the power of local governments.
Commissioners deemed Senate Bill 180 so restrictive to local governance that three months after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law in June 2025, Manatee County joined a lawsuit with cities and counties across the state to declare the bill unconstitutional. Litigation is ongoing.
In preparation for the Aug. 18 primary election, the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club invited District 72 House Rep. Bill Conerly and his challenger, John Phillips, to a candidate forum at the Lakewood Ranch Library on Aug. 1.
Bruce Stamm, president of the club, posed a series of questions, three of which asked the candidates to weigh in on legislation that has had or could have a major impact on Manatee County. Questions and answers were edited for length and clarity.
S.B. 180 prohibits local governments from passing “more restrictive and burdensome” regulations on development, so Stamm asked what the candidates planned to do in the 2027 session to address its various issues.
Connerly: The name of the bill was "emergencies." The intent was to provide fiscal stability and post-storm recovery. Creating rules or regulations that would be more burdensome is a product of some local governments trying to implement rules that would minimize the opportunity for people to build back what they had. They would have had to build back improvements. The issues are a product of interpretation. S.B. 180 doesn’t explicitly limit or mention wetland buffers or (the Future Development Area Boundary). You don’t need to do anything. The bill sunsets in 2027.
Phillips: S.B. 180 will sunset if there are no storms this year. We had a chance last session to do something with it. Nobody in the county is happy with it. It’s one of those things where you get a bait and switch. It’s called emergencies, but doesn’t truly do that much for emergencies. We need to do something about S.B. 180.
H.B. 657 died in the Senate Rules Committee, but part of its proposal was to establish a process by which Homeowners’ Associations could be terminated. Stamm asked the candidates if they support legislative reform of the current laws that govern HOAs. It should be noted that Conerly co-sponsored H.B. 657.
Conerly: As an elected official, we do constituent services. One of the most common complaints we get is related to HOAs. It's across the board, whether it's fiscal responsibility or the infringement of rights, so obviously every year there's a discussion. I support revising the rules and regulations. There is no oversight right now. An HOA is considered a legal entity. If you have a problem with your HOA, you have to take them to civil court, which is an extremely expensive action.
Phillips: HOAs have their place. I grew up in some pretty shady areas, and I worked really hard to get to where I'm at in life. I don't necessarily want five broken-down cars in the lot next door. I want to maintain a certain level of quality of life. There’s a reason that HOAs exist, but we also need to check them on some of the heinous rules and exorbitant fines. So I do believe that we need better legislation on HOAs, but I'm not going to turn my back completely and be a hypocrite. I live in an HOA, and I think many of us choose to do that because we expect a certain level of rules, order and accountability from our neighbors.
Voters will decide to pass or fail Amendment 3 in November. If passed, homeowners (after the five-year mark) will receive homestead exemptions of up to $250,000. Stamm asked the candidates to state their positions on the matter.
Conerly: I've been in my house for 21 years. My neighbors moved in three years ago. It's possible their taxes could be three times what my taxes are for the exact same services. I hate using this word, but there's no equity in our system. Whether the amendment passes or not, this has caused a lot of people to print their property tax bill and start questioning it. Do they see the value of the dollars they're paying for the services they're getting? Every community is different, so it's going to be a significant reckoning for local governments to understand how their citizens feel.
Phillips: I'm very glad to see this go to the ballot. I've seen many laws and bills passed that benefit big big builders, developers, industry and special interests. I see this as a bill that will greatly improve how much money you get to keep. But I know there's a bigger concern than just the amount that you're going to be paying on your home homeowner's tax. The homeowners exemption is only 13% of what the county takes in for taxes, so there's that consideration. I think increases on the commercial side, limiting to 5% and 10%, is a concern. But again, I’d rather have the people vote on it. If they determine they want a break on their taxes, then we have to work harder as legislators and county commissioners to be more responsible stewards of your taxpayer dollars.
