Environmental lands referendum one step closer to 2026 ballot

Commissioners are one step closer to adding a referendum to this year’s ballot that would allow Manatee County to protect more environmentally sensitive lands.

The Trust for Public Land, a nationwide nonprofit that has aided municipalities in protecting land since 1972, presented a feasibility study to commissioners May 5. 

The initiative to protect more land in Manatee County will have to be presented on the ballot because the purchases will be voter funded.

Manatee County voters overwhelmingly approved a similar referendum in 2020, which allowed the county to bond up to $50 million and which increased ad valorem taxes by .15 mills or 15 cents on every $1,000 of assessed property value. 

TPL's study used the 2025 Parcel County Report from the Florida Department of Revenue Ad Valorem Valuation and Tax Data Book to place the “average single family residential/condominium taxable value” at $314,813, to which a .15 millage increase equates to $47 a year.

Courtesy image

Manatee County’s fiscal year 2026 budget includes over $463 million in property tax revenue. 

In addition to land acquisitions, purchases also include easements. Easements are purchased to strip the land of its future development rights. The owner can still sell the property with the understanding that there’s no development potential.

Manatee County purchased two easements on working ranches in January. However, referendum funds didn’t cover the costs because the language in the referendum didn’t include lands that protect agriculture, only those that protect water quality, wildlife habitats or will provide a park. 

It was a lesson learned. Using the funds to also protect agricultural lands will be written into this year's referendum no matter how it’s written or what funding mechanism is decided upon. 

Commissioners were presented with four funding options: Use property tax, sales tax, increase the county’s bonding capacity, or combine property tax with bonding capacity. 

Commissioner George Kruse inquired about using bonds only, without having to increase millage, so the previously approved increase from 2020 could pay down the debt service on any additional bonds. 

Courtesy image

Will Abberger, vice president and director of Conservation Finance for TPL, said it’s possible to use the initial .15 millage increase, but there are limitations. 

Repayment of the original $50 million worth of bonds is money that was already “pledged,” so the county would need to figure out exactly how much money is left over each year after that debt service is paid before determining how much more money can be bonded. 

Additionally, bonds can only be used for the capital expense of purchasing land, not the costs required to maintain the land or operate a park.

Abberger presented the same options to members of the Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee prior to meeting with commissioners. Both boards are leaning toward increasing the county’s bonding capacity because it’s an “easier sell” to the public. 

“The sales tax approach was quickly shot down (by ELMAC) because voters have historically disapproved of the sales tax,” Commission Chair Tal Siddique said. “I just don’t think it’s a great strategy. It’s not likely to pass if we did anything with sales tax.” 

Manatee County’s current sales tax is 0.5%, but it could be increased to 1%. Residents pay an estimated $90 per year to Manatee County for sales tax. A half-cent increase would double that to $180 per year. 

The same limitation exists with sales tax as it does with bonds — the tax revenue can’t be used for operations or maintenance. 

Solely increasing property taxes was another less favorable option. 

“We’re trying to lower our millage this year,” Commissioner George Kruse said. “Simultaneously saying we’re going to lower it .15 and here’s a ballot initiative to increase it .15 is kind of just gaming the system.”

Courtesy image

With a combination of increased millage and bonding capacity, the debt service to pay off the bond must be paid before anything else, so again, it becomes a matter of how much is leftover. Except that in this case, the previously bonded $50 million wouldn’t have to be taken into account because the repayment was pledged by the already dedicated .15 mills. 

Another .15 millage increase would cost the average homeowner an additional $47 per year and generate an estimated $10.48 million per year for the county. If the county ties that to a $50 million bond, the debt service would cost $3,843,807, leaving $6,643,904 to pay for any maintenance or operational costs. 

If the county was to bond $125 million, the debt service would rise up to $9,609,518 and leave just $878,193 for upkeep.

Now that commissioners and ELMAC members have been updated on the financial mechanisms available to fund future purchases, the next step is to poll members of the public to see how receptive they are to voting in favor of such a referendum. 

TPL will present its final recommendations to commissioners June 16. 

“This is a fantastic program,” said Anthony Scuillo, a Parrish resident and member of the Manatee County Planning Commission. “For folks that are talking about how we’re losing our wetlands and we’re getting steamrolled by development, this is an opportunity to claw back property and create these easements.”