Parrish resident steps up to protect rural Manatee County in District 1 race

In March 2021, an article in the East County Observer featured two residents fighting to keep the Future Area Development Boundary in place — District 1 commissioner Carol Ann Felts and Parrish’s Elizabeth Arnold. 

Arnold had no prior political aspirations, but after Felts died in February, Arnold has entered the race to take Felts' place in District 1. 

“I’m not running to build a political career,” Arnold said. “I’m running because I believe the county needs leadership willing to put residents first, to ask hard questions and to make sure growth is responsible and sustainable, rather than simply approving everything put before the board.” 

Arnold, 73, said she has the experience to step into the role of Manatee County commissioner. 

She worked for the city of St. Petersburg for seven years. During the late 1990s, St. Petersburg was one of the first municipalities in Florida to automate its garbage collection. 

Arnold went on to work for the Florida Power Corporation (now Duke Energy) for almost 23 years, which gave her experience in another area of focus for Manatee County lately — efficiencies. 

Arnold pre-pays her utility bill and can’t help notice that she still gets a paper bill each month even when she’s carrying a negative balance. 

“At Florida Power, we recognized that was expensive,” Arnold said. “I look at that kind of stuff. There are so many cost savings.” 

Arnold also shows up to commission meetings and stays informed. Even though it “could put her to sleep at night,” she reads the comprehensive plan because she hears so many developers use the plan’s contents as a reason why their development should be approved or why they’ll sue if their development isn’t approved. 

“(The comprehensive plan) is a key element to land use,” Arnold said. “As somebody who wants to make sure that we’re all protected, I feel like I need to read it and understand it. It’s really important.” 

Something else Arnold deems important is that citizens want somebody who is “going to listen to them and treat them with dignity and respect.” She said Felts had that ability.

Quality of life in East County and other rural parts of Manatee County is at the top of Arnold’s list of priorities. When she first moved from Pinellas County around 1990, she and her husband, Larry, chose Myakka City for its rural setting. 

She said Pinellas is “packed with people and houses.” The couple wanted to raise their now grown children, Kaitlyn and Nicholas, in a different environment. 

The Arnolds still own 10 acres in Myakka, but they now live in Parrish on five acres, where their daughter is only two miles away. 

File photo

Felts was sometimes referred to as the “mayor of Myakka.” Arnold said she’s got a foot in each area, and both Myakka and Parrish residents often feel overlooked. 

“I heard somebody say that they considered Parrish the redheaded stepchild because promises are always made, but then they’re not fulfilled,” Arnold said. “For example, Parrish was promised the park (Hidden Harbor Park), and (Manatee County) did build Phase I, but it hasn't built Phase II. I think Parrish residents are feeling like there’s been massive development, but not a lot of attention to them.” 

Arnold pointed to the land use agendas in support of that feeling because the majority of the development proposals are in District 1. 

“Parrish is having some pretty significant growing pains right now,” Arnold said. “Things could slow down to give District 1 a break because it’s pretty overwhelming. People are a little burnt out. The growth is outpacing their patience.”

Given the overwhelming development, Arnold would like to see the agendas come out sooner so residents have more time to prepare and present their case to commissioners. She said it's hard enough to only have five minutes (the maximum time a citizen is allowed to speak at a land use meeting) to present a case, let alone just a week to prepare. 

Arnold wants to see items that will eventually make their way on to an agenda posted much earlier. She said it could be labeled a “draft agenda” with the understanding that some items will come and go, but it would give residents more time to read through all the information that comes with a development proposal.

A recent proposal for 733 single family homes off Mulholland Road came with 15 attachments on the agenda. The staff report contained 26 pages. The environmental report contained 47 pages, and the traffic study contained 148 pages. In total, there were over 400 pages of information submitted with that one request. She said having more time to digest the material would be helpful.

Arnold also likes the idea of an ombudsman to investigate citizen complaints and resolve issues. She contends that “the right person could make a tremendous difference” and provide transparency. 

“The United States Constitution protects citizens, and so does the county government — it’s supposed to,” Arnold said. “We need to start exploring how we do a better job of protecting citizens.”

To learn more about Arnold, visit VoteLizArnold.com.