Manatee County voters will decide in November whether to fund a $75 million expansion of the county's environmental lands program after commissioners voted 6-0 on Tuesday, July 28 to place the referendum on the Tuesday, November 3, 2026 general election ballot.
The measure would authorize up to $75 million in general obligation bonds and levy an additional 0.16-mill property tax to acquire, improve and maintain environmentally sensitive lands countywide, The Bradenton Journal reported. County estimates peg the annual cost at about $47 for a home with $300,000 in taxable value, generating roughly $10.5 million per year.
The vote was unanimous.
As we reported July 23, the bond was expected to come before commissioners. That preview estimated roughly $115 per year based on typical Lakewood Ranch assessed values; the $47 figure is the county's official benchmark for a $300,000 taxable-value home. Because most Lakewood Ranch homes are assessed well above that threshold, local homeowners would pay proportionally more.
Commissioner George Kruse, who represents At-Large District 7, said he opposed the county's first environmental lands referendum in 2020 but has since changed his mind.
"This is a great program, and the people of Manatee County support this program," Kruse said at the July 28 meeting.
The seven-member commission approved the measure 6-0, with one commissioner absent and unidentified in public records. The board includes Chair Tal Siddique, Carol Ann Felts, Amanda Ballard, Mike Rahn, Dr. Bob McCann, Jason Bearden and Kruse.
What the money would do
The referendum builds on a 2020 program that voters approved with 71% support. That earlier measure authorized $50 million in bonds and a 0.15-mill tax. Since 2023, the county has acquired more than 300 acres of conservation land, created two new preserves, expanded four existing preserves and partnered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to permanently protect 1,483 acres of working agricultural land through conservation easements.
The new proposal expands the county's toolkit. Unlike the 2020 version, it specifically allows the purchase of conservation easements and other property interests, giving the county flexibility to work with state agencies and conservation groups while letting ranches and farms stay in private hands.
Funds could protect drinking water sources, improve water quality, preserve fish and wildlife habitat and expand the county's system of public preserves.
Accountability provisions
The measure requires annual independent audits, public disclosure of all expenditures and a willing-seller requirement for land acquisitions. The county must also continue consulting the Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Advisory Committee before purchases.
Opposition and a ballot twist
Several residents urged commissioners at the July 28 meeting to reject the proposal, arguing the county should lower taxes rather than raise them. The commission voted to let voters decide.
On the same November 3 ballot, voters will also see Amendment 3, a statewide constitutional amendment that would expand Florida's homestead exemption and lower property taxes for many homeowners.
How to vote
Early voting runs 13 days at eight Manatee County sites, including Lakewood Ranch Town Hall and the Lakewood Ranch Library, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily, according to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections. The referendum appears on the Tuesday, November 3, 2026 general election ballot.
