Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Manatee County commissioners approved more than $100 million in federal disaster recovery funding for 22 stormwater and flood-mitigation projects, including a $24.9 million automated outfall project at Pearce Drain that officials say could reduce repeated flooding in Center Lake.
Local Government
A Manatee County judge is weighing whether to void the county's 2025 impact fee increase after developers argued the higher rates violate a state hurricane-recovery law, with more than $14 million in infrastructure funding sitting in escrow and a similar case already decided in developers' favor in Palm Coast.
Local Government
Voters in Sarasota and Manatee counties will decide Tuesday, Nov. 3 whether to renew land conservation programs, with Sarasota seeking up to $250 million in bonds and Manatee seeking $75 million.
Local Government
A federal bill co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan would override court rulings and let Florida's DEP resume issuing wetlands permits, a change that could ease development approvals near Lakewood Ranch.
Local Government
Manatee County commissioners approved conservation easements on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that permanently protect Thundercloud Ranch (1,042 acres in Parrish) and Mossy Island Ranch (420 acres in Myakka City), with the county paying no more than $2 million of the $15.68 million deal.
Local Government
Republican Sydney Gruters, Democrat Kelly Kirschner and independent Mark Davis are competing for Florida's redrawn 16th Congressional District seat after Vern Buchanan's retirement, with all of Manatee County now inside the district and vote-by-mail ballots already going out ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election.
Local Government
League of Women Voters chapters are hosting free Zoom candidate forums through October for races affecting Lakewood Ranch, including U.S. House District 16, Florida Senate District 22, Florida House District 72 and Manatee County Commission seats.
Local Government
Gov. Ron DeSantis broke with the Republican Party of Florida over Amendment 1, calling the proposal to expand the state's rainy-day fund "foolish" and arguing surplus revenue should go to tax cuts and local government grants instead.
Local Government
Design on a $40 million I-75 overpass connecting Cattlemen Road to Lakewood Ranch is complete and awaiting FDOT review, but construction funding is not in Sarasota County's five-year capital plan, leaving the congestion-relief project without a start date.
Local Government
The School Board of Manatee County held its final public hearing Sept. 8 on a $1.67 billion budget for 2026-27, though official minutes confirming the vote had not been published as of Sept. 10.
Local Government
Manatee County commissioners voted 5-1 to postpone a decision on Project Wolf, a proposed PFAS treatment plant at the Lena Road Landfill, after the county attorney disclosed her office had not reviewed the contract. The deal returns to the board after a Dec. 1 legal review deadline.
Local Government
Manatee County commissioners directed staff to enforce existing noise and trash ordinances while drafting a new registration-and-fee ordinance for roughly 3,000 short-term rentals, and will unfreeze five code enforcement positions to address a 250-inspection backlog.
Local Government
The Manatee County School Board meets Tuesday, Sept. 15, to vote on a 2026-27 teacher salary plan, formalize the completion of two new $75 million elementary schools and approve a Carnegie Hall performance trip for Manatee High chorus students.
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