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
Manatee County has opened a 30-day public comment period on a proposed expansion of its Lasting Manatee disaster recovery program that would reimburse homeowners for out-of-pocket hurricane repair costs from 2024 storms, with two public hearings in August.
Local Government
Manatee County commissioners unanimously voted to return $2.5 million in withheld school tax funds, while a new state law by Rep. James Buchanan permanently bars tax collectors from charging school districts collection fees.
Local Government
Sarasota County Clerk Karen E. Rushing has published the annual list of residents and businesses owed unclaimed court funds ranging from $15 to over $1,500, with a hard Sept. 1 deadline to file a claim before the money is forfeited to the county.
Local Government
New Lakewood Ranch Medical Center CEO Jason Madsen, who started July 1, says the hospital aims to handle 80-90% of community healthcare needs locally, backed by a just-completed $120 million tower, a third da Vinci surgical robot arriving this year, and millions more in new equipment.
Local Government
The Bradenton Police Department's SWAT team conducted a scheduled training exercise Wednesday, July 29, at Saint Stephen's Episcopal School, a campus that draws Lakewood Ranch-area families, as regional law enforcement continues regular tactical drills at area facilities.
Local Government
BayCare placed the final steel beam on its $563 million hospital in Palmetto during a July 10 topping-out ceremony, keeping the 154-bed facility on its stated schedule to open in 2028 as Manatee County's first not-for-profit hospital.
Local Government
Jean Kabongo will lead USF's Sarasota-Manatee campus through a multi-year teach-out serving more than 1,000 students after the 32-acre site transferred to New College of Florida on July 1, with more than $50 million in debt and the future of local dual enrollment programs in play.
Local Government
Two new CSUSA-managed schools on Fruitville Road in Sarasota County — a tuition-free K-8 charter and a preschool — have completed construction and will open Monday, August 10, adding 1,105 seats near Lakewood Ranch.
Local Government
The Manatee County Commission blocked a proposed 0.15-mill property tax referendum from reaching the November 3 ballot, with three commissioners opposing the measure to fund a new animal shelter before a formal vote was taken; the commission instead directed staff to study the cost of building a new facility.
Local Government
The Bradenton Kiwanis Club and the Kiwanis Club of North Manatee together contributed $35,000 to rebuild a pavilion at Camp Flying Eagle in Bradenton that was damaged by Hurricane Milton, with a dedication ceremony held Sunday, July 26.
Local Government
Republican challenger Jim DeNiro released an AI-generated attack ad targeting Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Neunder over developer donations and the county's $2.52 billion budget ahead of the August 18 primary, a race with direct implications for Lakewood Ranch growth.
Local Government
The Manatee County Commission voted 6-0 on July 28 to place a $75 million environmental lands bond referendum on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the county estimates the additional 0.16-mill tax would cost about $47 per year for a home with $300,000 in taxable value, though most Lakewood Ranch homes are assessed higher and would pay more.
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