Manatee Commission Approves Increased Funding to Manasota Care Net

BRADENTON – In a regular meeting Tuesday, the Manatee County Commission unanimously approved $100,000 funding to Manasota Care Net, a non-profit crisis pregnancy center. The amount is twice the original funding approved by the board in July of last year.

Commissioner James Satcher first asked the board to consider a motion to approve a total of $100,000 of funding to provide support to two nonprofits that serve pregnant women in need of prenatal care. The motion for funding was in concert with Satcher’s then-effort to garnish board support for a county ordinance that would have banned abortion providers from providing services in Manatee County.

In July, the board approved Satcher’s motion for the county to provide funding for two non-profit organizations which work to support women facing unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, but not abortion services. The board approved $50,000 each to Solve Maternity Homes and Manasota Care Net. The proposal was approved by the board in a 5-1 vote.

However, Solve Maternity Homes later declined the county’s offer of the unrequested funding.

The item returned to Tuesday’s consent agenda with a revision requested by Satcher in which the board was asked to move to approve the combined total–$50,000 originally approved to Manasota Care Net plus the $50,000 approved but declined to Solve Maternity Homes.

While the board did ultimately approve the change, the vote came after a somewhat lengthy debate which included commissioner concerns over where the funding would be sourced, and the process–or lack of process–involved.

The approved funding is now set to come from county reserves as opposed to the Children’s Services Tax Fund. The latter would have required more stringent processes and requirements for such funding.

In his comments, Satcher told his fellow board members, "Let me just be clear, I am hopeful for, and expect a 7-0 vote."

Satcher explained his position that the approved funds were already set aside with the intention to be given as a total of $100,000. With Solve Maternity Homes declining, it was Satcher’s position that the total funding should be readily approved by the board to default in entirety to Manasota Care Net.

But some of the other commissioners expressed doubt about the process and precedent such a motion might set.

Commissioner George Kruse agreed with the original premise of approving funding to nonprofit organizations that provide services to pregnant women. However, Kruse expressed frustration over the lack of process or discussion prior to Tuesday’s seeking approval to provide all the funding to Manasota Care Net. The commissioner also referenced an application outstanding that was submitted by the organization to the Children’s Services Advisory Committee for an additional $250,000 in funding from the county.

"This is a slippery slope that everyone up on this board, we are going to regret,“ said Kruse, detailing that each commissioner on the board might have an organization or cause that they feel strongly deserves county funding. Kruse argued that should the board approve the funding total from the commission reserves, in time it will become difficult to deny similar future commissioner requests.

"It is disingenuous to say that one cause is less important to a specific commissioner," Kruse argued. "We need to fix this process before this gets out of hand."

Commissioner Reggie Bellamy felt similarly regarding a lack of process. Bellamy went a step further asking the board whether they would respond similarly to him should he make a motion for the county to provide funding to youth causes he is passionate about.

After the board’s vote, Bellamy tested the question he had raised earlier in the discussion.

"I would like to make a motion for $100,000 to be taken out of the general fund of the commission to go toward the support of Juneteenth Celebration with the Rosalyn Education Student Services and Educational Consultants Consortium Inc," Bellamy said, "as well as support for the Unidos Heritage Celebration to be split equally. That is my motion," Bellamy concluded.

Though his motion was successfully called to question, it failed to pass in a 4-3 vote with only Commissioners Bellamy, Kruse, and Servia supporting.

After it was clear his motion would not receive the support of the board, Bellamy said, "And my point has been proven."