PALMETTO — There could be a big change in SeaPort Manatee’s future, as the port’s lobbyist says local state representatives have plans to put forward a measure that would restructure the port’s governance, removing it from the county commission's management and oversight.
Earlier this month, a resolution was brought before Port Authority members that would have declared the board’s support for a state bill that would convert the port from a dependent to an independent district; the item failed in a tie vote.
The possible future bill would establish the Port Authority as an independent five-member governing board with four members appointed by the governor, and one member—who would act as a liaison between the county government and the port—would be appointed by the county commission.
The primary difference between a dependent and an independent port district lies in who controls its operations, including finances. A dependent district is subject to the authority of a single local government, while an independent district operates with more autonomy.
SeaPort Manatee was structured as a dependent special district by the Florida Legislature in 1967. The intent was to ensure coordination with the county as the port was developed, providing a governance structure that allowed the port to operate as a separate entity in day-to-day business while also being accountable to county commission oversight.
Due to its structure, the Manatee County Port Authority, which governs the port, is composed of the same seven elected individuals who serve as Manatee County Commissioners.
Despite this governance structure, SeaPort Manatee is not considered a unit of the Manatee County Government and does not receive ad valorem tax support.
A draft of the proposed bill’s language was attached to the meeting agenda. The measure would, in part, repeal all prior special acts relating to the Manatee County Port Authority and provide for its reformation. The draft bill was dated for submission to the state’s 2026 legislative session.
Port Authority Chairman Mike Rahn introduced the item, noting that a change to an independent district would be beneficial not only to the port but also to the county and the clerk’s office, which would no longer be responsible for management and oversight. Rahn added that the change “was a long time coming.”
SeaPort Manatee state lobbyist, David Ramba, provided authority members with a summary of the proposed measure and explained that the port’s existing bondholder rights and obligations would be conveyed in the transfer from dependent to independent district.
Ramba serves as the Executive Director of the Florida Association of Special Districts and is the founder of Tallahassee-based lobbying firm Ramba Consulting Group.
Ramba told commissioners that the bill’s drafted language, as attached to the meeting agenda, was worked on by port staff and “some other folks” based upon input from “some members of the Florida House and Senate.”
“We’re not attempting to change the operations of the port,” Ramba explained. “But we would like to see some of the successes similar to the Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority.”
Commissioner George Kruse, the longest-serving member of the Port Authority, said he has been in favor of such a change since he was first elected to the commission.
Kruse said he believes it is a disservice to the port to have it governed by sitting county commissioners—and, likewise, serving on the Port Authority, he said, is a disservice to members’ roles as county commissioners.
As an economic driver of the county, said Kruse, the Port Authority Board should be composed of individuals capable of providing oversight expertise. Kruse pointed to the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority as such an example.
“SRQ has been able to bring in a lot of money, with a lot of connections and a lot of influence, to grow substantially,” Kruse said. “This port is certainly growing and doing an amazing job, but it could be even more.”
To better explain the measure before the board, Kruse told his fellow board members that the proposed resolution was merely a way to show support for a bill that would be presented at the local state delegation meeting.
“We don’t need to give support for it; it just helps them to give support for it,” he explained. “We’re being asked to give a blessing for our local delegation to move this bill forward.”
The measure was expected to be sponsored by Senator Jim Boyd and Representative Bill Conerly, according to Kruse. Ramba suggested that Representative Michael Owen also intended to co-sponsor the legislation.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard agreed with Kruse, “I think to move the port forward, in the best way possible for the business operations of the port, we need people who are dedicated to the port and who are experts in this area—none of us on this commission was elected because we wanted to be a Port Authority member.”
Ballard added that because the authority role can be seen as secondary to that of a county commissioner, she feels the Port Authority hasn’t received the attention and dedication it warrants.
Commissioner Carol Felts saw things differently from Ballard, Rahn, and Kruse.
Felts said that she “had a lot of questions” about the proposal, given that the meeting was her first opportunity to receive any information on the matter. Feeling caught off guard, Felts said she felt obligated to decline to support a “measure of this magnitude” without being more informed.
Rahn pushed back on Felts’ concerns, telling her it was little more than a formality—only a vote in support of the resolution, not approval of a change—and that the state delegation would introduce the bill later next year.
But it quickly became clear that Felts was not alone in having concerns.
Commissioner Tal Siddique said he was concerned by what he called “inconsistencies” in the proposed language of the measure, including provisions for borrowing money and the issuance of bonds.
Siddique remarked, “Unless I see something that is 100% guaranteeing revenue bonds are going to be the only issuance of bonds for port revenues, and frankly, I would never trust that that’s what’s going to happen because Tallahassee can have a bill show up about emergencies, and then it becomes a preemption about wetland buffers.”
He called the entire proposal “not well thought out.”
“No. I’m not supporting this,” Siddique said. “I think that this is just not good, and the fact that I wasn’t given a briefing is a major problem.”
Commissioner Jason Bearden could be heard agreeing with Siddique off-mic, “It’s a major problem,” said Bearden of the lack of briefing ahead of the vote.
Once recognized by Chairman Rahn, Bearden’s frustration was evident as he spoke about the lack of advanced information and suggested the ‘real’ motivation for the proposal.
“I can tell you right now the reason this is happening,” Bearden began. “The reason why, because a few months ago, guess what we denied? We denied a land purchase across the street from here.”
Bearden was presumably referring to the $21 million SeaPort land acquisition deal with Fortress 2020 Landco for acreage adjacent to Piney Point, a deal that Port Authority members squashed in February.
Bearden surmised that if the Port Authority had been “state-run” by governor appointees when the land acquisition deal had come forward, “It would have been a done deal.”
“It doesn’t sound good to me that we’re going to give a county asset over to the state,” Bearden said, adding that he would be joining Siddique in voting against the approval of the resolution.
At one point, Siddique asked SeaPort Manatee Executive Director Carlos Buqueras how the port’s revenues had changed over the last 14 years. Buqueras confirmed revenues had increased “dramatically.” Siddique suggested that this fact was evidence that the port has been successful under its current governance structure, with oversight by the county commission.
Following more than an hour of discussion that occasionally grew tense, the motion ended with a split 3-3 vote, with Commissioners Kruse, Ballard, and Rahn voting in favor and Commissioners Siddique, Bearden, and Felts in opposition. Commissioner Bob McCann was absent.
With the resolution declaring the Port Authority's support for transitioning from a dependent to an independent district failing, it is still unknown whether state delegates will try to advance the measure in the upcoming legislative session without the Authority's backing.
So, is there a superior port governance structure?
Both dependent and independent governance structures are commonly found in seaports nationwide, including in Florida. Semi-independent or independent structures are also not uncommon.
Of the state’s five largest ports (ranked by tonnage), only two are true independent special districts. ‘Tonnage’ is a unit of measure of the total volume of cargo moved through a port.
According to the South Florida Business Journal, SeaPort Manatee is the fourth-largest port in Florida based on 2024 figures. The Port of Tampa Bay was the largest, says the Business Journal, with a total tonnage of 33.63 million tons. Port Everglades was second with 26.89 million tons, Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT) third, reporting 19.23 million tons, SeaPort Manatee with 11.51 million tons, and PortMiami fifth with 10.13 million tons.
Of these five ports, only Port Tampa Bay and JAXPORT are governed under independent special districts.
Port of Tampa has a seven-member board, five members appointed by the governor, one county commissioner, and the Mayor of Tampa. Similarly, the JAXPORT Authority has seven members: four appointed by the city mayor and three by the governor.
Port Everglades and PortMiami, however, are neither dependent nor independent special districts; instead, these ports are structured as government departments within the county government, governed by the county commissions.
A 2014 joint report of the Florida TaxWatch and the Florida Ports Council followed an independent review of the regional governance structures of Florida seaports. The report was titled Seaport Governance Models: How Florida’s Seaports Compare to U.S. and International Models.
According to its authors, the independent review sought to analyze existing governance structures and comparable models to identify the characteristics of successful port governance.
In its conclusion, the report included in part, “While the available literature shows mixed results regarding the most favorable structure, several researchers point out that the regional/municipal structure has several advantages over more centralized ones… After reviewing the literature, we also found that regardless of the structure, successful seaport structures should have two main characteristics: stable and predictable governance structures, and local community integration, support, and trust.”
To view the October 16, 2025, Manatee County Port Authority meeting agenda, click here, and scroll to Agenda Item 8: Resolution for Independent Special District. Item attachments are located after the item cover sheet in the agenda PDF.
Click the video below to replay the item’s discussion during the October 16, 2025, Port Authority meeting.
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GoldenGopher
Another grab by the legislature and governor to eliminate local government authority.
Another full-employment opportunity for DeSantis lackeys. He is fond of appointing people with limited or no-experience to important positions based on prior or current servitude.
Saturday, October 25 Report this
David Daniels
If anyone thinks having the port controlled by 4 members appointed by the Governor means it would be “independent” - then you’ve had your head in the sand for a long time. The Governor also appoints the Fish and Wildlife Commission- all developers. The Governor controls the commission that nominates Fl Supreme Court justices - if you think that is independent, you really haven’t been paying attention. The governor controls the board that picks university presidents, which have all become ex crony legislators. If DeSantis controls the port, he’ll award fat port contracts to his donor friends, just like he’s done with the immigrant detention center.
Sunday, October 26 Report this
san.gander
More appointed "crony" political jobs with public stipends... no knowledge or qualifications other than "right party loyal" needed. Then it's time to go out and hire some local civil service "hire" with some expertise to actual do the work of running the place. Oh, and that is the person who'll take the fall if things don't go as desired. So DeSantis, so Republican, so Florida these days!
Sunday, October 26 Report this
GCDUBBAU
While I am somewhat distrustful of Mr. Bearden due to past BOCC actions, he’s on to something about the timing of the legislature’s work being related to the BOCC’s denial of the acquisition of the land adjacent to the port. Mr. Siddique’s comments about how the legislature could attempt to usurp Manatee county port interests or concerns once the district is independent, a la the development rights law that has created so much turmoil for Manatee and other counties, also bears remembering. The BOCC ought to be thinking strategically of what they might “trade”, with the governor and legislature, in return for active support of an independent district. How about removal of the 4-year period between increase in impact fees for local development ? Or, amendments to the recent law superseding local development restrictions in cases of rebuilding after specific natural disasters that would clarify the law and obviate the need for the expensive lawsuit Manatee County and several other counties and municipalities are bringing to get such amendments ? Or, a state funding commitment for, say, $200 million for Manatee county wastewater treatment facility fixes or Piney Point ongoing cleanup ? The point is that the BOCC shouldn’t be so quick with the resolution Mr. Kruse thinks is just a formality.
Sunday, October 26 Report this
WTF
What? They weren’t happy with SB 180 so they want to continue their destruction of local elected officials.. The governor cannot be trusted anymore based on his history of James Stacher and others. The port has already proven they cannot manage their resources like the $500,000 nonrefundable deposit we lost because of a terrible contract along with all the clouds in the title as it was brought before the board. A first year law student should’ve figured that out it was an it was a bad deal as far as the lobbying group are you kidding me Mr. Evan Powers is part of that group that totally disassembled the Republican executive committee. I have a little faith in the lobbying group and less faith in the Port authority in making decision decisions on their own, or worse, oversee by DeSantis’s puppets. They’ve already proven they cannot be trusted.
For The Record
Sunday, October 26 Report this
nellmcphillips
Thank you to Commissioners Siddique, Bearden, and Felts in opposition. The County has a way better track of keeping Manatee County environment and values than the state ever has. If the State takes control or has anything to do with Seaport I fear for the Terra Ceia Aquatic preserve. Proposals to develop the Preserve for cruise line opportunities over the years and the landowners refusal to sell lands to the state for conservation purposes smells of money and politics. The landowner of some of the Terra Ceia Aquatic preserve lands desires and offered the state values over twice what the land was worth and significantly more than the appraised land values because the landowner is holding out for development of the Terra Ceia Aquatic preserve. Keep the Seaport as it is.
Sunday, October 26 Report this
johnschussler
Theoretically, a volunteer board that only focuses on the Port would be an improvement over the BOCC also acting as the Port board, because an independent board could develop expertise in Port business and would have more time to monitor the Port's management. And theoretically, they could have broader regional and statewide perspectives that would be beneficial. And theoretically, they would be less subject to politics. There is no Democrat or Republican way to run a seaport or an airport. The board should always protect the best long-term interests of the Port.
Theoretically, a state governor who represents all the people in the state could appoint a balanced board of proven critical thinkers who either know about Port management or are willing to take the time to learn. People willing to volunteer their time without self interest or political loyalties. We don't have such a governor. Our governor and our president make appointments for entirely different reasons, so these theories no longer hold.
Maybe someday, with election reforms like Citizen Ballot Initiatives, Open Primary Elections, Proportional Voting and Instant Runoff Elections (RCV), we will elect people incentivized to serve the voters needs, instead of their own. Until then, I suggest we keep we keep government decision making as local as possible.
Sunday, October 26 Report this
andreart
I tend to agree with George Kruse. As someone that was actually a member of the Port Authority, we brought the revenue from 4 million to what it is today,. It probably could’ve happened a lot faster.. I was on the Port Authority from 2006-2022 with somebody new coming ionto the Authority every two years. It’s very hard to get continuity. The port is not a government. It is run as a business. They receive no taxpayer funds, they are run by user fees from the ships coming in. They do receive aprox. $400,000 from racetrack funds from State.
The port of Tampa has the same makeup that the state is recommending. I think instead of thinking of ourselves, I think we should look at revenue being generated and access to more funds from the state and Feds to improve our Port.
Sunday, October 26 Report this
Ladyred4Justice
I agree with both sides on some points. I do think it is too large a time & knowledge commitment to run the County and the Port. I think being Independent would be acceptable IF it is a seven member board and the COUNTY has at least four seats and they hire experienced Port Administrators. The State may assign three members to the Authority, however they to must be qualified for the positions, not political hires.
Having four members from our local community should halt the State's continuing land grab for developers.
The three County members who voted against did understand and expose the real reason the State is wanting this power. As soon as the State has control, they WILL sell the land to the developer who wants to build in the preserve.
The Port should be Independent, it should NOT be under State control. It must be nonpolitical. Therefore the positions must not be filled by the Governor, who has never made a qualified appointment when a crony is around.
Sunday, October 26 Report this