Manatee voters to decide on another environmental lands tax this November

Manatee County voters will have another opportunity this November to decide whether to tax themselves to help preserve environmentally sensitive land as the county continues to grow.

The proposed Environmental Lands Acquisition, Improvement and Maintenance Finance Referendum will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot after commissioners unanimously approved its placement on the ballot during a July 28 BOCC meeting.

The commission's vote did not impose a new tax or increase the existing millage voters approved in 2020 for conservation lands. Instead, the approval means that voters will be asked whether they approve of an additional 0.16 mill property tax levy and up to $75 million in general obligation bonds for environmental land projects. County officials say the measure would provide a long-term funding source for continued and varied conservation acquisitions.

If approved, the money could fund the acquisition, improvement, and maintenance of environmental lands, including conservation easements. The stated purposes include protecting drinking water sources, improving water quality, preserving fish and wildlife habitat, protecting natural and environmentally sensitive lands from development, and providing public preserves.

The proposal builds on the similar referendum—the Conservation and Parks Projects Referendum—approved by Manatee County voters in 2020. That measure received about 71% of the vote and authorized up to $50 million in general obligation bonds and a 0.15 mill property tax levy to purchase conservation lands.

The county's Environmental Lands Program says that since 2023 it has acquired more than 300 acres of conservation land, established two new preserves, expanded four existing preserves, and expanded one county park. The county also partnered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to permanently protect 1,483 acres through rural land protection easements.

So, what would change? 

The most obvious difference between the two referendums is the proposed funding amount. The 2026 measure would authorize up to $75 million in bonds, compared to $50 million under the 2020 referendum. The proposed property tax levy is also greater, from 0.15 mills under the 2020 measure to 0.16 mills for the 2026 proposal.

A mill is $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. At 0.16 mills, the additional tax would equal $16 per year for every $100,000 of taxable value. The actual amount paid by a property owner depends on their property's taxable value and exemptions.

The Trust for Public Land's 2026 feasibility study identified dedicated property-tax revenue and bonding as a way to provide the county with both funding for land purchases and a source of revenue for ongoing costs.

The proposed language also expands the types of conservation interests the county could help acquire. Rather than limiting funding to outright property purchases, the referendum would allow the county to contribute toward acquiring "any and all lands, easements, and other property interests."

That distinction is important because conservation easements can protect land from future development without requiring the county to purchase the property outright. The landowner retains ownership, while development rights can be restricted through the easement.

The resolution’s language also includes accountability provisions, including annual public audits, public disclosure of expenditures, acquisitions from willing sellers only, and consultation with the county's Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee (ELMAC) on land acquisitions and maintenance programs. 

Although commissioners unanimously agreed to put the question before voters, their July comments showed they do not all view the proposal the same way.

Commissioner George Kruse said the July vote was a vote to allow residents to decide whether they want to authorize it. Kruse said he initially voted against the conservation millage in 2020 but later came to see the program's importance. He also pointed to the proposed use of conservation easements as a way to preserve land with potentially lower long-term maintenance costs.

“This program has an almost 100% success rate in terms of people’s approval of it, because we are buying important things for the future of Manatee County,” added Kruse, while listing lands already purchased through the 2020 conservation millage.

Commission Chair Tal Siddique, who, like Kruse, said he intended to support the measure himself at the ballot box, offered, “Conservation is not a partisan issue in this county... People recognize the value of Emerson Point and Robinson Preserve.”

Commissioners Amanda Ballard and Mike Rahn similarly said voters should be given the choice.

Rahn said he did not necessarily favor higher taxes as a resident but supported giving voters the opportunity to decide whether additional funding for environmentally sensitive lands was warranted. 

Commissioner Bob McCann offered a different perspective. While voting to put the measure on the ballot, he questioned whether additional taxpayer funding would necessarily preserve the specific lands some residents might want protected.

“I understand that this gives the people the decision, but I hope they don’t make it under duress, thinking, ‘if we don’t give you this money, then we’re going to be further overbuilt,’” he said, adding, “They’re not going to buy the land you want; they’re gonna buy the land they want.” 

McCann cautioned voters not to see the referendum as a simple choice between approving the tax and allowing unchecked development. While he voted "yes" to place the measure on the ballot, he stressed that his support for letting voters decide should not be misinterpreted as an endorsement that the additional tax “was a great idea.” 

Rahn pushed back on McCann’s characterization of the measure as a scare tactic.

“We’re merely giving the people the opportunity to decide if we need to buy environmentally sensitive lands—which we need to do,” Rahn said, and also noted that potential acquisitions go through the county's established review process, including ELMAC.

Voters have the final say

The question now moves to the ballot box in this year’s General Election on Nov. 3, where Manatee County voters will decide whether the county should expand its dedicated funding for land conservation through approval of the referendum.

If approved, the referendum will authorize up to $75 million in general obligation bonds and an additional 0.16-mill property tax levy for environmental lands acquisition, improvement, and maintenance.