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Manatee County commissioners debate scope of voter-approved environmental land millage before approving amended budget resolution
Summary
After hours of public comment and commissioner debate over whether the environmental lands millage may fund maintenance and equipment, the Board approved a revised budget amendment shifting the item’s funding source away from the environmental-lands millage and authorizing the expenditure.
Manatee County commissioners voted 7-0 Jan. 8 to approve a revised budget amendment (B25-025) after a prolonged public and commissioner debate over whether voter-approved environmental land millage funds may be used for maintenance, staffing and equipment.
The discussion began when Commissioner George Cruz pulled item 10 from the consent agenda to ask why $216,000 of the voter-funded Environmental Lands program appeared to be allocated to equipment and operations rather than land acquisition. “I do not believe these environmental land funds should be used for anything other than environmental lands,” Cruz said during his remarks.
The county’s Chief Financial Officer, identified in the meeting as CFO McLean, told the board staff had amended the resolution to change the funding source for the equipment purchases…
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