Manatee County hears Trust for Public Land feasibility study on options to fund parks and conservation

The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday heard a draft conservation finance feasibility study from the Trust for Public Land that lays out three principal revenue options — bonds, a dedicated property‑tax millage and an increase in local sales tax — to fund land acquisition and parks.

"The feasibility research fundamentally helps us understand what are the finance mechanisms that are available, how much revenue they would generate, and very importantly, what would the impact on taxpayers be," Will Aberger of the Trust for Public Land said.

The study modeled multiple scenarios. As an example, a $100 million bond issued at 4.5% over 20 years would increase annual county debt service by about $7.7 million and cost the average homeowner about $35 per year under the consultants’ assumptions. A repeat of the county’s prior approach (a 0.15‑mill property tax) would generate roughly $10.5 million annually at the current base and cost the average homeowner about $47 per year; a full 1% sales‑tax option was shown as a higher‑revenue but higher‑cost possibility, estimated to increase the median household tax bill by about $180 annually, with roughly 31% of receipts coming from resident spending and the remainder from visitors and businesses.

Jessica Welch, the TPL analyst leading revenue modeling, noted trade‑offs: bonds raise a large up‑front pool of cash for acquisitions but add interest costs and generally cannot be used for recurring operations unless paired with a property tax. Sales tax proceeds are volatile with the economy and restricted to capital projects.

Commissioners pressed TPL on how the county’s existing 0.15 mills (voter‑approved in 2020 and pledged to a $50 million bond) affects additional bonding capacity. "The existing 0.15 mills is tied to that $50 million bond referendum that voters approved in 2020," TPL staff said; the consultants said additional bonding authority would require voter approval and that their analysis uses conservative assumptions (all bonds issued at once, flat property‑tax base).

No formal action was requested; TPL said its next step, if the board accepts the draft, would be to fund public polling at its expense and return to the commission with survey results and refined recommendations later this summer. Kara Koenig, the county’s environmental lands program manager, said staff will work with TPL on language and outreach if the board directs.

Why this matters: Manatee County has used voter‑approved financing for conservation in recent cycles and has acquired substantial acreage; any new revenue measure would affect taxpayers and the county’s ability to purchase land now versus later. The board provided feedback to TPL and did not refer a measure on Tuesday.