Commissioners press staff on how much an STR program would cost and who should pay

Manatee County staff told the Board that staffing and vendor choices strongly drive program cost. Stephanie Charles summarized vendor and jurisdiction comparisons: City of Sarasota uses a hybrid approach with suspensions for repeated violations (but had not yet suspended operations), Bradenton reported lower vendor costs but fewer units, and Pinellas initially underestimated staffing needs. Staff showed a vendor (Granicus) estimate and an 11‑position staffing model that together could push year‑one costs near $1.5 million when building inspections, vehicles and overtime are included.

Commissioners questioned alternatives to lower costs: a registry‑only model (no building‑code inspections), phased district rollouts, relying on the fire district for life‑safety inspections, and using affidavits or attestation during the first registration year to avoid immediate mass inspections. Commissioner Ballard favored phased rollout to set expectations in neighborhoods; Commissioner Cruz argued fees should reflect program costs and target bad actors rather than burdening responsible operators. "Charge what it's gonna cost so other taxpayers don't have to pay for it," Commissioner Cruz said, urging an enterprise‑fund approach for the program.