Manatee and Sarasota voters face land tax decisions

Manatee County residents will vote on a new property tax and bond authorization to purchase land for conservation during the upcoming mid-term election. The measure seeks to buy property and prevent development by levying a tax of up to 0.16 mills. It also permits the county to issue up to $75 million in bonds that will mature within 20 years.

Sarasota County voters face two separate questions regarding established conservation programs. One question asks residents to continue a 0.25-mill tax through 2049 to fund the Sensitive Lands Program and the Neighborhood Parkland Program. The second question authorizes the county to use up to $250 million in bonds for these initiatives.

Conservation Florida, an Orlando-based nonprofit, endorses the measures in both counties. Traci Dean, the organization's president and CEO, stated that Manatee County has grown by 30 percent over the last decade. She noted that rural areas and wild places are transitioning into intensive uses and developed zones, increasing demand for clean water and natural habitats. Dean explained that such ballot initiatives allow communities to direct the protection of natural resources.

Manatee County voters previously approved a similar bond referendum in 2020, with 71 percent of voters in favor. That measure protected 1,000 acres of local land. This year's initiative includes a provision for farmland, allowing the county to purchase development rights on agricultural properties. This would limit land practices on those properties to farming and ranching.

In Sarasota, the Sensitive Lands Program began in 1999, and the Neighborhood Parkland Program started in 2005. Dean said the Sarasota region has grown by approximately 19 percent in the last ten years. She described the area as experiencing development and the transition of wild and agricultural lands into homes and commercial spaces. The Sarasota programs have protected over 42,000 acres since their inception.

The financial impact on homeowners differs between the two counties. The Sarasota tax is expected to cost $51 per year for a median homesteaded house. Manatee homeowners would pay about $34 annually under the proposed tax. Both referendums include provisions for annual audits and citizen oversight.

Additional local conservation measures appear on ballots in Brevard, Charlotte, Marion, St. Johns, and Santa Rosa counties.