Manatee County commissioners passed a motion on Tuesday to allocate $100,000 in discretionary funding to the restoration of Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto.
It was discovered last week that 17 gravesites at the historically Black cemetery were desecrated, including broken burial vault lids, cracked concrete and spray-painted headstones.
While county officials believe the damage was done months ago at the neglected gravesite, there is an ongoing investigation into the vandalism, according to county meeting records.
Speaking during public comment at Tuesday's meeting, resident and activist Peyton Hoey also called on county leaders to call out the racist motivations of the incident.
"TRUMP was spray-painted on various graves, making this also a clear attack that was politically motivated, and I feel we must elevate that," Hoey said. "I want to share that no family deserves the pain of seeing their loved ones' final resting spot desecrated."
Betty Sailes Rhodes, who said her mother and brother are buried at Old Memphis Cemetery, thanked commissioners for taking the issue seriously.
"I was very upset at what I saw...the cemetery is terrible...and I want to applaud you all for taking care of that," she said.
Community members and county leaders agreed that the cemetery's neglected state goes beyond this recent act of vandalism.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard, who reported the vandalism to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office on May 12 and filed the motion to allocate funds for restoration, said the county could be doing more for the long-term preservation of abandoned gravesites.
Under Florida Statutes, local governments are allowed to provide "good faith" assistance in securing or maintaining abandoned cemeteries without taking formal ownership.
In Manatee County, that includes Old Memphis, Adams and Rogers cemeteries, according to a 1988 ordinance.
The ordinance, and a related resolution, also state that the maintenance and securing of neglected cemeteries in the county "be funded primarily through private sources and contributions rather than public funds."
On Tuesday, Manatee County commissioners also unanimously approved a motion to direct staff to research, review, and present options to amend or repeal Ordinance 88-34 and Resolution 88-152.
"To be clear...the county does not own the cemetery, so we've chosen to provide maintenance and repair pursuant to the abandoned cemetery statute," Ballard said.
She said the $100,000 in discretionary funds approved for the cemetery's restoration will go farther thanks to the overwhelming community support the gravesite has received in the past week.
"Because so much has been donated by the local community, any funds this board allocates can be used for a fence to secure the perimeter, as well as lighting and or cameras," she said.
Graffiti was cleaned off of gravestones over the weekend with significant support from the City of Bradenton, Ballard said.
A local businessman and third-generation Palmetto resident, Christopher Mullinex, is donating the materials to replace damaged concrete tomb lids free of charge.
There's also a community cleanup effort at the Old Memphis Cemetery on Saturday, May 23, at 9 a.m.
