Manatee County

Manatee County’s grassroots Republican commissioners, elected on promises to slow runaway growth, have found themselves in a pitched battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis and the developers aligned with his administration.

Laurie Breslin has a doctoral degree in education and has worked at high levels in many local schools.

Last year's hurricanes did more than swamp low-lying areas and flood homes. It also killed a lot of mangroves, acting as natural buffers along Sarasota Bay.

County commissioners had wanted to reinstate tougher rules on building near wetlands that had been rescinded by a previous board. But threats from the state caused them to back down.

The commissioners said the curfew is in response to late-night crime involving young people. A vote will be held at an upcoming meeting.

Residents are accusing their elected board of lavish spending, nepotism and a lack of transparency — from hiring family members for paid positions and awarding no-bid contracts to insiders, to throwing exclusive themed parties on the homeowners’ dime.

In an era of MAGA dominance, who owns the Republican Party?

The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Manatee Village 1887 Church among the historic places that are jeopardized.

About 20 people attended the public forum hosted at the Manatee Unitarian Universalist Church in Bradenton in partnership with Onward and Empowered Florida Inc.

Nearly 3 out of every 5 new single-family homes and condos built in Sarasota and Manatee counties were located within special taxing districts governed by developers in 2023.

The results showed a dramatic shift in construction patterns over the past three decades.

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