HOLMES BEACH, Fla. (SNN TV) — Florida legislators representing parts of Manatee County are considering consolidating three cities on Anna Maria Island.
This is part of a study by the research arm of the state legislature to study combining Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach, de-annexing all three cities, or combining them with the City of Bradenton.
Representative Will Robinson of Bradenton told the Herald-Tribune that the growing ratio of short-term rentals on the island compared to the number of permanent residents means it’s possible there’s no longer a need for three separate city governments on the island.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth disagrees. She points to the Florida government’s actions in 2011 that prevented cities from imposing limits on how long someone could stay in a rental.
“Once we couldn’t control length of stay and neighborhoods became hotels, that was the reason residents were booted out,” Titsworth said. “That’s not really fair to say, ‘Well, residents are leaving; you don’t need to be a city anymore.’ But they’re responsible for that.”
SNN is reaching out to Manatee County state legislators for their views of the study. The full story will air next week on SNN.
