A state-led study on Anna Maria Island will determine whether its three cities will be combined into one, join their larger neighbor, Bradenton, or no longer exist at all.
Parking problems in Holmes Beach led to a Florida House bill last year allowing Manatee County to undercut the small city's ordinances creating parking facilities. It has a population of just over 3,000 people.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said she did everything lawmakers requested to fix the issues — including placing signs telling people where to park.
"And we spent a lot of money on that. (We) got QR codes (and) got a church to allow us to use (its lot) for overflow. I got everything done that was asked of me," she said.
But problems extend past the parking situation, according to state House Representative Will Robinson (R-Bradenton). He said the three cities — Holmes Beach, Anna Maria, and Bradenton Beach — have recently seen a decline in their voting population.
"Do we really need three police departments, three building departments, (and) three public works departments on a small 7-mile stretch of land? Or are there ways that you all can work better together to streamline services so you can lower taxes out there,” Robinson said.
The study is being conducted by The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA). It's a research arm of the Florida Legislature that looks at ways to make local governments work more efficiently.
The future of the cities depends on what OPPAGA finds.
"One option would be making (the) three cities (into) one city. One option could be merging one or all those cities within the city of Bradenton, which is adjacent. Frankly, the most likely scenario may be doing nothing," Robinson said.
Robinson expects the report back in time for the 2025 legislative session. Until then, nothing on the island will change.
Still, Titsworth is concerned for her city's future.
"It's a terrible idea. What I hope that they learn — I'm excited about the OPPAGA study, because the OPPAGA study, if done unbiased as it's supposed to be — it's going to show that the city of Holmes Beach is doing phenomenal," she said.
Titsworth said decisions like this should come from the local citizens and leaders "with their boots on the ground."
City charters are passed through a referendum, which Titsworth called the "vote of the people." Holmes Beach has a 36-foot height restriction on buildings. And in some parts of the city, residents are limited to how long they can rent out their properties, something the mayor said is embraced by the community.
"If a new city is created, we'll lose that, which means we'll lose our residents and our churches could be threatened, our schools — it could become a transient society instead of residents," she said.
"There's no positives. Whenever it comes from the top down, there's no positive. Everybody feels threatened — our employees, they're threatened. Some of them are close to retirement. And it's just like, everybody's really very anxious right now."
