Manatee County Referendum: Environmental Lands Bonds and 0.16-Mill Levy
Ballot summary
Water quality protection, overdevelopment prevention, natural lands preservation and public preserves general obligation bonds referendum. Manatee County asks voters to authorize up to $75 million in general obligation bonds, repaid by an additional property tax of up to 0.16 mill, to acquire, improve and maintain environmentally sensitive lands, protect drinking-water sources, water quality and wildlife habitat, and provide public preserves.
A "Yes" vote means
A YES vote authorizes up to $75 million in bonds and an added 0.16-mill tax (about $47 a year on a home with $300,000 taxable value, per county estimates) for conservation-land purchases, easements and preserves, building on the 2020 program.
A "No" vote means
A NO vote means no new bonds or added levy; the county's existing 2020 environmental-lands program continues but without the additional funding.
Ballot title and details as reported by the Bradenton Times and Tampa Bay Beacons , July 2026; the County Commission voted 6-0 to place it on the ballot. Confirm the final wording on the Manatee sample ballot.