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VOL 15 No. 25
April 22, 2015
Tourist tax $$ proposed for beaches BY CINDY LANE SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council voted Monday to recommend that county commissioners approve $750,000 annually for beach renourishment and maintenance, and $60,000 for a structural study of the Anna Maria city pier from county resort tax funds. To increase funding for future beach renourishment projects, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Director Elliott Falcione and Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker proposed shifting $575,000 in resort tax funds currently allocated for beach maintenance in the “beach penny” to another part of the resort tax budget. The resort tax is collected from owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, primarily tourists. see TOURISt tax, page 39
Building dept. inquiry sought From left, Joey Lester accepts the Community Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award from Executive Director Cindy Thompson and presenter Darcie Duncan.
Chuck and Joey Lester were given the Lifetime Achievement Award for Humanitarian Service. BY PAT COPELAND SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA – From the dazzling decorations to the delightful gourmet food, this year’s Silver Affaire to Remember was one to remember. Fun was the order of the evening as Islanders came
INSIDE NEWS OPINION Sun survey outdoors Town crier Food and wine real estate Cops, obits
4 6 7 26-27 30 33 36-41 42
PAT COPELAND | SUN
Mayor asks to let the new building official investigate and report back to the board. BY PAT COPELAND SUN STAFF WRITER | pcopeland@amisun.com
out in their finery to socialize with friends and dance the night away to the tunes of MPiRE. People got in the spirit of bidding on the silent auction items by cell phone until the Wi-Fi went down, but no one seemed to mind doing it the old fashioned way with pencil and paper. While guests were enjoying dinner, Directors Cindy Thompson and Kristin Lessig recognized some special people including Sandee Pruett, who is retiring
HOLMES BEACH – City Commissioner Pat Morton called for a formal investigation of the building department after hearing complaints from resident Dick Motzer at Tuesday’s meeting. Motzer said the building department is in violation of the state building code and national electric code due to allowing swimming pools to be built too close to electric lines. “Who has been approving the installation of
see affaire, pageS 24-25
see INQUIRY, page 38
traveling
Earth day reminders on helping
Have recipes, will travel. 14
our local environment. 18-19
gourmet:
Anna Maria Island, Florida
Bradenton Beach recall election questioned. 5
The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper
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