- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 24 No. 38
May 15, 2024
March tourism numbers soar With the exception of busy holiday weekends, March remains the busiest time of year on AMI, and 2024 was no exception. BY JASON SCHAFFER SUN CORRESPONDENT | jschaffer@amisun.com
Shining through
CINDY LANE | SUN
A bright spot graced the end of a recent gray day, with sunbeams shining through the clouds at sunset over the Gulf of Mexico off Anna Maria Island.
Mayors discuss law enforcement consolidation Consolidating law enforcement services on Anna Maria Island remains an unresolved challenge. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
ANNA MARIA â Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth are not on the same page when it comes to the potential consolidation of law enforcement services, with each mayor preferring their cityâs law enforcement agency take over policing in both cities. As is the case in most cities, law enforcement on Anna Maria Island is the most expensive public service provided to residents, visitors and businesses. With the looming threat of state-imposed consolidation
facing the three Island cities, the three Island mayors continue to look for cost-cutting measures that would save taxpayersâ dollars and potentially appease state legislators who requested the consolidation study being conducted by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA). Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach have their own police departments and police chiefs. Anna Maria does not, and instead contracts law enforcement services from the Manatee County Sheriffâs Office (MCSO). Led by Sgt. Brett Getman, with additional supervision provided by Lt. John Belt, the MCSO Anna Maria Unit is headquartered in the former city annex building on Pine Avenue.
SEE MAYORS, PAGE 15
SEE TOURISM, PAGE 27
Seasonâs first shorebird nest discovered A colony of least terns is nesting in Bradenton Beach for the first time since 2021. BY LESLIE LAKE SUN CORRESPONDENT | llake@amisun.com
BRADENTON BEACH â The first shorebird nests this year on Anna Maria Island have been spotted and marked by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers. A colony of least terns began nesting the week of May 6 at an undisclosed location in Bradenton Beach. A state-designated threatened species, least terns last nested on Anna Maria Island in 2021. As of May 9, there were four nests and 10 individual birds, according to Turtle Watch volunteer Kathy
CELEBRATING WEDDINGS, anniversaries. 20-21
ANNA MARIA ISLAND TURTLE WATCH AND SHOREBIRD MONITORING | SUBMITTED
A least tern nesting area on Anna Maria Island is roped off to protect nests from beachgoers. Doddridge. When she first came across the nesting birds, there were only two nests. Once eggs were located, volunteers marked off the area to protect the nests from human and vehicle interaction. According to Turtle Watch, previous colonies failed due to the
SEE TERNS, PAGE 23
ANNA MARIA considers changing
charter to cement height limits. 12
WHERE EVERYBODY knows your name
- and it's in the book. 17
Page 27 Anna Maria Island, Florida
ANNA MARIA ISLAND â March tourism numbers are up from last year in all three Island cities, significantly so in the City of Anna Maria. Each month, the Manatee County Tax Collectorâs Office reports how much income the countyâs 5% tourist tax produces. The tax is collected from owners of accommodations rented for six months or less who charge the tax to their renters, who are mostly tourists. The amount of the tourist tax taken in each month is a gauge of how many people are coming to the Island in a given month, and for March, that was a big number. While Bradenton Beach was up 1% compared to 2023 and Holmes Beach was up an impressive 19% during the same period, Anna Maria showed a staggering increase of 58% over March 2023.
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