BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) — Manatee County and the City of Mulberry have joined a group of 25 local governments in Florida suing the state over Senate Bill 180.
“I think that number (of jurisdictions) is just going to explode and grow,” said Jamie Cole, the attorney who is spearheading the case.
This land use legislation is labeled as a disaster relief bill, aimed at facilitating rapid rebuilding after a hurricane without government obstacles. SB180 suspends all local land development rules for three years and prohibits municipalities from adopting “excessive or cumbersome” changes.
Manatee County commissioners, among others, also believe it favors developers and takes away local governments’ power.
“I hope the lawsuit isn’t perceived as confrontational or hostile. The law is simply not well-constructed, and flawed laws must be revised to properly serve the public,” stated Commissioner Carol Ann Felts during a commission meeting earlier this month.
On September 2, Manatee County Commissioners decided, with a 6-1 vote, to participate in the lawsuit, spanning areas from Homestead to Orlando, and up to Naples.
Only Commissioner Mike Rahn opposed the plan.
“We are certainly challenging a significant entity here. We have already experienced some budgetary retraction or vetoes. The DeSoto bridge funding was deferred to 2032, amounting to $800 million,” Rahn mentioned.
The suit is in its early stages. It calls SB180 an “unconstitutional” law and calls for its removal entirely.
