Manatee County’s growing population is putting pressure on its drinking water supply — and as development consumes more open space, environmentalists warn that the land protecting those water sources is disappearing too.
Now, Manatee County voters will decide whether to expand an existing land conservation program that supporters say helps safeguard those water resources from pollution and runoff.
The November referendum would increase the property tax to acquire and preserve environmentally sensitive land and authorize up to $75 million in bonds to do even more of it. The taxes collected will pay off the bonds over time as county officials use the money for the program…