Worried commissioners could be removed from office, Manatee County Commission Chairman George Kruse postponedtwo votes that would have prompted a showdown with state officials.
Kruse announced the schedule change at the end of Tuesday’s public meeting, stating the risk of commissioners being removed from office was too high to proceed with the potential restoration of wetlands protections. State leaders have suggested that voting to restore wetland buffers and reverse an ordinance allowing for development beyond the Future Development Area Boundary would be a violation of state laws.
“As terrible as it is that there’s a dystopian scenario where people can just remove people from office for disagreements over vague, burdensome language, it’s still the fact,” Kruse said…