Manatee County plans to honor late Commissioner Carol Ann Felts, who passed away suddenly last week at 68. The board will vote today on naming part of Crane Park, in Myakka City, where Felts lived, the Carol Ann Felts Preserve.
Felts wasn’t just a commissioner. She was an eighth-generation Floridian and a fierce defender of rural life, the environment, and the unique heritage of Myakka City. Long before she won her seat in 2024, she was a fixture at county meetings, always showing up to fight for her neighbors and speak up for what mattered to her. That drive didn’t stop when she took office.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard, who brought the proposal forward, remembers Felts as “fiery, spunky, and energetic.” She said, “Carol was a citizen activist for so long—everyone knew her and exactly what she cared about. She loved the wild places in Florida. That park in Myakka was really special to her.”…