Thanks to a 4-3 vote, Tal Siddique will wield the gavel in 2026. He was swept into office last fall on a wave of voter discontent.
Original Air Date: December 3, 2025
Host: The Manatee County Commission has a new chair. The vote was a tight one, and some of the rhetoric in the run-up of the vote Tuesday reflected the tidal change that brought in three grassroots-supported candidates a year ago. Meanwhile, SeaPort Manatee, which is We have the details.
Johannes Werner: Tal Siddique is the commissioner who will wield the gavel in 2026. But he was voted chair with just four of the seven votes. Siddique is one of the three newcomers swept into the commission last fall on a wave of discontent about developer influence on local politics…