Posted on September 3, 2025
The city of Anna Maria’s tentative budget for capital projects in the upcoming fiscal year is historically large.
Mayor Mark Short presented a $18,689,100 spending plan for capital projects in fiscal 2025-26, which begins Oct. 1, during an Aug. 28 city commission meeting.
That figure would be almost 90% of the $21,240,929 total budget for this year and almost $800,000 more than the budget for fiscal 2023-24.
The biggest chunk of the capital projects budget is $8,250,000 to rebuild the walkway of the Anna Maria City Pier. The walkway was destroyed last year by hurricanes Helene and Milton and the remnants were demolished earlier this summer.
Short said the cost of the rebuild was “hopefully” a one-and-done expenditure and would be funded by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Manatee County and the state.
Another sizable chunk of the proposed capital projects budget for fiscal 2025-26 is $2.7 million in stormwater capital improvements, which will be partially funded with an increase in stormwater utility fees.
The budget also includes $1.3 million for finishing the Pine Avenue paver and crosswalk project, $300,000 to dredge Lake La Vista, $256,000 to harden and renovate city hall and $130,000 for seawall repairs.
Smaller items include $13,000 for two license plate readers, one of which will be positioned at the city’s entrance in the 8600 block of Gulf Drive; $20,000 for office furniture and fixtures; and $40,000 for a generator for the city hall annex.
The second largest chunk of the proposed capital projects budget is not a project, but a $4 million loan that Short said would be used to finance much of the actual work.
While $17.9 million of that budget will be funded by outside sources, some of the funding — like from FEMA — will be distributed through reimbursement. So the city will need to foot some of the bills to get work going, which is where the loan comes in.
The capital projects spending plan is the third and final piece of the puzzle for the city’s fiscal 2025-26 budget.
Short presented $27,238,000 in projected revenues for the upcoming fiscal year in July, then $7,692,900 in projected operating expenses in August.
Those numbers will be worked into a final budget that will go before city commissioners for a first reading, public hearing and potential vote at 5:01 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
A second reading and potentially final public hearing and vote will be at 5:01 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, also at city hall.
