Manatee County commissioners approve proposed fire merger

Manatee County commissioners today supported a proposed merger between the Myakka City Fire Control District and East Manatee Fire Rescue District.

Myakka residents on Aug. 18 voted in favor of a referendum allowing the merger and the addition of an ad valorem tax, which is part of the taxing method used by East Manatee. The fire district boards voted Aug. 20 to finalize the public’s directive.

The Aug. 20 vote kicks off a yearlong political process to formalize the merger in October 2021. Now, attorneys will prepare East Manatee’s enabling documents to include Myakka’s additional 220 square miles. Those changes will be presented to a local delegation of legislators for approval at the state level, and then county commissioners eventually will have to vote to dissolve Myakka’s district.

“We’ve got a year to get this planned,” Myakka City Fire Control District Chief Danny Cacchiotti said. “With your support we can get through this.” 

Myakka City Fire Control District currently is a dependent district of Manatee County.