What's new in Manatee: County attorney resigns, ethics complaint filed against chairman

Longtime Manatee County Attorney Bill Clague announced plans to resign from his post early next year at the final Manatee County meeting of the year on Tuesday.

A former Manatee County animal services volunteer has also filed an ethics complaint against current county Chairman Kevin Van Ostenbridge. The Florida Commission on Ethics has yet to decide if the complaint has enough legal merit for further investigation.

During Tuesday's county meeting, commissioners named new officers for the Board of County Commissioners in 2024, including naming Commissioner Mike Rahn as the county's new chairman. Commissioners also approved the purchase of the Crooked River Ranch for conservation purposes.

Manatee County attorney resigns

Clague made plans to resign from his post next year. Clague has worked at Manatee County for 20 years, including three as county attorney, and said he intends to continue in the role until about March 8 to help the county transition.

"I am very grateful for the years I've had here," Clague said. "But for me, for my own personal career goals, 20 years in government is enough. It's more than I ever intended when I took the job here."

Ethics complaint filed against Manatee County chairman

Former Manatee County Animal Welfare volunteer David Daniels filed a complaint against Van Ostenbridge with the Florida Commission on Ethics for purchasing voter data and email lists with county funds.

Van Ostenbridge has defended the purchase, stating that the emails on the list were used to create a county newsletter for District 3 residents and that the voter data was superfluous. He has also said he checked with Clague and other staff members before the purchase to ensure it was legally permissible.

He told the Herald-Tribune the complaint was frivolous. There have been two previous complaints filed by other parties against Van Ostenbridge that were turned down by the ethics commission last year after finding they did not have legal merit.

"Nothing prohibits a person from making a baseless or frivolous complaint," Van Ostenbridge said. "That's all this is."

In case you missed it: Clerk says Manatee County commissioner improperly used public funds

Daniels filed the ethics complaint in June, based on information published in an audit of expense card use by select county officials by the Manatee County Clerk of Court and Comptroller's office. Van Ostenbridge repaid the full cost of the purchase after the audit was published.

The Commission on Ethics has not decided on whether there is legal merit to investigate the complaint. The commission will consider the fate of the complaint at a future meeting, potentially as early as January although the meeting agenda has not been published. The commission does not consider records associated with the case as public until the commission decides on whether an investigation will take place.

Although Daniels believes Van Ostenbridge should be held accountable, he told the Herald-Tribune he is not holding his breath.

"I am not optimistic," Daniels said.

New county chairman named for 2024

Rahn has been selected as Manatee County chairman for 2024, replacing District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge in the role.

Rahn is a Marine Corps veteran and has worked as a residential mortgage lender for about 30 years. He is a past president of the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association, a past second vice president for the Florida Home Builders Association, and a member of the Safe Children Coalition board. Before serving on the Board of County Commissioners, Rahn served on the county's planning commission.

Manatee moves forward on Crooked River Ranch purchase

Commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with plans to purchase the Crooked River Ranch for $11.2 million with funds dedicated to the environmental conservation of land.

The property is 68 acres and is located along the north side of the Manatee River, located between I-75 and Ft. Hamer Road in Parrish. County staff revealed preliminary concepts for the park, which include a trailhead to access trails throughout the property, a pavilion, a kayak launch, a parking area, restrooms, and about three acres of space for recreational use.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: What to know in Manatee: County attorney resigns, new county leaders