Manatee County libraries could face cuts, reduced hours or closures after Amendment 3

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. — Manatee County’s seven public libraries could face reduced hours, fewer employees, program cuts or even branch closures after the passage of Amendment 3, a constitutional amendment that will reduce property tax revenue available to local governments by increasing the homestead exemption.

County leaders are now considering how to make up for the revenue they expect to lose. Commissioners plan to discuss budgets during a workshop meeting in January, though no date has been set.

The county has identified several services that could be affected, including the sheriff’s office, fire rescue and EMS, roads and transportation, parks and recreation, libraries, children’s services, environmental lands, emergency management and county administration.

Manatee County Commissioner Mike Rahn said the county will feel the impact of $176 million in the first two years.

“It doesn’t immediately affect services, but it affects the revenues to pay for those services,” Rahn said. “The Board of County Commissioners have to determine what services are most needed, which gets the highest priorities and level of services, and maybe even alternative revenues that we might have to come up with.”

County Commissioner Tal Siddique said closing library branches is not off the table. He said commissioners could eventually have to decide whether they can afford to keep each location open.

At the Lakewood Ranch Library, 10-year-old Summer Allen visits once a week with her parents, Kevin and Janet Allen. She checks out about 10 books at a time and said she enjoys graphic novels because they have “just the right balance of pictures and words.”

“It’s my own world that I can just go into,” Summer said.

Janet Allen, Summer’s mother and a board member of the Friends of the Manatee County Library, said the library is a place for imagination and connection.

“There’s so much potential for imagination and stories and connection, and it’s a really magical place,” Janet Allen said.

Kevin Allen, Summer’s father and a board member of the Library Foundation of Manatee County, said he voted no on Amendment 3 because of concerns about access to library resources.

“They’ll throttle access to some of the most vital resources that our county depends upon,” Kevin Allen said.

Sue Seitter, a board member of the Library Foundation of Manatee County, said library staffing has already been reduced by 30%, and hours have been limited because of a hiring freeze. She said the foundation is working to inform the state delegation about the role libraries play.

“We are actively working to inform our state delegation of how the libraries can help and should not be considered as a drain on taxes,” Seitter said.

Library use in Manatee County continues to grow. In 2025, county libraries recorded more than 912,000 visits, about 12% more than the year before.

The county also reported 146,500 library cardholders, representing 32% of county residents, along with 2.4 million uses of online resources and 1.7 million books and materials circulated in 2025.

Kevin Allen said the potential cuts are concerning because libraries support lifelong learning.

“It’s disappointing because libraries are an investment in lifelong learning,” he said. “And for that to be deprived to the degree that it’s already been deprived is frustrating and saddening to see.”

Manatee County libraries could face cuts, reduced hours or closures after Amendment 3

Comments / 2