BRADENTON – The Manatee County Commission discussion on the potential restoration of a controversial Confederate monument has been removed from the commission’s Tuesday, Jan. 31 meeting agenda.
According to the agenda item, county commission authorization was to be sought for County Administrator Scott Hopes, or his designee, to reinstall the monument at its previous location in front of the historic Manatee County Courthouse in downtown Bradenton, adjacent to the Manatee County Judicial Center.
The monument was removed as a result of a 4-3 county commission vote in 2017. The statue was fractured during its removal and has remained in storage ever since.
On Jan. 27, The League of Women Voters of Manatee County distributed a monument-related email that carried the headline: “Citizen Advocacy Won! But more is needed.”
The email said, “The vote on reinstalling the Confederate monument has been removed from the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners agenda for Tuesday, Jan. 31 because of your hard work. There is no guarantee that reinstalling the statue will not be raised again on a different date. The county staff is continuing to spend time and taxpayer dollars attempting to find a place for the monument in another location in Manatee County.
“If you wish your voice heard about the monument, whether it should stay in storage and why, please consider speaking at Tuesday’s meeting (during citizen comments). You must physically go to the meeting to comment. Phone in comments are no longer available,” the email said.
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