Manatee County commissioners will meet Wednesday to discuss creating a new bureaucracy to regulate short-term rentals, with county staff estimating the program could cost taxpayers $1.5 million in staffing during its first year alone, plus nearly $237,000 annually in software costs.

The work session marks the latest chapter in a debate that has dragged on for more than a year and a half. Commissioners first directed staff to draft an ordinance in January 2025, but a motion to move forward failed 3-3 in May 2025. The board revived the issue in June 2026, voting 5-0 to bring it back for further study.

County staff is presenting two options: strengthening enforcement of existing rules on noise, trash, parking, and lighting, or standing up a dedicated short-term rental program with mandatory registration, inspections, occupancy limits, licensing checks, a required local contact, and penalties for violations.

The price tag for the more expansive option is steep. Based on covering roughly 3,000 rental properties, the county estimates it would need 11 new government positions, and processing the initial wave of applications could take between 50 and 75 weeks. Property owners could also be on the hook for a $450 registration fee plus a $150 inspection fee — about $600 per property before annual costs even begin.

Even some commissioners have flagged the cost concerns. “I am concerned about potential cost and staff’s ability to actually enforce it without additional staffing,” Commissioner Amanda Ballard said in June. “It’ll be a heavy lift.”

The complaints driving the push are real but concentrated. In the Pine Meadow neighborhood, more than a quarter of the roughly 100 homes are short-term rentals, but the HOA says just five properties advertising space for 13 to 20 guests generate most of the recurring complaints. Rental owner John McNaught urged commissioners in June to avoid punishing the broader group over a small number of problem properties. “Good government should target bad behavior, not create bureaucracy for thousands of responsible citizens who already follow the rules,” McNaught said.

Florida law limits how far the county can go regardless of Wednesday’s discussion — commissioners cannot ban short-term rentals outright, cap how often they’re rented, limit the total number of properties, or treat a rental home as a commercial use simply because it hosts guests. That leaves the debate centered on enforcement mechanics rather than the existence of the rental market itself.

Wednesday’s meeting is a work session only; any new ordinance would still need drafting, additional public input, and three separate public hearings before taking effect.

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