Sari Lindroos-Valimaki

​Q. What will be the top two issues impacting businesses and our community in the coming year? What role should the County play in helping to address these?
A. Manatee County is making long-term growth decisions while the rules governing local land-use authority are changing. SB 180 has constrained some local planning decisions following hurricanes, while new state legislation on large-scale data centers has specifically preserved local authority over comprehensive planning and land-development regulations.

That makes the coming year especially important. As SB 180’s restrictions evolve and legal questions are resolved, the County should be prepared to act quickly and thoughtfully. We should also use the authority we clearly have today. Large-scale and hyperscale data centers should be specifically defined and addressed in our Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code before an application arrives. Businesses benefit from predictable rules just as residents do.

Florida voters will also consider major property-tax changes in November. Whatever one’s position on tax relief, the County has a responsibility to prepare for the fiscal consequences if those changes pass. Roads, public safety, stormwater, utilities and other infrastructure businesses depend upon still have to be funded.

The County should begin scenario planning now: identify essential services, examine efficiencies, protect critical infrastructure investment and clearly communicate the tradeoffs to taxpayers and businesses. Good government should anticipate change instead of governing by crisis.

Q. Adequate infrastructure is critical to economic development and quality of life. What are your top two infrastructure priorities and how would you prioritize funding for them?
A. Congestion is not simply an inconvenience; it affects employees getting to work, businesses moving goods and services, emergency response and our economic competitiveness. We need to stop approving growth and then trying to figure out how to move everyone afterward. I would prioritize transportation projects based on demonstrated need, safety, congestion and economic impact, while also pursuing lower-cost improvements such as better signal synchronization, intersection improvements and stronger transit connections.

Stormwater and flood resiliency must also be treated as essential infrastructure. Manatee County has historically funded stormwater through a collection of other revenue sources rather than a dedicated, predictable funding stream. That makes it too easy for maintenance, updated drainage studies and long-range planning to be pushed behind more immediate priorities.

The flooding during the 2024 storms devastated homes, businesses and neighborhoods. Our drainage studies and models must reflect the Manatee County that exists today—its current population, development patterns and impervious surface—not the county that existed decades ago.

I support a dedicated stormwater utility fee structured equitably around impervious surface, so properties contribute according to the burden they place on the system. Those dollars should stay dedicated to drainage studies, maintenance of canals, ditches and pipes, correcting known deficiencies and improving flood-control infrastructure.

Water and wastewater systems also require strong cybersecurity protections. Growth should pay its share while we leverage state and federal funding.

Q. The Manatee Chamber serves as the voice of business. What challenges or opportunities would you like to see greater business involvement in to move our County forward?
A. SeaPort Manatee is one of our greatest economic assets, and I believe we should explore a Maritime Technology & Workforce Center developed with the Port, Chamber, local employers, Manatee Technical College and other education partners.

It could focus on marine technology, logistics, welding and skilled trades, automation, port operations, cybersecurity and operational-technology security. These are good-paying careers that can connect local students directly to local employers.

That is the kind of economic development I want to see more of: identify industries where Manatee already has an advantage, train people here for the jobs those industries need, and create career paths that allow families to stay and succeed here.

I also want businesses involved earlier in infrastructure, resiliency and workforce planning. Government should not wait until businesses are struggling with traffic, flooding, labor shortages or security risks before asking what they need.