Local Dark Money - Flipbook - Page 30
Manatee Sales Tax Referendum
Citizens United ushered in a new way of
doing business when it comes to local
elections. In the Sarasota-Manatee
metropolitan area, the 2013 Manatee
County sales tax referendum was one of
the early ballot initiatives which saw an
influx of dark money and PAC (Political
Action Committee) dollars aimed at
influencing voters.
The proposed increase in sales tax was
going to fund indigent health care clinics.
Local hospitals were in favor of the
proposed sales tax, as their ERs saw
uninsured patients who would have been
better served seeing a primary care
physician. Supporters of the sales tax
couldn’t figure out the identity of their
