Two days after Manatee County announced it would stop livestreaming Board of County Commissioners meetings on Facebook, commissioners unanimously directed staff to reverse the decision following public criticism and concerns about access to county government.
During Tuesday’s commission meeting, Commissioners Jason Bearden and Bob McCann questioned county administrators about the decision, which had been announced Sunday through the county’s social media accounts.
The original change eliminated Facebook livestreams of commission meetings and disabled comments on YouTube livestreams. County officials attributed the changes to the cost and administrative requirements associated with preserving social media comments as public records.
The announcement quickly drew criticism from residents, generating more than 100 comments on Facebook. Several commissioners also expressed concern that removing the Facebook broadcast could reduce opportunities for residents to follow county business.
Manatee County Government has approximately 85,000 followers on Facebook, compared with fewer than 3,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel.
Several residents addressed commissioners on Tuesday about the livestream changes, urging the county to restore Facebook broadcasts and online engagement.
Among those speaking were Myakka City resident Heidi Minihkeim and Liz Arnold, who recently won the Republican primary for the District 1 County Commission seat. Both raised concerns about eliminating a platform where residents regularly watch meetings and discuss county issues.
Bearden then asked county staff to explain the reasoning behind the decision.
County officials previously estimated that archiving social media comments associated with commission livestreams would cost taxpayers an additional $6,500 annually, with costs potentially increasing as more content is created.
County Administrator Charlie Bishop told commissioners the issue extended beyond the direct cost of archiving. Comments associated with county livestreams can become public records that must be retained for several years and produced when requested. That process can require additional staff time to locate and provide records.
Interim Deputy County Administrator Stephanie Garrison also explained that social media comments can be edited or deleted, creating additional public-records considerations.
Garrison said staff intentionally waited until after the Aug. 18 primary election to implement the changes because officials anticipated the decision could be unpopular and did not want the issue adding to tensions surrounding the election.
County administrators maintained that the change was an administrative decision that did not require prior approval from commissioners. The explanation led to a contentious discussion between commissioners and county staff, including an exchange between McCann and Bishop over responsibility for the decision.
Despite the changes to Facebook and YouTube, residents continued to have other methods of participating in commission meetings, including attending meetings in person and submitting comments through established county channels such as email and telephone.
Commissioner Tal Siddique called for a broader review of the county’s online engagement strategy, including information about audience numbers and which platforms are most effective for reaching residents. Other commissioners supported bringing the issue back for a more detailed public discussion.
Commissioners ultimately voted unanimously to restore Facebook livestreaming and directed staff to return with a presentation addressing social media, livestreaming and public engagement at the board’s Sept. 2 workshop.
Commissioner George Kruse was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.