County Commission last year agreed to fund organization on basis of provision in state statute
Legal Aid of Manasota has raised an additional $29,000 in donations, “moving closer to bridging the significant budget gap caused by recent public funding cuts,” the organization has announced.
“This influx of support follows attorney and developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr.’s $100,000 donation, made in response to the Sarasota County Commission’s decision in late spring to deny Manasota Legal Aid’s request for $125,000 in the 2025 fiscal year, a news release points out.
The commission’s decision in early June came at the behest of Chair Michael Moran, who has ignored many of the recommendations of two county advisory councils the past two years in regard to county funding support for human services and mental and behavioral health programs. Moran noted in June, during the board discussion, that Legal Aid of Manasota would receive county funding in accord with a provision of state law.
In the July 9 County Commission meeting agenda packet, staff included a copy of Florida Statute 939.185, which permits boards of county commissioners to adopt an ordinance that allows the applicable courts in those counties to impose a fine up to $65 whenever a person pleads guilty or “No contest” to a charge or when a person is found guilty in a case. Of that amount, the law says, 25% is “to be allocated to assist counties in providing legal aid programs …”
A county staff memo in that same agenda packet pointed out that on Sept. 26, 2023, the commissioners eliminated funding for Legal Aid of Manasota from the county’s Contracted Human Services (CHS) program “and authorized the County Administrator to take the appropriate steps to ensure court fee programs comply with [Florida Statute] 939.185” and that a county ordinance approved in 2004 “enacted the additional $65.00 court costs to fund local requirements.”
The county’s Human Services Advisory Council had recommended that the commission allocate $136,911 to Legal Aid of Manasota for the current fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1, 2023.
“The $29,000 raised came from private donors to meet the critical need for pro bono legal services in the region, especially since the denial of public funding came days after Tropical Storm Debby [inundated the county with rain] and the ongoing local housing crisis,” the news release continues.
Legal Aid of Manasota “provides essential legal assistance” to more than 5,000 “vulnerable individuals each year, including disabled veterans, domestic violence survivors, and families facing eviction,” the release points out.
“This additional funding marks an important step in ensuring we can continue to serve the people who need us most,” said Linda Harradine, CEO of Legal Aid of Manasota, in the release. “With the overwhelming demand for legal aid following recent disasters, this support comes at a pivotal time,” she added.
“Legal Aid of Manasota has faced consecutive years of funding cuts from Sarasota County, making private donations even more essential to its operations,” the release notes. In spite of the challenges, the release continues, “the organization remains committed to raising the remaining $43,000 in funding to fulfill its mission of providing legal representation to vulnerable populations within the community.”
Harradine pointed out in the release, “Every dollar raised helps bridge the gap left by these public funding cuts, and we are deeply grateful to all our supporters for stepping up.” She added, “Our goal is to continue providing the life-changing legal assistance our clients depend on.”
For more than three decades, the release says, Legal Aid of Manasota has relied on a combination of public and private funding, volunteer attorneys, and community support to carry out its mission. For every $1 spent on legal aid, the community benefits from a $7.19 return in economic impact, the release notes.
The release says that, in 2023, Legal Aid of Manasota helped
4,971 people in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Among them were the following, it adds:
- 576 disabled individuals.
- 1,965 children.
- 327 domestic violence victims.
- 254 veterans.
- 548 seniors.
To learn more about Legal Aid of Manasota or to make a donation, visit legalaidofmanasota.org.