One Manatee County Commissioner wanted to remove a monument at the courthouse in Bradenton on the heels of other statues being vandalized across the country. Commissioner Charles Smith cast the lone vote to move the Confederate memorial to Gamble Plantation Historic State Park in Ellenton. An emergency meeting was called to discuss the issue and it was ultimately rejected by a vote of 4-1. The commission agreed that they will cover the monument in an attempt to protect it from vandalism.
