As 2026 gets underway, Mayor Gene Brown is thanking residents, local businesses, and City staff for their continued commitment to Bradenton while looking ahead to a year focused on progress, resilience, and long-term community investment.
“Over the past year, the City has continued to make meaningful progress,” Mayor Brown said. “Important work is happening across the organization, from strengthening public safety to improving the everyday services residents rely on. Through efforts like our Face It, Fix It initiative, essential systems are being modernized and City services are continuing to improve.”
That momentum is carrying into 2026 as Bradenton is in the middle of one of the largest infrastructure investment efforts in its history. Between July and December 2025, the City secured more than $60 million in state and federal funding to support drinking water and wastewater improvements. This funding is in addition to more than $100 million already invested or committed over the past five-plus years through a mix of City utility funds, grants, appropriations, and low-interest loans. Together, these investments allow the City to modernize aging systems while limiting impacts to local ratepayers.
“These projects protect public health, strengthen environmental safeguards, and help ensure reliable service for our community,” said Mayor Brown. “They also reflect years of work by City staff to secure outside funding and responsibly plan for Bradenton’s future.”
What the Funding Supports The most recent funding supports improvements across the City’s drinking water and wastewater systems, including: -Sanitary sewer lining to reduce inflow and infiltration of stormwater that can overwhelm the system during heavy rain. -Drinking water system upgrades to improve treatment, storage, and delivery and strengthen resilience during storms. -Wastewater infrastructure modernization, including lift stations and upgrades at the Water Reclamation Facility.
Much of this work happens underground or behind the scenes, but it plays a critical role in protecting neighborhoods, waterways, and the reliability of essential services.
As projects move forward in 2026 and beyond, the City will continue to provide updates and opportunities for residents to learn more.
For information on ongoing infrastructure improvements, visit the City of Bradenton’s Face It, Fix It page at cityofbradenton.com
