State lawmakers: Merger of Anna Maria Island cities won't happen

'Merging or eliminating cities could negatively impact the unique and special character of the Island,' Boyd and Robinson tell mayors.

One of the more contentious issues on the local political scene during the past year or so was a state government study — pushed by the local legislative delegation, endorsed by some Manatee County officials and viewed warily by some Anna Maria Island officials — that many on the island feared could lead to a forced merger or elimination of the three mu…