MANATEE COUNTY, FL (October 6, 2025) – Manatee County Government has announced the launch of “Cortez,” a new interactive digital assistant designed to help residents and visitors quickly find answers to common questions on the County’s public website.

The chatbot, Cortez—named after Manatee County’s historic fishing village—serves as both a digital assistant and the County’s friendly mascot. Cortez brings a local identity to the latest in customer-service technology, available 24/7, to provide clear, conversational and accurate information on frequently asked topics, such as:

• Garbage, recycling and storm-debris pickup schedules
• Property taxes, permits and utility payments
• Parks, libraries and recreational activities
• County Commission meetings and agendas
• Road closures, construction projects and transit updates

“Cortez represents a big step forward in making County services more accessible,” said Manatee County District 3 Commissioner Tal Siddique. “AI is changing the way we work, and in county government, it will revolutionize how we address the needs of our residents.” 

Cortez will also offer links to more detailed resources and provide guidance on how to connect directly with County staff when a question requires a personal response. The tool is built to evolve over time, learning from citizen interactions to improve accuracy and expand the range of questions it can answer.

Residents can find Cortez beginning today by visiting any mymanatee.org Webpage.