Quality Cities | 2024 Advocacy Edition

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Are your investments properly diversified in today’s current environment?

RETIREMENT:

Protecting the Retirement of Those Serving the Public

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Quality Cities Magazine

Volume 98 | Number 1

PUBLISHER

Jeannie Garner

DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS

Kelli Gemmer

SENIOR EDITOR

Joy Dickinson

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Sydney Fraser

Bonnie Hacker

CIRCULATION

Eryn Russell

Stay informed: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Visit our website at flcities.com.

Quality Cities (formerly Quality Cities ’90) (ISSN 0892-4171) (USPS Number: 201-780) serves as a medium of exchange of ideas and information on municipal affairs for the public officials of Florida. The views expressed and the data presented by contributors and advertisers are not to be construed as having the endorsement of the Florida League of Cities unless so specifically stated. No material from this publication may be reprinted without the express permission of the editor.

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ABOUT THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES:

For more than 100 years, the League has been the united voice for Florida’s municipalities. Our nonpartisan organization has a mission to serve the needs of cities and promote local self-government.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Greg Ross, Mayor, Cooper City

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

Michael Blake, Mayor, Cocoa

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

Holly D. Smith, Councilmember, Sanibel

DISTRICT DIRECTORS

(1) Mark Franks, Mayor, Shalimar

(1) J.B. Whitten, Mayor, Crestview

(2) Thomas DeVille, Mayor, Penney Farms

(2) Jake Hill, Vice Mayor, Lake City

(3) Don Burnette, Mayor, Port Orange

(3) Bill Partington, Mayor, Ormond Beach

(4) Mindy Gibson, Vice Mayor, Satellite Beach

(4) Sarah Stoeckel, Councilmember, Titusville

(5) Louie Davis, Mayor, Waldo

(5) Cal Rolfson, Councilmember, Mount Dora

(6) Nathan Blackwell, Mayor, St. Cloud

(6) Joseph McMullen, Commissioner, Oakland

(6) Rosemary Wilsen, Commissioner, Ocoee

(7) Sam Fite, Vice Mayor, Bowling Green

(7) Dorothea Taylor Bogert, Mayor, Auburndale

(8) Tyler Payne, Mayor, Treasure Island

(8) Trish Springer, Councilor, Seminole

(9) Ed Dodd, Mayor, Sebastian

(10) Brian Williams, Commissioner, Palmetto

(11) Joanne Ribble, Vice Mayor, Estero

(12) Kimberly Glas-Castro, Vice Mayor, Lake Park

(12) Lawrence Gordon, Vice Mayor, Haverhill

(12) Chelsea Reed, Mayor, Palm Beach Gardens

(13) Felicia Brunson, Mayor, West Park

members

(13) Joy Carter, Commissioner, Coral Springs

(13) Todd Drosky, Commissioner, Deerfield Beach

(13) Bob Mayersohn, Commissioner, Parkland

(13) Susan Starkey, Vice Mayor, Davie

(14) Joseph Corradino, Mayor, Pinecrest

(14) Karyn Cunningham, Mayor, Palmetto Bay

(14) Rodney Harris, Mayor, Miami Gardens

10 MOST POPULOUS CITIES

Vacancy, Jacksonville

Damian Pardo, Commissioner, Miami

Luis Viera, Councilman, Tampa

Robert Stuart, Commissioner, Orlando

Copley Gerdes, Council Member, St. Petersburg

Vacancy, Hialeah

Stephanie Morgan, Councilwoman, Port St. Lucie

Dianne Williams-Cox, Commissioner, Tallahassee

John Gunter, Mayor, Cape Coral

Dean Trantalis, Mayor, Fort Lauderdale

PAST PRESIDENTS

Scott Black, Commissioner, Dade City

Joy Cooper, Mayor, Hallandale Beach

Patricia Bates, Mayor, Altamonte Springs

Leo E. Longworth, Mayor, Bartow

Harbor Islands

Penny Mitchell, Board Relations Administrator PRESIDENT

Isaac Salver, Council Member, Bay

Antonio “Tony” Ortiz, Commissioner, Orlando

Jolien Caraballo, Vice Mayor, Port St.

Lucie

FCCMA EX-OFFICIO MEMBER

Michael Pleus, City Manager, DeLand

Jeannie Garner, Executive Director/CEO

Kraig Conn, General Counsel/Chief

Legal Officer

(13) Traci L. Callari, Commissioner, Hollywood

ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEYS AT NO COST

The Florida Municipal Insurance Trust’s exclusive Employment Law Advisor program offers access to a Floridabased attorney with significant publicsector employment law experience. And, the best part is there is no cost to members of the FMIT with liability coverage for employment practices.

Help is only a phone call away. FMIT members can speak with an attorney Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, by calling 888.368.FMIT (3648).

We can help with a wide range of employment-related matters, including:

∙ Hiring

∙ Discipline

∙ Promotion/Demotion

∙ Transfer

∙ Reassignment

∙ Layoff

∙ Termination

∙ ADA Compliance

∙ Complaints of Discrimination, Harassment, Unfair Treatment and Retaliation.

FEATURES CONTINUED

Travel to Washington

Meetings Calendar

MAY 16-17, 2024

Florida Municipal Communicators Association

Annual Conference

Hilton – Ocala

Contact Selina Smith

MAY 18-22, 2024

Florida Government Finance Officers Association

Annual Conference

Diplomat Beach Resort – Hollywood

Contact Jill Walker

MAY 29-JUNE 1, 2024

Florida City and County Management Association

Annual Conference

Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

Contact Carol Russell

JUNE 7-8, 2024

Institute for Elected Municipal Officials I

Embassy Suites Palm Beach Gardens

Contact Christen Barton

JULY 15-18, 2024

Florida Local Government Information Systems Association Annual Conference

Diplomat Beach Resort – Hollywood

Contact Becky Brennan

AUGUST 15-17, 2024

Florida League of Cities Annual Conference

Diplomat Beach Resort – Hollywood

Contact Melanie Howe

OCTOBER 4-5, 2024

Institute for Elected Municipal Officials I

Our online magazine showcases successful community projects and city initiatives taking place yearround. Content focuses on cities, leaders, advocacy and services.

Submit your stories and images at qualitycities.com . Qualitycities.com

Embassy Suites Airport Westshore – Tampa

Contact Christen Barton

Go to flcities.com/education-and-events/ calendar-of-events or call 850.222.9684 for more information.

INSURANCE FRAUD

The crime everyone pays for

Insurance fraud costs the average family $400-700 annually.

Help reduce these costs by reporting fraud.

UP TO $5,000 REWARD

For information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person found guilty of a crime involving insurance fraud against the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust.

Engagement is Key In Serving Our Cities

Greg Ross Mayor, Cooper City

Congratulations on a successful 2024 Legislative Session!

You played a pivotal role in our accomplishments this session through your meaningful engagement and respectful dialogue. Your intentional collaboration with the state legislators, as well as your expanded education, certainly paid off.

Local voices making local choices continues to be at risk. However, thanks to the work you and our legislative team put in this session, we were able to stop several preemption bills including those that attempted to diminish our revenue sources. You shared your stories with our legislators and asked them to let cities do their job, and it worked.

We also had many wins this session that were a priority of the Legislative Platform that we set at the Legislative Conference. (See p. 44 for the conference recap.) Many of you played important roles as leaders and members of the Florida League of Cities (FLC) policy and advocacy committees. (See committee lists beginning on p. 28.) You served as ambassadors for the League’s Local Voices United effort. (See article, p. 49.) United, we advocated on behalf of Florida’s cities as one, and the success was evident. (Read the full outcome of the legislative session on p. 25.)

The League will continue to provide resources to help us navigate even the toughest situations while we serve our cities. Let’s stay involved by attending the monthly FLCitiesStrong webinars and Annual Conference in August. (See our Conference Save the Date information on the next page.)

Thank you for embracing my Serving Our Cities initiative and joining me in this commitment to educate ourselves so we can be the strong leaders our cities need. Through your advocacy, we have fostered stronger relationships with legislators, safeguarded the interests of our cities and achieved remarkable progress.

Together, we will positively shape the future of the cities we serve.

Greg Ross

FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

AUGUST 15-17

When local voices come together, great things happen

The FLC Annual Conference is an opportunity for municipal officials and senior staff to enhance leadership skills, learn from municipal experts, share ideas with peers, discuss strategies for Florida’s future and hear about the latest in products and services for municipal governments.

flcities.com/annualconference

▴ (From left) Sandy Golding, Vice Mayor of the City of Jacksonville Beach, Curtis Ford, Mayor of the City of Atlantic Beach, and Fernando Meza, Councilman for the City of Jacksonville Beach.

Meetings Are Key at Legislative Action Days

By Joy Dickinson Florida

Attendance at Legislative Action Days, hosted annually by the Florida League of Cities (FLC), is critically important because of legislation that reduces or eliminates cities’ revenue sources, said Casey Cook, Chief of Legislative Affairs at the League.

At this year’s event, Cook encouraged attendees to remind their legislators that the population of Florida is increasing due to the great quality of life offered here. “Cities are providing more services to more people than ever before,” he said.

Cook shared a list of issues being discussed at committee meetings over the next couple of days and encouraged attendees to attend and testify or fill out a comment card to waive testimony in support of the bills up for discussion.

The League provided attendees with a “thank you list” of legislators' actions so far this session. “It’s a great way to start a meeting, by acknowledging what legislators have done,” Cook said.

Attendees also were given a card that listed the issues that the FLC supports and opposes. City leaders took these cards to meetings with senators, representatives and their staffs and provided one to the legislator or staff member. The cities used these cards as an outline for discussions.

Cities also were provided a handout to give legislators that showed how three proposed bills would slash city revenues by $1.51 billion in five years. It explained the impact on public safety and infrastructure improvements/replacements as well as parks, libraries and senior centers.

Attendees also were provided with an invitation to a reception that the League was hosting that day for attendees and legislators. The League also provided a Capitol map.

Even when city leaders hadn’t been able to schedule a meeting with their senator or representative, Cook encouraged them to stop by the office anyway. City leaders could ask if their representative was available and, if not, if they could meet with an assistant. If no one was available, Cook encouraged them to leave one of the issue cards behind and staple their business card to it.

◂ FLC President Greg Ross.

◂ Mindy Gibson, Vice Mayor for the City of Satellite Beach.

▴ Nancy Metayer Bowen, Commissioner of the City of Coral Springs.

League of Cities

FIRST-TIME TESTIMONY

Chelsea Reed, Mayor of Palm Beach Gardens, had the opportunity to testify for the first time at Legislative Action Days. Reed joined several other elected city leaders in testifying at the House Commerce Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee. They testified in support of House Bill (HB) 479 and Senate Bill (SB) 688. The bills aim to define terms in state statute to clarify laws regarding mobility plans and fees. They specify that only one local government can charge for transportation impacts, with the government issuing the building permit being the default entity responsible, subject to interlocal agreements between local governments.

Reed gave a one-minute testimony that explained her roles in local transportation and voiced support for the clarity that the bill would offer. When asked later about testifying, Reed pointed out that the committees are where the action takes place.

Having several cities testify added weight to their position that the impact of these bills is widespread. Many city leaders filled out comment cards and waived testimony in support of the bills. David Cruz, Legislative Counsel at the FLC, also testified. The bills subsequently

received a “yes” vote from both committees and, eventually, the Legislature. (For a wrap-up of legislative session, see p. 25.)

Attendees at Legislative Action Days went with their delegation of area city leaders to meet with their legislators or staff representatives. In some meetings, each person picked one topic from the FLC card to present. City leaders discussed the specific financial impacts of the issues as well as the cumulative impact on their area.

The groups ended their meetings by asking the legislators or their staff members, “Can we help you in any way?”

Legislators expressed gratitude for keeping them in the loop since they usually don’t see bills before they go to the floor for a vote.

One important factor in having successful meetings is building relationships with legislators before these official meetings, Reed emphasized. For example, she is the Chair of her Palm Beach Network of Elected Women, part of the Women’s Foundation of Florida. Reed described the group as a social setting for people who collaborate across political and jurisdictional lines. Because the group emphasizes privacy, members feel free to talk openly and build relationships. The group also provides an opportunity for mentorships, Reed said.

◂ Chelsea Reed, Mayor of Palm Beach Gardens, testifies before the Senate Transportation Committee.

LOCAL VOICES

◂ Members of the Florida League of Cities (FLC) Department of Legislative Affairs (from left) Casey Cook, Chief of Legislative Affairs, David Cruz, Legislative Counsel, Jeff Branch, Senior Legislative Advocate and Director of Field Advocacy Designate, Rebecca O’Hara, Deputy General Counsel, Sam Wagoner, Legislative Advocate, and Charles Chapman, FLC Legislative Consultant.

◂ Jen Ahearn-Koch (left), Vice Mayor for the City of Sarasota, and B.J. Bishop, Commissioner for the Town of Longboat Key, with Representative Will Robinson.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH SHOWS UP IN FORCE

The City of Jacksonville Beach has shown a united front for the past three years, with nearly the entire City Council showing up for Legislative Action Days. Even the Mayor and Vice Mayor attend unless there is urgent city business, said Councilman Dan Janson. “When a whole city walks into your office, it sends a message, as a city to the representative, that there’s an entire municipality that showed up to say, ‘These are the things that matter most to us,’” Janson said. “It gives us some strength in advocacy for our constituents and our community.”

At Legislative Action Days, the local delegation met with several legislators, which allowed members of the delegation to “champion our causes,” he said.

Janson attended a Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee meeting that was discussing sovereign immunity, an issue that affects every city in the state. “We had a voice there as well,” he said.

Establishing relationships with state and federal lawmakers before you walk into their offices to ask for something has been important to Janson. For example, Representative Kiyan Michael has been actively involved in Project: Cold Case, which assists families of those whose murders are unsolved. Janson spent 28 years working in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office assisting with missing persons’ cases and is on the Board of

Directors for Project: Cold Case. This involvement gave him an instant connection with that representative. When you’ve established personal relationships with your lawmakers, “walking into their offices is like walking into their homes,” Janson said. When he picks up the phone to call them, he gets a response because “I’m just calling my friends.”

And advocacy is an ongoing effort beyond Legislative Action Days. Janson emphasizes the importance of advocacy to candidates for his City Council. He tells them it’s not a requirement to get involved, but it’s highly encouraged. Janson also explains to candidates that they won’t really know what the concerns are in their community until they’re in office. At that point, the League will partner with them to advocate for those issues, he said. (To keep up with information about FLC events such as Legislative Action Days, sign up for the weekly FLCitiesConnect newsletter at bit.ly/48lOHtp.)

Joy Dickinson is the Senior Editor at the Florida League of Cities. QC

Councilman Dan Janson.

◂ Lois Paritsky, Mayor, Town of Ponce Inlet.

▾ NanDrycka King Albert (second from left), Councilmember for the City of Midway, and Bobby Wagner (right), Mayor of Destin, with Representative Michelle Salzman and a member of her staff.

▾ Council Member Robert H. Yaffee with the Town of Bay Harbor Islands meets with Representative Dotie Joseph.

73 Graduate From Course On Advocacy

SCITY LEADERS

eventy-three leaders have graduated from the Florida League of Cities (FLC) Online Advocacy Course.

This virtual self-paced course helps city officials and staff understand the legislative process and learn strategies to become strong, effective advocates. The course covers Home Rule, the reasons advocacy is important, case studies, tips on getting started and resources. Completing the Online Advocacy Course earned these participants two points in the Certificate Program for Elected Municipal Officials. To sign up for the Certificate Program, go to flcities.com/certificate.

The Online Advocacy Course graduates include:

Mayra Aleman, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Sunny Isles Beach

Jennifer Andreu, Councilmember, City of Plantation

Patrick Austin, Commissioner, City of Sanford

Brian Benton, City Manager, City of Sebastian

B.J. Bishop, Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key

Linda Bourgeois, City Clerk, City of Lake Alfred

Vernon J. Burton, Mayor, City of Lake Helen

Phyllis Butlien, Vice Mayor, City of DeBary

Jolien Caraballo, Vice Mayor, City of Port St. Lucie

Joy Carter, Commissioner, City of Coral Springs

Charles Chambliss, Mayor, Town of Palm Shores

Jeremy Clark, Vice-Mayor, City of Davenport

Gary Coffin, Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key

Joy F. Cooper, Mayor, City of Hallandale Beach

Christine C. Davis, Assistant City Manager, City of Orange City

Mark A. Douglas, Commissioner, City of Sunrise

Todd Drosky, Commissioner, City of Deerfield Beach

William Dryburgh, Vice Mayor, City of Punta Gorda

Pamela Durrance, City Manager, City of Bowling Green

Melissa Fernandez-Stiers, Chief of Staff to the City Manager, City of Miami

Christina Flores, Executive Assistant, City of Port St. Lucie

Kelly Flowers Hass, Marketing Director, Jones Edmunds, Business Watch

Eric Gerard, Commissioner, City of Largo

Judith Goldberg, Commissioner, Town of Highland Beach

Mary Ann Grieser, Deputy Clerk, Village of Tequesta

Shawna Emily Gail Gugliuzza, Town Clerk, Town of Callahan

Pamn Henderson, Mayor, City of Callaway

R. Michael Herr, City Manager, City of Bartow

Katrina Hill, Director of Public Affairs and Communication, City of Winter Haven

Frederick Jones, Council Member, City of Sebastian

Elizabeth A. Keeley, Assistant to the Village Manager/ Grant Manager, Miami Shores Village

Candace Kelly, Commissioner, City of Atlantic Beach

Greg Kerchner, Commissioner, City of Holmes Beach

Greg Langowski, Vice Mayor, City of Westlake

Melissa Lockhart, Councilmember, City of Punta Gorda

Karen Lythgoe, Mayor, Town of Lantana

Diana C. Manali, Administrative Specialist, Village of Tequesta

Lynne Matthews, Mayor, City of Punta Gorda

Debbie McDowell, Commissioner, City of North Port

Lori McWilliams, Village Clerk/PIO, Village of Tequesta

Victoria Méndez, Attorney, City of Miami

Roger Michaud, Mayor, Town of Lake Park

Nancy Miller, Mayor, City of Daytona Beach Shores

Olivia Minshew, City Manager, City of Wauchula

Brian Moree, City Manager, City of Atlantis

Stephanie Morgan , Councilwoman, City of Port St.

Lucie

Fran Nachlas, Councilmember, City of Boca Raton

Bernard Oder, Councilmember, City of Mary Esther

Lois Paritsky, Mayor, Town of Ponce Inlet

Valli Perrine, Commissioner, City of New Smyrna Beach

Adrian Petrila, Mayor, City of St. Pete Beach

Trish Pfeiffer, Vice Mayor, City of Bartow

David Pickett, Councilman, City of Port St. Lucie

Ed Potts, Commissioner, City of Alachua

Francine L. Ramaglia, Town Manager, Town of Loxahatchee Groves

Betty Resch, Mayor, City of Lake Worth Beach

Mary Richardson, Commissioner, Town of Dundee

Robert Shorr, Vice Mayor, Town of Loxahatchee Groves

Susan Simpson , Deputy City Manager, City of Sunny Isles Beach

Alexander Smith, Commissioner, City of Apopka

T. Michael Stavres, City Manager, City of Winter Haven

Debra Sullivan , City Administrator, City of Belleair Bluffs

Dorothea Taylor Bogert, Mayor, City of Auburndale

Judy Titsworth, Mayor, City of Holmes Beach

Jeniffer Viscarra , Commissioner, City of Sunny Isles Beach

Shalonda Warren, Commission President, City of West Palm Beach

Kathy Washington, Councilwoman, Town of Welaka

Teresa Watkins Brown , Councilwoman, City of Fort Myers

Judy Wertz-Strickland , Council Member, City of Arcadia

David Will, Mayor, Town of Redington Beach

Don Willis, Council Member, City of Cape Canaveral

Andrea Young, Council Member, City of West Melbourne

Molly Young, Mayor, Village of Tequesta. QC

Florida city officials recently received gold certificates from the Certificate Program for Elected Municipal Officials hosted by the Florida League of Cities (FLC) University:

▸ Mary Richardson, Commissioner, Town of Dundee

▸

▸

▸

Kathy Washington, Councilwoman, Town of Welaka

Judy Wertz-Strickland, Council Member, City of Arcadia

Don Willis, Council Member, City of Cape Canaveral.

For more information, visit flcities.com/certificate

Ce rtificate Program for Ele cted Municipal Officials

This multi-level certificate achievement program lets you earn points for Florida League of Cities activities in which you already participate! Earn or renew certificates annually based on a points system:

Level 1: Bronze Certificate of Merit – 10 points

Level 2: Silver Certificate of Leadership – 20 points

Level 3: Gold Certificate of Excellence – 30 points.

• Sign up.

• Attend training events.

• Track your progress with reports twice a year.

• Be recognized at Annual Conference, by Quality Cities magazine and in a press release.

Former City Elected Officials Take Expertise to The Statehouse

By Joy Dickinson Florida League of Cities

When city officials make the trek to the state Capitol, they have some allies already there. Several former city elected officials have been elected to state office and now serve their constituents from Tallahassee.

QC magazine interviewed three of these officials to find out how their former city service impacts their jobs now. Interviews were conducted with Representative Robin Bartleman, Senator Danny Burgess and Representative Christine Hunschofsky.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL?

Burgess enjoyed connecting with residents. “Whenever I was out around town, whether it was at the local grocery store or a restaurant, people would come up and talk to me, eager to share more about a need in the community or give feedback on the work we were doing,” he said. “I really enjoyed directly connecting with so many in my community in that new way.”

▸ (Clockwise, from top left)

Senator Danny Burgess; Representative Robin Bartleman with Florida League of Cities (FLC)

Legislative Affairs staff members Jeff Branch (from left) and Matt Singer and FLC

Legislative Consultant Charles Chapman; and Representative Christine Hunschofsky.

Hunschofsky also enjoyed the interaction and has a couple of specific memories that stand out. “Every October, we had Government Days at City Hall when all third graders attending schools in the city limits would come to City Hall to learn about how local government works,” she said. “I loved answering all the students’ questions.”

Another special memory was recognizing residents’ achievements at City Commission meetings. “It is so important to recognize the good work community members are doing and the accomplishments they are having,” Hunschofsky said. “That is what gives our cities and communities a meaningful and strong sense of connection.”

Bartleman also appreciated the opportunity to form connections with residents. “It is said that as a local elected, you are closest to the people. This is very true,” she said. “The decisions I made were very personal and impacted their lives directly; whether it was a zoning change on a parcel near their homes or policies regarding school uniforms, these decisions directly affected their lives.”

WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO BECOME A STATE SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE?

Burgess was born and raised in Zephyrhills, attended local public schools and served as Mayor and City Councilman. “This gave me a unique, firsthand understanding of how decisions made in Tallahassee impact our community,” he said. “For me, this is not just a district – it is my home, and I have a vested personal interest in this community.”

While Bartleman was serving in elected office, she was involved in several local groups that addressed climate change, juvenile justice, health and children’s services, including those for children with disabilities. “I found myself in Tallahassee not just lobbying against the erosion of local control and school board issues, but environmental issues and access to health insurance issues, too,” she said. “It became clear to me that in order to make the changes I desired for my community, I needed to be part of the process.”

Hunschofsky’s road to state service began with her dear friend, former Representative Kristin Jacobs . “Before she passed from cancer, she asked me to run for her seat,” Hunschofsky said. Prior to that point, she had never pictured herself working in a more partisan environment. “When I got elected, I promised myself I would never forget whom I serve and that I would bring a local touch to this process,” she said. Issues such as school safety and mental health were important to her because of her experience with the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, “and being a State Representative has given me the opportunity to make a positive difference in these and many other areas.”

HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A FORMER MUNICIPAL OFFICIAL IMPACTED YOUR CURRENT ROLE AS A STATE LEGISLATOR? WHAT BENEFITS DOES YOUR EXPERIENCE OFFER?

In both roles, Hunschofsky did the work, regardless of the politics. “My work has always been about finding solutions for the people I serve,” she said. “That has been my approach in Tallahassee, which has led me to being able to pass 18-plus pieces of legislation in three years.”

Burgess, as a former Mayor and City Councilman, is “acutely aware” of how decisions and votes affect his neighbors. “Serving in those municipal roles gave me experience in making those tough decisions and allowed me to prove my ability to do so thoughtfully,” he said.

Bartleman believes that the roles she had locally make her an effective legislator. Those roles include being a special education teacher, an assistant principal, a city commissioner and a school board member. “As a former City Commissioner, I do everything in my power to protect local control, and I am able to draw upon my experiences when debating legislation,” she said. “My service in the community and on various committees helped me craft legislation that would have a direct impact on solving issues in my community.” She points to legislation that addressed sea level rise and working families’ access to dependent health care as examples.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR THEIR CITIES IN FUTURE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS?

Build relationships with your state Representatives and Senators throughout the year, Hunschofsky encouraged. “You should have continuous dialogue about the issues you are advocating for or against and, most importantly, bring some real-life examples of why policies are necessary or harmful to your community and other similarly situated communities,” she said. “Ask your Representatives and Senators how you can help them in advocating for the cities you both serve. This is a partnership, and we can all do more when we work together.”

Be sure that state lawmakers hear not only from you but also from your residents regarding preemptions and the effect on their lives, Bartleman said.

City officials play a key role in advocacy at the local and state level, state lawmakers emphasized.

“Every community is unique, and those closest to the people should be trusted to make the right decision for them,” Bartleman said.

Joy Dickinson is the Senior Editor at the Florida League of Cities. QC

State Senator Danny Burgess was elected at age 18 to the Zephyrhills City Council, which made him the youngest elected official in the State of Florida. He attended the University of South Florida and graduated with his law degree from Barry University in 2011. He joined the Army Reserve before returning to Zephyrhills to serve as Mayor. Burgess was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2014 and re-elected in 2016 and 2018. In 2018, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Burgess as Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, where he served until 2020, when he was elected to the Florida Senate. Burgess serves as Chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee. He practices law at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick and serves in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Major. He and his wife, Courtney, have three children.

State Representative

Christine Hunschofsky earned bachelor’s degrees from Boston University and an MBA from Babson College. In 2013, Hunschofsky successfully ran for Commissioner on the Parkland City Commission. In 2016, she was elected Mayor. While Mayor, she led her community through the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She was appointed to co-chair the United States Conference of Mayors Small Cities Forum and testified before the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of the 116th Congress. In 2019, she joined the American Food Coalition. Hunschofsky was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020. In 2021, Hunschofsky was appointed to the Commission on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder. She now serves as the Commission’s Co-Chair. In 2022, she was re-elected without opposition to the newly redrawn District 95.

State Representative

Robin Bartleman earned a bachelor’s degree at Florida International University and a graduate degree at Nova Southeastern University. She started her career as a special education teacher. She went on to become an Assistant School Principal in Miami. She was a Weston City Commissioner from 2000 to 2004 and a member of the Broward County School Board from 2004 to 2020. In 2020, she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives and re-elected in 2022 for the redrawn District 103. She has served on numerous boards, including as Chair of the Broward County Children’s Services Council Special Needs Advisory Coalition (2006-2020) and Chair of the Broward County Children Services Council (20082020). Bartleman has been a resident of Weston for 28 years and has two adult daughters, a chihuahua and a “grandpug.”

Q&A with Casey Cook

5 q uestions with FLC's Chief of Legislative Affairs

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES (FLC)?

Both my parents worked at the City of Tallahassee, so a lot of our conversations when I was growing up were about things happening at the City. My mom worked for the City for 35 years as the City Clerk and was President of the Florida Association of City Clerks in 1996. I saw that public service is a noble profession.

When I was a senior in college, a family friend and mentor reached out to see what my plans for the future were. That conversation led to an opportunity at his consulting firm, where we had several clients, including the League. Specifically, we worked on two major issue campaigns that were harmful to cities. Through that work, I was exposed to the League.

Mike Sittig, former Executive Director of the League, once said, “If you work for a city, you can help that city and its residents. If you work for the Florida League of Cities, you can help every city in Florida.” The opportunity to help all the cities in Florida was incredibly appealing to me. In 2007, I was hired as the Membership Programs Administrator under Lynn Tipton [currently the Director of FLC University]. While I was working for Lynn, there was an opening for a Legislative Advocate, and I was very interested in pursuing that path, having gotten the political bug working on campaigns for the consulting company. I had no experience working in the legislative process, had never worked for a city and didn’t have any relationships with sitting legislators. But I was hungry, competitive and driven. That’s one of the best things about the League: If they see potential in someone, they’re willing to take a chance.

I was promoted to Legislative Advocate and served as the liaison for the League’s Municipal Administration Committee until 2020, when I became Chief of Legislative Affairs.

DESCRIBE YOUR MOST MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE WHILE WORKING AT THE LEAGUE.

I’ve had more meaningful experiences than I can count at the League. The most fulfilling part of my job is stopping or “killing” legislation that would negatively impact how cities function or passing legislation that will help cities. Over the past 15 years, we have changed numerous laws for the better and provided meaningful tools to solve real problems. Equally important, we

have stopped hundreds of bills attempting to eliminate local decision-making.

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION?

There are 10 different fires with five fire hoses. Every day is completely different. It depends on which committees are meeting and which lobbyists have key bills up for a meeting that day.

As we develop strategies on bills, I’m identifying city officials with relationships with key legislators and activating them so that legislators can hear our message from a trusted source. I’m working with the League’s research team to compile the right data to tell the most powerful story. I’m working closely with professional city staff and our incredible Communications team to hone our message and rebut the arguments coming from the other side.

If everything is important, nothing is important. There are typically between 500 to 600 bills filed each session that impact cities. My job is to look at the entire universe of bills that are filed and help our team prioritize where we should be focusing our efforts. I’m looking at all available resources and making sure the people who need them are getting them.

WHAT SHOULD CITY OFFICIALS DO BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION?

This is an election year, and after session, every legislator will be focused on running for re-election. Many of them will have a primary, depending on their district, and all of them will have a general election.

Summer through fall is a great time to build new relationships or strengthen existing relationships with the people who will most likely be coming to Tallahassee next year. There are too many bills filed on way too many topics for a legislator to be an expert on all of them. Many legislators have never served in local government. Use the summertime to become THEIR expert on local government issues.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

Family is really important to me, and so I try to spend as much of my time as I can with my wife, Shaunna, and my daughter, Collins. I also love fly fishing for tarpon.

Casey Cook at a Glance

GRANTS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES

The League is partnering with eCivis to provide Florida municipalities with FREE access to a database with more than 9,000 tracked grants.

The nation’s largest professionally curated database of grant opportunities

Tools to find, apply for and manage grants

Customized searches – have them sent straight to your inbox

A dedicated grant coordinator at eCivis for Florida municipalities

Included with your membership to the League!

flcities.com/grants

Cities’ Stories Generate Legislative Success

By Casey Cook

League of Cities

Municipal officials’ involvement made a difference this session

During this legislative session, the narrative that you, our members, told of letting cities do their jobs was a difference-maker in many of the outcomes. By telling your stories and emphasizing the importance of allowing cities to make decisions for their communities, you made a profound difference in shaping policies that directly impact Florida’s cities.

The 2024 Legislative Session began with attacks on many revenue sources for cities. Your education and advocacy efforts helped legislators pump the brakes on these bills. Through your relationships with legislators and hard work week after week, we ended the session with many wins.

On behalf of the Florida League of Cities (FLC), thank you for staying engaged. Attending Monday Morning Call-Ins, responding to legislative alerts, calling your legislators – without you educating lawmakers on how the proposed legislation will impact your communities, we would not have had as successful a legislative session as we did.

As FLC President Greg Ross, Mayor of Cooper City, shared in the last Monday Morning Call-In, our success is thanks to the 411 cities and more than 2,500 elected officials who respond to the League’s asks, go to Tallahassee to advocate and continue to learn at seminars and conferences.

“You can’t beat the involvement from our members, and this is why we are so successful.”

Florida

LEGISLATIVE RECAP

This session, we had several big wins for our cities, many of which were part of the League’s 2024 Legislative Platform set by the membership. These bills include:

▸ Alternative mobility funding systems, part of the FLC Legislative Platform: CS/HB 479 (Robinson, W.) streamlines current mobility plans and fee laws and specifies when both a city and county charge a fee for the transportation impacts of new development, only the local government issuing the building permit may charge for the transportation impacts.

▸ Legislative ratification of the statewide stormwater rule, part of the FLC Legislative Platform: CS/SB 7040 (Environment and Natural Resources, Harrell, Mayfield) ratifies the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposed rule to update Florida’s 40-year-old stormwater regulations.

▸ Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), part of the FLC Legislative Platform: CS/CS/SB 770 (Martin) revises requirements for the PACE program to expand the types of projects that qualify for PACE and to provide increased consumer protections.

▸ Cybersecurity: CS/CS/HB 473 (Giallombardo) exempts local governments from liability in connection with a cybersecurity event if the local entity is in substantial

compliance with the currently required training and standards. The Legislature also approved funding for $40 million in local government cybersecurity grants.

▸ Funding for environmental resource management : CS/ SB 1638 (Hutson) requires the Legislature to appropriate 96% of the revenue share payments received under the 2021 gaming compact to acquire and manage conservation lands, improving water quality and addressing resiliency needs, including money for grants to local government for water quality improvement and greenways and trails.

▸ Public safety recruitment and retention, part of the FLC Legislative Platform: The final budget passed by the Legislature included $17 million for continuing the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus program that allows $5,000 bonuses to newly recruited officers. In addition, the Florida First Responder Scholarship Program was created to assist in recruiting public safety positions within the state beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year by providing financial assistance to trainees who enroll in an approved training program.

Thanks to your advocacy efforts, these bills passed both chambers and, if signed by the Governor, will benefit our cities, towns and villages across the state.

In addition to the good bills, many problematic bills were successfully defeated, including:

▸ Sovereign immunity (CS/CS/CS/SB 472 and CS/CS/HB 569), bills aimed at revising liability limits for tort claims against government entities.

▸ $25,000 homestead exemption increase (HJR 7015), a proposed constitutional amendment that would have increased the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $75,000, which would have reduced homestead property tax assessments.

▸ Enterprise fund transfers (SB 1510 and CS /CS /HB 1277), bills restricting a municipality from transferring utility revenues generated from serving extraterritorial customers to the municipality’s general fund.

▸ Millage rates (CS/CS/HB 1195 and CS/SB 1322), bills that would have required cities to have super-majority approval of the governing body to increase the millage rate.

▸ Local business taxes (LBT) (CS/CS/HB 609 and SB 1144), where the House bill would have frozen the revenue and rates for LBTs at the FY 2023-24 level, and where the Senate bill would have fully repealed local governments’ ability to levy a local business tax.

▸ Government accountability (CS/CS/HB 735 and CS/CS/ SB 734), requiring all persons lobbying before cities and counties to register with the Florida Commission on Ethics and prohibiting a city manager or city attorney contract from being executed or renewed in the eight months preceding the election of any member of the governing body.

This year, we made significant positive changes to curtail the sovereign immunity bills in particular. We hope the revisions made this year will set a more reasonable starting point for the next legislative session. However, with two new presiding officers coming in next year, the deck will be reshuffled.

Sometimes, we can do everything possible to influence the trajectory of the bill, but bad bills may still pass. For several years, the Legislature has been trying to preempt cities’ ability to regulate vacation rentals. This year, with CS/SB 280 (DiCeglie),

the Legislature attempted to standardize the information that cities could collect regarding vacation rentals.

We will stay engaged on this important issue. If the Governor signs the bill, we will share post-session resources on our website to help cities navigate this change. At the time of publication, the bill is awaiting action by the Governor.

This information briefly summarizes legislation that impacted Florida cities during the 2024 Legislative Session. For more information on other bills, visit flcities.com/advocacy to access bill summaries, view the legislative Final Report and watch the FLC Post-Legislative Session Webinar.

WHAT’S NEXT

While we were successful in stopping several preemption bills this year, these bills are very likely to be back next year. Continue to advocate on behalf of your city and build relationships with your legislators year-round.

This is an election year, which offers an opportunity to get to know the candidates running and build relationships early. If they’ve never served in local government, start educating them on city issues. Explain what Home Rule is and what it means to the residents in the city they’re vying to represent. Invite them to meetings and/or to tour city facilities.

Although next year’s session doesn’t start until March, we need to keep our feet on the gas pedal. For ideas on boosting your advocacy efforts, view The Advo-Kit, an advocacy toolkit produced by the League, at flcities.com/toolkit . Mark your calendars and join us for FLC’s 2024 Legislative Conference on December 5-6 in Orlando. Most importantly, foster and build your relationships with state and federal lawmakers.

With your continued efforts, we will start the next legislative session in an even stronger position.

Casey Cook is Chief of Legislative Affairs for the Florida League of Cities. QC

Celebrate the 2024 Home Rule Heroes

Recipients of the Home Rule Hero Award are local government officials, both elected and nonelected, who consistently responded to the Florida League of Cities’ (FLC’s) request to reach out to members of the Legislature and help give a local perspective on an issue. They worked tirelessly throughout the legislative session to promote local voices making local choices, protect the Home Rule powers of Florida’s municipalities and advance the League’s Legislative Platform.

View the 2024 Home Rule Hero Award recipients at bit.ly/3HGnsOG.

2023-2024

Advocacy Committee

The Advocacy Committee builds support among Florida League of Cities (FLC) members and the Legislature for the legislative priorities adopted by the members of the League. The Advocacy Committee contacts state lawmakers to advocate for the FLC Legislative Platform and other key issues. It also helps assess the municipal impact of legislation and provide strategic direction of the League’s lobbying initiatives.

“The Advocacy Committee has been instrumental for me to stay plugged in during the legislative session. As bills move through the legislative process, the Committee utilizes our relationships with lawmakers to advocate for the League’s position on several issues affecting cities. We also serve as a resource for the FLC lobbying team in providing municipal data that helps the lobbyists express the real impacts of several bills. Serving as Chair has been extremely rewarding, and I’m proud to serve with the other Committee members who are committed to representing the best interests of their city.”

Chair Rufus Borom Commissioner, City of Palatka

VICE CHAIR

Joshua Fuller, Vice Mayor, Town of Bay Harbor Islands

MEMBERS

Jen Ahearn-Koch, Vice Mayor, City of Sarasota

Patricia Bates, Mayor, City of Altamonte Springs

Scott Black, Commissioner, City of Dade City

Carolyn Cassidy, Commissioner, Town of Ocean Ridge

Jeremy Clark, Vice-Mayor, City of Davenport

Christopher Cloudman, Mayor, City of DeLand

Lisa Kane DeVitto, Commissioner, City of Crescent City

Yvette Drucker, Deputy Mayor, City of Boca Raton

Bryan Eastman, Commissioner, City of Gainesville

Joe Elliott, Commissioner, City of Wildwood

Mary Estimé-Irvin, Vice Mayor, City of North Miami

Shaun Ferguson, Councilman, City of Rockledge

Sam Fite, Vice Mayor, City of Bowling Green

Fred Forbes, Councilman, City of Bonita Springs

Mark Franks, Mayor, Town of Shalimar

Mindy Gibson, Vice Mayor, City of Satellite Beach

Kimberly Glas-Castro, Vice Mayor, Town of Lake Park

Stuart (Stu) Glass, Deputy Mayor, Town of Indialantic

Sandy Golding, Vice Mayor, City of Jacksonville Beach

Michael Holland, Mayor, City of Eustis

Denise Horland, Councilmember, City of Plantation

Allan Kaulbach, Vice Mayor, City of Atlantis

NanDrycka King Albert, Councilmember, City of Midway

Joe Kyles, Mayor, City of South Bay

Greg Langowski, Vice Mayor, City of Westlake

Sarah Malega, Commissioner, City of Lake Worth Beach

Lynne Matthews, Mayor, City of Punta Gorda

Debbie McDowell, Commissioner, City of North Port

Matt McMillan, Commissioner, City of Longwood

Joseph McMullen, Commissioner, Town of Oakland

Rob Medina, Mayor, City of Palm Bay

Nancy Miller, Mayor, City of Daytona Beach Shores

Stephanie Morgan, Councilwoman, City of Port St. Lucie

Clara Murvin, Vice Mayor, City of Pahokee

Bernard Oder, Councilmember, City of Mary Esther

Karen Ostrand, Mayor, Town of Ocean Breeze

Lois Paritsky, Mayor, Town of Ponce Inlet

Susan Persis, Commissioner, City of Ormond Beach

Trish Pfeiffer, Vice Mayor, City of Bartow

Joe Rasco, Mayor, Village of Key Biscayne

Cal Rolfson, Councilmember, City of Mount Dora

Dylan Rumrell, Mayor, City of St. Augustine Beach

Dan Saracki, Mayor, City of Oldsmar

Bill Schaetzle, Council Member, City of Niceville

Ken Schneier, Mayor, Town of Longboat Key

Thomas Shelly, Deputy Mayor, Town of Belleair

Holly D. Smith, Florida League of Cities Second Vice President and Councilmember, City of Sanibel

Fortuna Smukler, Commissioner, City of North Miami Beach

Susan Starkey, Vice Mayor, Town of Davie

Sarah Stoeckel, Council Member, City of Titusville

Dorothea Taylor Bogert, Mayor, City of Auburndale

Jeniffer Viscarra, Commissioner, City of Sunny Isles Beach

Marlene Wagner, Council Member, Town of Lake Hamilton

Teresa Watkins Brown, Councilwoman, City of Fort Myers

J.B. Whitten, Mayor, City of Crestview

David Will, Mayor, Town of Redington Beach

CHAIR Rufus Borom, Commissioner, City of Palatka

2023-2024

Federal Action Strike Team

The Federal Action Strike Team (FAST) supports the Florida League of Cities (FLC) strategic plan in strengthening its federal relations. The Committee communicates with Florida’s 28-member congressional delegation and two Senators to support federal municipal policy. The Committee takes its policy positions and direction from the League’s resolutions, the National League of Cities’ (NLC’s) policy priorities and the FLC officers and Board.

“This session, I have humanized issues and illustrated how a proposed piece of legislation directly impacts our residents and community. By connecting policy decisions to people and their everyday lives, we intentionally shift the focus from a broader statewide perspective to a more regional or local approach.”

Chair

CHAIR

Bob Mayersohn, Commissioner, City of Parkland

MEMBERS

Shelisa Abraham, Councilmember, Town of Century

Thom Barnhorn, Councilor, City of Seminole

Patricia Bates, Mayor, City of Altamonte Springs

B.J. Bishop, Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key

Scott Black, Commissioner, City of Dade City

Traci Callari, Commissioner, City of Hollywood

Jolien Caraballo, Vice Mayor, City of Port St. Lucie

Laura Carr, Council Member, City of Bonita Springs

Joy Carter, Commissioner, City of Coral Springs

Bradley T. Dantzler, Commissioner, City of Winter Haven

Yvette Drucker, Deputy Mayor, City of Boca Raton

Mary Estimé-Irvin, Vice Mayor, City of North Miami

Sam Fite, Vice Mayor, City of Bowling Green

Mark Franks, Mayor, Town of Shalimar

Joshua Fuller, Vice Mayor, Town of Bay Harbor Islands

Anne Gerwig, Mayor, Village of Wellington

Mindy Gibson, Vice Mayor, City of Satellite Beach

Joe Kyles, Mayor, City of South Bay

Greg Langowski, Vice Mayor, City of Westlake

Brent Latham, Mayor, City of North Bay Village

Sarah Malega, Commissioner, City of Lake Worth Beach

VICE CHAIR

Steve Wilson, Mayor, City of Belle Glade

Daniel McDow, Councilmember, City of West Melbourne

Yvonne Minus, Vice Mayor, City of Melbourne

Janice Mortimer, Commissioner, City of Starke

Antonio Ortiz, Commissioner, City of Orlando

Susan Persis, Commissioner, City of Ormond Beach

Joe Rasco, Mayor, Village of Key Biscayne

Thomas Reid, Commissioner, City of South Pasadena

Cal Rolfson, Councilmember, City of Mount Dora

Greg Ross, Mayor, City of Cooper City

Seth Salver, Vice Mayor, Village of Bal Harbour

Dan Saracki, Mayor, City of Oldsmar

Bill Schaetzle, Council Member, City of Niceville

Nancy Sikes-Kline, Mayor, City of St. Augustine

Holly D. Smith, Florida League of Cities Second Vice President and Councilmember, City of Sanibel

Susan Starkey, Vice Mayor, Town of Davie

Phil Stokes, Vice Mayor, City of North Port

Fabiola Stuyvesant, Commissioner, City of Sunny Isles Beach

Alex Tiamson, Councilmember, City of Orange City

Teresa Watkins Brown, Councilwoman, City of Fort Myers

J.B. Whitten, Mayor, City of Crestview

Bob Mayersohn Commissioner, City of Parkland

2023-2024

Finance, Taxation and Personnel Committee

The Finance, Taxation and Personnel Committee addresses municipal roles in several areas. Those areas include general finance and tax issues, Home Rule revenues, infrastructure funding, insurance, local option revenues, pension issues, personnel and collective bargaining issues, revenuesharing, tax and budget reform, telecommunications and workers’ compensation.

CITY LEADERS

“Serving as the Chairman of the Finance, Taxation and Personnel Committee was a great experience for me. The reason is that we were able to hear from leaders on the items that were before this committee. There were different views dealing with finance and taxation that were given to us. Also, it was great to hear the challenges that cities face each and every day.”

Joe Kyles, Mayor, City of South Bay

MEMBERS

Thom Barnhorn, Councilor, City of Seminole

Michael Blake, Florida League of Cities First Vice President and Mayor, City of Cocoa

Jennifer K. Bramley, City Manager, City of Dunedin

Thomas Bronson, Council Member, City of Brooksville

Roy Brown, Budget and Finance Director, Town of Pembroke

Park

Brian Bulthuis, City Manager, City of Clermont

Michael A. Cadore Sr., Councilman, City of Rockledge

Dennis Dawson, Councilmember, City of Mount Dora

Kevin Docherty, Council Member, Town of Ocean Breeze

Brent Eden, Commissioner, City of Lake Alfred

Judith Goldberg, Commissioner, Town of Highland Beach

Michael Gonzalez, Council Member, City of Clermont

Daniel Henkel, Mayor, City of Niceville

Lori Houghton, Finance Director, City of Tavares

Patricia Jackson, City Manager, Polk City

Antonio Jefferson, City Manager, City of Gretna

Chris Johnson, Commissioner, City of Largo

David E. Keller, Special Projects Manager, City of Hollywood

Lynne Ladner, Town Manager/Finance Director, Town of Ocean Ridge

Barbara Langdon, Commissioner, City of North Port

John Lege, Assistant City Manager, City of Fort Myers

Joseph F. Lo Bello, Town Manager, Town of Lake Clarke

Shores

Lisa Mallozzi, Commissioner, City of Cooper City

David Margolis, City Attorney, City of Clearwater

Kaija Mayfield, Commissioner, Town of Sewall's Point

Kevin McCann, Mayor, City of Winter Springs

Tradrick McCoy, Council Member, City of Riviera Beach

Nancy Metayer Bowen, Commissioner, City of Coral Springs

Fernando Meza, Council Member, City of Jacksonville Beach

Chair Joe Kyles

Mayor, City of South Bay

VICE CHAIR

Erik Arroyo, Commissioner, City of Sarasota

Roger Michaud, Mayor, Town of Lake Park

Maria Puente Mitchell, Mayor, City of Miami Springs

Stephen Okiye, Finance Director, City of Port St. Lucie

Bill Partington, Mayor, City of Ormond Beach

Leslie Porter, City Manager, City of Dade City

Ed Potts, Commissioner, City of Alachua

Mike Radzik, Vice Mayor, City of Groveland

Francine L. Ramaglia, Town Manager, Town of Loxahatchee Groves

Jacquelyn Randall, Mayor, City of Hawthorne

Gary Ready, Council Member, Village of Palm Springs

Brittany Retherford, Assistant City Manager, City of Satellite Beach

Jan Rodusky, Vice Mayor, Village of Royal Palm Beach

Suzanne E. Sherman, City Manager, City of Palm Bay

Megan Sladek, Mayor, City of Oviedo

Vernel Smith, Commissioner, City of Haines City

Fortuna Smukler, Commissioner, City of North Miami Beach

Rebecca Spuhler, Finance Director, City of Largo

Johnny Streets Jr., Councilmember, City of Fort Myers

Kelly Strickland, Finance Director, City of Sarasota

Debra Sullivan, City Administrator, City of Belleair Bluffs

Darrel Thomas, Assistant City Manager/CFO, City of Weston

Doug Thomas, Executive VP of Recruitment, Strategic Government Resources, Business Watch

Andrew Thompson, Chief Financial Officer, City of Oakland Park

Ann Toney-Deal, City Manager, City of Seminole

Bobby Wagner, Mayor, City of Destin

Nick Walsh, Comptroller, City of Satellite Beach

Kathy Washington, Councilwoman, Town of Welaka

Judy Wertz-Strickland, Council Member, City of Arcadia

Robert Yaffe, Council Member, Town of Bay Harbor Islands

Brian Yates, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Winter Haven

Molly Young, Mayor, Village of Tequesta

CHAIR

2023-2024

Land Use And Economic Development Committee

The Land Use and Economic Development Committee addresses policies specific to municipal concerns in several areas. Those areas include community redevelopment, economic development, growth management and land use planning issues, annexation, eminent domain, tort liability and property rights.

CHAIR

Bill Schaetzle, Council Member, City of Niceville

VICE CHAIR

Dorothea Taylor Bogert, Mayor, City of Auburndale

MEMBERS

Jeremy Allen, Village Manager, Village of Tequesta

Manny Anon Jr., City Attorney, City of Melbourne

Antonio V. Arserio, Commissioner, City of Margate

Lana Beck, Communications and Government Relations Administrator, City of Pinellas Park

Rick Belhumeur, Commissioner, City of Flagler Beach

Darla Bonk, Councilmember, City of Fort Myers

Michael Bornstein, Village Manager, Village of Palm Springs

Pegy Boule-Washington, Director of Community Economic Development, City of Belle Glade

Woody Brown, Mayor, City of Largo

CITY LEADERS

“Having served more than 12 years as a Councilman for the City of Niceville, I recognize that it is of the utmost importance to participate in city, regional and Florida League of Cities committees to learn, understand and know the issues we, as elected officials, face daily. We need to not only participate but also take action to improve our communities. One way you can do this is by getting involved!”

Traci Callari, Commissioner, City of Hollywood

Leondrae D. Camel, City Manager, City of South Bay

Jolien Caraballo, Vice Mayor, City of Port St. Lucie

Theresa Carli Pontieri, Council Member, City of Palm Coast

Joy Carter, Commissioner, City of Coral Springs

Charles Chambliss, Mayor, Town of Palm Shores

Jeremy Clark, Vice-Mayor, City of Davenport

Gary Coffin, Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key

Valentina Cortes Guerrero, Chief of Staff for Councilman

Rafael Pineyro, City of Doral

Steven Cover, Director of Planning, City of Sarasota

Gloria A. Cox, Mayor, City of Monticello

John O. D'Agostino, Town Manager, Town of Lake Park

Bradley T. Dantzler, Commissioner, City of Winter Haven

Jack Dearmin, Commissioner, City of Lake Alfred

Alex J. Fernandez, Commissioner, City of Miami Beach

Kelly Flowers Hass, Marketing Director, Jones Edmunds, Business Watch

Joshua Fuller, Vice Mayor, Town of Bay Harbor Islands

Robert Garlo, Town Manager, Town of Jupiter Island

Anne Gerwig, Mayor, Village of Wellington

Mindy Gibson, Vice Mayor, City of Satellite Beach

Juan Gonzalez, Commissioner, City of Pahokee

Lawrence Gordon, Vice Mayor, Town of Haverhill

Linda Hudson, Mayor, City of Fort Pierce

Dan Janson, Councilman, City of Jacksonville Beach

Narinah Jean-Baptiste, Attorney, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman

Kenny Johnson, Councilman, City of Palm Bay

Debra Jones, Council President, City of Williston

Greg Langowski, Vice Mayor, City of Westlake

Kelly Layman, Legislative and External Relations Consultant, Town of Jupiter Island

R. Max Lohman, City Attorney, Lohman Law Group

Karen Lythgoe, Mayor, Town of Lantana

Zayteck Marin, Commissioner, City of Belle Glade

Linette Matheny, Deputy Mayor, City of St. Cloud

Sara Maxfield, Economic and Business Development Manager, City of Riviera Beach

Debbie McDowell, Commissioner, City of North Port

Matt McMillan, Commissioner, City of Longwood

Joseph McMullen, Commissioner, Town of Oakland

Mike Miller, Vice Mayor, City of Sanibel

Ashira Mohammed, Mayor, Town of Pembroke Park

Nick Pachota, Mayor, City of Venice

John Penny, Vice Mayor, City of Holly Hill

Valli Perrine, Commissioner, City of New Smyrna Beach

Trish Pfeiffer, Vice Mayor, City of Bartow

Albert L. Polk IV, Commissioner, City of South Bay

Chelsea Reed, Mayor, City of Palm Beach Gardens

Patti Reed, Vice Mayor, City of Pinellas Park

Kevin Reid, Commissioner, City of DeLand

Betty Resch, Mayor, City of Lake Worth Beach

Marie Rosner, Commissioner, Town of Jupiter Inlet Colony

Kimberly Rothenburg, City Attorney, City of West Palm Beach

Dylan Rumrell, Mayor, City of St. Augustine Beach

Shari Simmans, Economic Development, Communications and Government Affairs Director, City of DeBary

Alexander Smith, Commissioner, City of Apopka

Jordan Smith, Commissioner, City of Lake Mary

Joy B. Smith, Commissioner, City of West Park

William E. (Bill) Steinke, Councilmember, City of Cape Coral

Sarah Stoeckel, Council Member, City of Titusville

April Sutton, Councilmember, City of Mary Esther

Christa Tanner, Vice Mayor, City of Brooksville

Judith Thomas, Commissioner, Town of Lake Park

Debbie Trice, Commissioner, City of Sarasota

Steven Weathers, Director, Economic Development, City of Fort Myers

Morris L. West, Commissioner, City of Haines City

Marc Wigder, Council Member, City of Boca Raton

Normita Woodard, Mayor Pro-Tem, City of Dade City

Chair Bill Schaetzle Council Member, City of Niceville

Municipal Administration Committee 2023-2024

The Municipal Administration Committee addresses municipal concerns in multiple areas. Those areas include code enforcement, elections, emergency management, gaming, homeland security, public meetings, public property management, public records, public safety and procurement, as well as charter counties and special districts.

CHAIR

NanDrycka King Albert, Councilmember, City of Midway

VICE CHAIR

Sandy Golding, Vice Mayor, City of Jacksonville Beach

MEMBERS

Diana Adams, Deputy Mayor, City of West Melbourne

Chevelle Addie, Village Clerk, Village of Wellington

Robert Anderson, Battalion Chief, City of Fort Walton Beach

Kyle Battie, Commissioner, City of Sarasota

Blake Bell, Mayor, City of Brooksville

Matt Benton, Deputy Mayor, City of Winter Springs

Liston Bochette III, Councilmember, City of Fort Myers

Sandra Bradbury, Mayor, City of Pinellas Park

George Brown, City Manager, City of Boca Raton

Maureen Buice, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Cape Coral

Lakisha Burch, Town Clerk, Town of Loxahatchee Groves

Patricia J. Burke, Town Clerk-Manager, Town of Palm Shores

Cynthia Burton, Commissioner, City of Crescent City

Rosemarie Call, City Clerk, City of Clearwater

Savannah Cobb, Deputy Town Clerk, Town of Longboat Key

Natasha Colebrook-Williams, Assistant City Manager, City of Miami

Michael Connor, Chief of Police, Town of Indialantic

Ed Cook, City Manager, City of Callaway

Keith Davis, Village Attorney, Village of Tequesta

Lisa Davis-Quince, Council Member, Town of Mangonia Park

Ed Dodd, Mayor, City of Sebastian

Darrel Donatto, Fire Chief, Town of Jupiter

Bryan Eastman, Commissioner, City of Gainesville

Brenda Fettrow, City Manager, City of Rockledge

Sam Fite, Vice Mayor, City of Bowling Green

Jerome Fletcher, City Manager, City of North Port

Mark Franks, Mayor, Town of Shalimar

“The Municipal Administration Committee is the largest committee with about 100 members, which is a testament to the importance of Home Rule and the passion of local leaders to stay in front of those critical issues impacting our communities.”

Chair NanDrycka King Albert Councilmember, City of Midway

Mac Fuller, Vice Mayor, City of Lake Alfred

Arnold S. Gaines, Commissioner, City of Fort Pierce

Elizabeth Garcia-Beckford, City Clerk, City of North Lauderdale

Donna Gardner, City Clerk, City of Casselberry

Elmon (Lee) Garner, Town Manager, Town of Sneads

Ella Gilbert, Interim Risk Management Director, City of Port St. Lucie

Kimberly Glas-Castro, Vice Mayor, Town of Lake Park

Christian Gowan, City Clerk, City of Winter Springs

Shirley Green Brown, Commissioner, City of Alachua

John Gunter, Mayor, City of Cape Coral

Angie Guy, City Clerk, City of Dade City

Leslie A. Guyer, City Clerk, City of Gulf Breeze

Chris Hawks, Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator, City of Largo

Julie A. Hennessy, City Clerk, City of DeLand

Janet Hernandez, Council Member, Village of Indiantown

Traci Houchin, City Clerk, City of Sanford

Anne Huffman, Commissioner, City of Haines City

Judelande Jeune, Attorney, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman

Jennifer Jorgensen, Governmental Relations Manager, City of Sarasota

Musfika Kashem, Acting Clerk Commissioner, Town of Pembroke Park

Marshall Labadie, Town Manager, Town of Highland Beach

Sarah Malega, Commissioner, City of Lake Worth Beach

Kevin Maloney Sr., Account Executive, VC3, Business Watch

Kelli Marks, Council Member, City of Orange City

Bob Mayersohn, Commissioner, City of Parkland

Michael McComas, Councilman, City of Everglades City

Lori McWilliams, Village Clerk/PIO, Village of Tequesta

Nancy Miller, Mayor, City of Daytona Beach Shores

KaShamba Miller-Anderson, Councilwoman, City of Riviera Beach

Olivia Minshew, City Manager, City of Wauchula

Yvonne Minus, Council Member, City of Melbourne

Marcia Monserrat, Chief of Legislative and External Affairs, City of Miami Beach

Cheryl Mooney, City Clerk, City of Temple Terrace

Brian Moree, City Manager, City of Atlantis

Bernard Oder, Councilmember, City of Mary Esther

Karen Ostrand, Mayor, Town of Ocean Breeze

Steve Parker, Chief of Police, City of Davenport

Tyler Payne, Mayor, City of Treasure Island

Gwen Peirce, City Clerk, City of Satellite Beach

Richard Radcliffe, Executive Director, Palm Beach County League of Cities

Mary Richardson, Commissioner, Town of Dundee

Jamie Robinson, Commissioner, City of Largo

Cal Rolfson, Councilmember, City of Mount Dora

Greg Ross, Mayor, City of Cooper City

Seth Salver, Vice Mayor, Village of Bal Harbour

Brittney Sandovalsoto, Deputy City Clerk, City of Tampa

Arlene R. Schwartz, Vice Mayor, City of Margate

Mark Sheldon, Mayor, City of Panama City Beach

Brian Sherman, City Attorney, Goren, Cherof, Doody & Ezrol

Renee M. Shrout, City Clerk, City of Oakland Park

Alexis A. Silcox, City Clerk, City of Belleair Bluffs

Holly D. Smith, Florida League of Cities Second Vice President and Councilmember, City of Sanibel

Suzy Sofer, Commissioner, City of Belleair Bluffs

Mike Staffopoulos, City Manager, City of Jacksonville Beach

Susan Starkey, Vice Mayor, Town of Davie

Dina Sweatt, Councilwoman, City of Groveland

Ken Thurston, Mayor, City of Lauderhill

John Tornga, Commissioner, City of Dunedin

Hugo Vargas, Commissioner, City of LaBelle

Marlene Wagner, Council Member, Town of Lake Hamilton

Tijauna L. Warner, City Clerk, City of Pahokee

Erin West, City Clerk, City of Green Cove Springs

Alice White, Mayor, City of North Port

Morgan Wilson, Assistant City Manager, City of Bushnell

Brandon Young, Councilman, City of South Daytona

Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee 2023-2024

The Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee addresses municipal concerns in several areas. Those areas include transportation and highway safety as well as aviation, affordable housing and homelessness, billboards, building codes, charter schools, rights of way and veterans affairs.

CITY LEADERS

“In working with other cities around the state, I have learned that while our communities are different, we have a lot in common. When we come together like this and set our policymaking goals, it drives positive outcomes. And creating positive outcomes for our constituents at home is what it’s all about. Being a part of it is very rewarding.”

Chair Nancy R. Sikes-Kline Mayor, City of St. Augustine

CHAIR

Nancy Sikes-Kline, Mayor, City of St. Augustine

MEMBERS

Mayra Aleman, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Sunny Isles Beach

Linda Allen, Council Member, Town of Hypoluxo

Liz Alpert, Mayor, City of Sarasota

Omar Arroyo, Vice Mayor, City of Haines City

Keith W. Babb Jr., Mayor, City of Pahokee

Esther Berry, Commissioner, City of South Bay

Anthony Bonna Sr., Councilman, City of Port St. Lucie

Rufus Borom, Commissioner, City of Palatka

Keith Britton, Councilmember, City of Oviedo

Donald O. Burnette, Mayor, City of Port Orange

Debon Campbell, Intergovernmental Affairs Manager, City of Miramar

John Carroll, Councilmember, City of Vero Beach

Christopher Cloudman, Mayor, City of DeLand

Nick Colonna, Community Development Administrator, City of Pinellas Park

Karyn Cunningham, Mayor, Village of Palmetto Bay

Nancy Daley, Mayor, City of Lake Alfred

Teri D'Amico, Council Member, Town of Bay Harbor Islands

Lisa Kane DeVitto, Commissioner, City of Crescent City

Yvette Drucker, Council Member, City of Boca Raton

William Dryburgh, Vice Mayor, City of Punta Gorda

Don Duckworth Sr., Account Executive, Enterprise Fleet, Business Watch

Joe Elliott, Commissioner, City of Wildwood

Pete Emrich, Commissioner, City of North Port

Shaun Ferguson, Councilman, City of Rockledge

Eric Gerard, Commissioner, City of Largo

Penny Gold, Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key

Jeff Gow, Commissioner, City of Dunedin

Frank Guertin, Deputy Mayor, City of Indian Harbour Beach

Woodrow L. Hay, Commissioner, City of Boynton Beach

John Henshaw, Councilmember, City of Sanibel

Jeff Hmara, Vice Mayor, Village of Royal Palm Beach

VICE CHAIR

Curtis Johnson, Commissioner, City of Fort Pierce

Steven Hunnicutt, Town Administrator, Town of Lake Hamilton

Michael Jarman, Council Member, City of Panama City Beach

Allan Kaulbach, Vice Mayor, City of Atlantis

Steve Kennedy, City Manager, City of Green Cove Springs

L. Tracy Mercer, Commissioner, City of Winter Haven

Janice Mortimer, Commissioner, City of Starke

JohnPaul O'Connor, Mayor, City of Westlake

Steve Osmer, Mayor, City of Satellite Beach

Nikesh Patel, City Engineer, City of Sarasota

Mike Petruccelli, Council Member, Town of Indian Shores

Cade Resnick, Commissioner, City of Winter Springs

Joanne Ribble, Vice Mayor, Village of Estero

Gary L. Russ Jr., Mayor, City of Gretna

Dick Rynearson, Mayor, City of Fort Walton Beach

Daphnee A. Sainvil, Division Manager, Public Affairs, City of Fort Lauderdale

Kyle Shephard, Director of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs, City of Orlando

Trish Springer, Councilor, City of Seminole

Guyton Stone, Council Member, Village of Indiantown

Robert F. Stuart, Commissioner, City of Orlando

Fabiola Stuyvesant, Commissioner, City of Sunny Isles Beach

Greg Sutton, Councilman, City of Jacksonville Beach

Casey Thieryung, Council Member, City of Brooksville

Walter P. Thompson, Commissioner, City of Florida City

Mary Lou Tighe, Executive Director, Broward League of Cities

Ian J. Whitney, Associate Director, Government Affairs, City of Tampa

J.B. Whitten, Mayor, City of Crestview

Dianne Williams-Cox, Commissioner, City of Tallahassee

Don Willis, Council Member, City of Cape Canaveral

Evelyn Wilson, Mayor, City of Groveland

Steve Wilson, Mayor, City of Belle Glade

Andrea Young, Council Member, City of West Melbourne

2023-2024

Utilities, Natural Resources and Public Works Committee

The Utilities, Natural Resources and Public Works Committee addresses policies specific to municipal concerns in several areas. Those areas include coastal management, energy, environmental and wetlands permitting, hazardous and toxic wastes, recycling, solid waste collection and disposal, stormwater, wastewater treatment and reuse, water management and water quality and quantity.

CITY LEADERS

“The Utilities, Natural Resources and Public Works Legislative Policy Committee was focused on bringing forth pertinent issues that affect the entire state, such as PFAS mitigation. I enjoyed learning from my municipal colleagues and developed even more respect and admiration for our lobbying team.”

Chair Denise Horland Councilmember, City of Plantation

CHAIR

Denise Horland, Councilmember, City of Plantation

MEMBERS

Jen Ahearn-Koch, Vice Mayor, City of Sarasota

Molly Alleger, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Jacksonville Beach

Joaquin Almazan, Vice Mayor, City of Belle Glade

David Bailey, Council Member, City of Brooksville

Joseph Barkley III, Commissioner, City of Belleair Bluffs

Dennis Barron, Director of Public Works, City of Jacksonville Beach

Pat Bates, Mayor, City of Altamonte Springs

Patricia Bentley, Mayor, City of West Melbourne

Peter Bieniek, Director of Public Works, City of Fort Myers

Nathaniel J. Birdsong Jr., Mayor, City of Winter Haven

B.J. Bishop, Commissioner, Town of Longboat Key

Terry Bovaird, City Manager, City of Williston

Victoria Bruce, Commissioner, City of Winter Springs

Doug Bryant, Councilmember, City of Mount Dora

Phyllis Butlien, Vice Mayor, City of DeBary

Anthony Caggiano, Commissioner, City of Margate

Carolyn Cassidy, Commissioner, Town of Ocean Ridge

Thomas Cloud, City Attorney, Gray Robinson

Ann E. Cosentino, Commissioner, City of Dade City

Neil Devine, Commissioner, City of Mulberry

Bart Diebold, City Manager, City of Pinellas Park

James Dillon, Director of Public Works, City of Tavares

Fred Forbes, Deputy Mayor, City of Bonita Springs

Gregory P. Freebold, Mayor, Town of Lake Clarke Shores

Aleem Ghany, Public Services Director, Town of Pembroke Park

Stuart (Stu) Glass, Deputy Mayor, Town of Indialantic

Ted Hartselle, Councilman, City of Rockledge

Kate Helms, Stormwater Manager, City of Satellite Beach

Donna Holck, Commissioner, City of Largo

Gary Hubbard, Water Director, City of Winter Haven

VICE CHAIR

Teresa Watkins Brown, Councilwoman, City of Fort Myers

Nzeribe Ihekwaba, Deputy City Manager, City of Miami

Jimmie Johnson, Utilities Director, Village of Palm Springs

Richard Johnson, Mayor, City of Sanibel

John Jones, Councilmember, City of Monticello

Jerry Joseph, Commissioner, City of Sunny Isles Beach

James Keene, Public Services Administrator, City of Haines City

Rachel Keesling, Executive Director, Southwest Florida League of Cities

Lorraine Koss, Councilmember, City of Cocoa

Charles Lake, Commissioner, City of Lake Alfred

Shannon Lewis, Senior Vice President, Anser Advisory/GSG, Business Watch

Jane Mealy, Commissioner, City of Flagler Beach

Camden Mills, Manager, Capital Projects, City of Sarasota

Erik Morrissette, Vice Mayor, Town of Pembroke Park

Lois Paritsky, Mayor, Town of Ponce Inlet

Susan Persis, Commissioner, City of Ormond Beach

David Pickett, Councilman, City of Port St. Lucie

Jim Quinn, Councilor, City of Seminole

Joe Rasco, Mayor, Village of Key Biscayne

Gerald Renick, Council Member, City of Fellsmere

Campbell Rich, Vice Mayor, City of Stuart

Richard Roney, Vice Mayor, Town of Hypoluxo

Keith V. Sabiel, Council Member, City of Pinellas Park

Dan Saracki, Mayor, City of Oldsmar

Rick Sartory, Council Member, Village of Tequesta

Bev Smith, Mayor, Village of Palm Springs

Phil Stokes, Vice Mayor, City of North Port

April Thanos, Councilor, City of Gulfport

Robert Walker, Commissioner, City of Dunedin

Brian Williams, Commissioner, City of Palmetto

Rosemary Wilsen, Commissioner, City of Ocoee

Justin York, Commissioner, City of Lake Mary

Florida City Officials Travel to Washington

More than 40 'pitch with passion' at FLC Fly-In

By Allison Payne Florida League of Cities

Attendees with U.S. Senator Rick Scott.

▴ Attendees with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.

▴ (From left) Jeannie Garner, Executive Director/CEO of the Florida League of Cities, Greg Ross, President of the League, and Holly D. Smith, Second Vice President of the League.

More than 40 Florida city officials traveled to Washington, DC, for the Florida League of Cities (FLC) FAST FlyIn this fall. Officials met with most of the Florida congressional delegation, including Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Rick Scott.

The officials were “pitching with passion” for support on specific issues, according to Commissioner Joy Carter of the City of Coral Springs. Issues discussed include the Broadband Deployment Act, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), PFAS and a streamlining of the federal grants process.

The day was busy as the Florida delegation was electing a new speaker. Vice Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch of the City of Sarasota said, “This meant that we met with either the senator/congressional rep or staff or sometimes both as they jumped in and out of meetings and session.”

Vice Mayor Sam Fite of the City of Bowling Green agreed it was a hectic day for Congress. However, “we as the Florida elected were a united front that delivered our message in a unified platform. We are professionals that work well together for our end goal: our cities. And I think we walked out with a sense they really heard us this time.”

The meetings were productive as the federal and state governments don’t always have a municipality’s point of view, Ahearn-Koch said. “Many, if not all, of the Representatives and/or their staffs were genuinely really appreciative that we were adding our perspective and stories so they could have a more clear understanding of the local impacts of specific bills and actions on their constituency,” she said. “We had robust conversations and very serious and genuine engagement. We definitely had an impact.”

Attendees enjoyed the camaraderie with community officials facing similar issues. They commented on the team participation toward common goals.

The Fly-In closed with a White House forum called “Communities in Action: Building a Better Florida.” Speakers included Secretary Pete Buttigieg of the U.S. Department of Transportation and Mitch Landrieu, the White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator

For more information about federal advocacy, go to flcities.com/advocacypages/federal-advocacy. For information about the FAST Fly-In, contact Brenda Jones, Legislative Coordinator, at bjones@flcities.com.

Allison Payne is the Manager of Advocacy Programs and Federal Affairs at the Florida League of Cities. QC

Legislative Conference Set Stage for Session

FLC membership discussed issues and priorities

By Kelli Gemmer Florida League of Cities

More than 250 municipal officials gathered November 30 to December 1 for the Florida League of Cities (FLC) Legislative Conference. This annual conference provides the opportunity for city leaders to discuss and learn about important issues and finalize and adopt legislative priorities. FLC President Greg Ross, Mayor of Cooper City, presided over the conference and rallied the membership to support the League’s annual Legislative Platform.

The League’s Legislative Policy Committees met to discuss important issues and priorities. The conference also included workshop sessions focused on topics such as ballot campaigns, lobbying strategies and state funding for projects and programs.

Ross shared with attendees how advocacy is vital to the League’s mission. “As local elected officials, we must advocate on behalf of our residents to ensure we can craft policies that keep our cities thriving,” he said. “Advocacy starts at home, and it happens by working together.”

CITY LEADERS

Mayfield.

Municipal officials shared ideas and strategies for collaborating with state legislators. The keynote presentation was a Fireside Chat with Casey Cook, FLC Chief of Legislative Affairs, and Senator Debbie Mayfield. Mayfield was presented with the League’s Defender of Home Rule Award for her efforts to support local decision-making during the 2023 Legislative Session. She also received the Defender of Home Rule Award in 2018 and is the only person to receive the award twice.

The workshop session, “How to Talk So Your Legislator Will Listen and How to Listen So Your Legislator Will Talk,” included a panel of state lawmakers moderated by Rebecca O’Hara, FLC Deputy General Counsel. O’Hara was joined by Senator Jason Pizzo, Representative Kaylee Tuck, Representative Spencer Roach and Senator Shevrin Jones

The conference closed with the adoption of the 2024 Legislative Platform. This document details the priorities and positions

adopted by the FLC membership for the 2024 Legislative Session. (View the platform at flcities.com/advocacy.)

“One of our big roles as Commissioners or Councilmembers is to serve our cities, and one of the big aspects of that is to make sure the Legislature doesn’t take away our power to do that and to serve our citizens locally,” said Auburndale Mayor Dorothea Taylor Bogert, Vice Chair of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee. “I think this event helps to train us to become better voices for our constituents back home.”

Kelli Gemmer is the Director of Communications at the Florida League of Cities. QC

▸ Casey Cook, FLC Chief of Legislative Affairs, and Senator Debbie

◂ (From left) Senator Jason Pizzo, Representative Kaylee Tuck, Representative Spencer Roach, Senator Shevrin Jones and Rebecca O’Hara, FLC Deputy General Counsel.

▴ (From left) FLC President Greg Ross, Mayor of Cooper City; FLC Immediate Past President Jolien Caraballo, Vice Mayor of Port St. Lucie and Davie Vice Mayor Susan Starkey.

▾ (From left) Councilman Fernando Meza of the City of Jacksonville Beach and Commissioner Elvin Villalobos of the City of Tamarac.

The Florida League of Cities

Municipal Directory

The Florida League of Cities Municipal Directory includes information on all municipalities:

• Names of the elected and charter city officials

• Mailing and street address of the city

• Telephone and fax number of city offices

• Primary city email and website where available.

This free online directory provides the most current information available.

The Municipal Directory is available at flcities.com under “Resources & Research.” Email updates to awood@flcities.com.

LVU Ambassadors

Give Residents a Voice

By Joy Dickinson Florida League of Cities

Agap often exists between city residents and their state representatives. Many residents don’t even know that they can be involved in the political process at the state level.

“Being an Ambassador for LVU [Local Voices United] has allowed me to reach out to citizens to give them a `voice’ in the process that they may not have realized they have,” said Dorothea Taylor Bogert, Mayor of the City of Auburndale. Jen Ahearn-Koch, Vice Mayor of the City of Sarasota, also sees that role as an important one for ambassadors. “When the ability exists to communicate between elected officials and constituents, and we can help bridge that gap, we improve this essential need,” Ahearn-Koch said.

The LVU Ambassador program from the Florida League of Cities (FLC) is designed for elected officials who want to educate and engage their residents and business and community leaders in support of local self-government. As an LVU Ambassador, elected officials lead and inspire a new generation of local grassroots advocates to fight for Florida’s towns, cities and villages. Quality Cities (QC) magazine asked current ambassadors to share their experiences.

LVU Ambassadors Wanted!

Dorothea Taylor Bogert Mayor City of Auburndale

Jen Ahearn-Koch Vice Mayor City of Sarasota

You can defend local decisionmaking and take action for Florida’s communities. Become a Local Voices United (LVU) Ambassador and help build support for local decision-making.

Learn more at bit.ly/41PPfEc, and sign up today at localvoicesunited.com/ ambassadors.

David Will Mayor Town of Redington Beach

Jeniffer Viscarra Commissioner City of Sunny Isles Beach B.J. Bishop At-Large Commissioner Town of Longboat Key

Q: WHY IS BEING AN LVU AMBASSADOR IMPORTANT TO YOU?

David Will, Mayor of the Town of Redington Beach, says that being an LVU Ambassador has provided an opportunity to present facts about issues that affect his residents “so they can make up their own mind and think for themselves. Education is the key to advocacy.”

Residents like knowing how processes work, said Jeniffer Viscarra, Commissioner for the City of Sunny Isles Beach. “When they’re better informed, they can make better decisions,” Viscarra said. “And that benefits all of us as a collective.”

Being an LVU Ambassador opens a door for civics-oriented conversations that can address accountability of state leaders, Viscarra said. “I focus on process, not politics,” she said.

LVU has given elected officials a “quick and simple way” to get their residents involved in staying informed about actions at the state level and voicing their opinions, Taylor Bogert said.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES HAVE YOU DONE AS AN LVU AMBASSADOR?

Taylor Bogert worked with Scott Dudley, Director of Field Advocacy and Federal Affairs at FLC, to set up meetings with local citizens and groups including the Rotary Club and chambers of commerce. Also, when she was serving as President of the Ridge League of Cities, she distributed LVU ambassador posters, which are part of the LVU Ambassador toolkit, and encouraged elected officials to participate. (To access the toolkit, go to localvoicesunited.com/ambassadors.)

Ahearn-Koch reached out to neighborhood leaders to tell them about LVU tools to help them stay informed about state actions “so they don’t have to feel like there is a disconnect, especially during session.” Residents can sign up to stay informed at localvoicesunited.com/join-us

In 2023, Redington Beach held an informational meeting regarding proposed bills from the Legislature. They discussed the current law and how the proposed bills would affect them. “With facts in hand, our residents were able to make up their own minds regarding possible legislation,” Will said. “We also informed them of who those representatives are so they can make their voice heard in support or opposition to the bill.”

In Sunny Isles Beach (SIB), Viscarra had already developed the SIB Academy to educate residents about municipal government. When the first session ended, participants wanted to know what was next. Viscarra thought it would be a good opportunity to show residents how they could “go from spectators to participants at the state level, which means we have to bring people and government closer together.”

She has invited state representatives and Dudley to interact with residents about issues directly impacting the community. As part of her leadership with the SIB inaugural legislative advocacy initiative, Viscarra led the City’s efforts to explain important bills and share Home Rule email campaigns with residents. She uses her community newsletter to give insight into local and statewide issues that are important to constituents. “When action needs to be taken, I encourage readers to write to their state legislators and provide contacts and sample letters,” Viscarra said.

B.J. Bishop, At-Large Commissioner of the Town of Longboat Key, regularly attends regional, state and federal meetings of the FLC. “I bring that info back to our community and, where it helps, ask our community to reach out to state and federal elected officials.” Bishop, who also is the former elected Mayor of the Town of Leesburg, VA, has provided Dudley with the names of local groups that can be involved in LVU. “With today’s technology, we can have tremendous impact by asking our individuals in our communities to reach out to our representatives on legislation,” she said.

Q: WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD AS AN LVU AMBASSADOR?

Taylor Bogert noticed a “definite increase” in LVU registrations after meetings with local groups and the Ridge League of Cities.

In Redington Beach, residents are more informed and engaged in the process and know whom to contact about proposed legislation, Will said. “We are bridging the gap between Rep and resident,” he said.

Elected officials have seen residents take a stand on proposed bills that would be detrimental to their city. Viscarra said residents wrote in opposition to bills that sought to reshape the process of residential building permits. “This would have been devastating for Sunny Isles Beach,” she said.

Short-term rentals is another issue that residents have addressed. Sarasota is one of many communities struggling to address short-term rentals, particularly “hotel houses” that sleep 13 or more, in neighborhoods. “Our residents have been able to directly share their stories with state representatives,” Ahearn-Koch said. “While preemption efforts continue, the message that municipalities need to be able to respond to this situation in a meaningful manner is being made clear.”

Overall, Will said, his residents are getting involved and asking questions of their state representatives, such as, “What problem exists right now that this bill will solve, and who benefits?”

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHERS WHO ARE CONSIDERING BECOMING AN LVU AMBASSADOR?

The current Ambassadors have a unified response: Do it!

“It’s an easy way to help your citizens get involved and stay informed,” Taylor Bogert said. “Every voice helps and counts.”

The average citizen cares about issues but is busy, Viscarra said. “Ambassadors show people a workable path for transitioning from spectators to participants,” she said. “And that strengthens our democratic process.”

Will adds, “Inform and educate the public to think for themselves. Be part of the solution.” He emphasizes that having a voice in government is a right that can be traced to the founding of our country.

For those who are concerned that they have multiple issues in their community, Viscarra suggests that if you don’t have time to address them all, perhaps pick three. “Make a dent,” she said. “And take others along for the ride.” Residents will appreciate not having to figure out issues for themselves while working toward your shared goals, Viscarra said. “You don’t have to tackle it all, because you are not by yourself,” she said.

Bishop found that getting to work with individuals from other communities having similar issues is gratifying. “It is also a great way to learn about issues not yet impacting our community that may be coming down the road,” she said. “My experiences both in D.C. [at the FLC Fast Fly-In in Washington] and Tallahassee provide great insight into how our elected officials see things from their perspective, and I hope we can help them see it from our local perspective.”

The more voices that are included, the more likely the outcomes will adequately serve the population, Viscarra said. “Ambassadors add voices to the conversation,” she said. “That is incredibly valuable.”

Joy Dickinson is the Senior Editor at the Florida League of Cities. QC

Comprehensive Advocacy Toolkit

Available

The Florida League of Cities offers a free, comprehensive Advocacy Toolkit for elected officials

Sections explaining the importance of Home Rule

Examples of legislation that impact your community

Information on contacting your legislators

Tips on crafting your message

Advice on building relationships with legislators

And more!

Access the toolkit at flcities.com/toolkit

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Florida Municipal Officials MANUAL

Florida Municipal Officials Manual

This updated manual is a Floridaspecific reference guide for elected officials and municipal staff.

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Review of forms of municipal government in Florida

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